Mario Soto
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1977-1988)
Mario Soto was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1988 for the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 12 seasons. Across 297 career appearances, he went 100-92 with a 3.47 ERA and 1,449 strikeouts. He also batted .132 with 1 home runs. Mario Soto was a 3-time All-Star. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 14588.7.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 174 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1977-07-21
- Last Game
- 1988-06-16
- Awards
- 3× All-Star
Full name: Mario Melvin Soto
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | CIN | NL | 2 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 60.2 | 60 | 36 | 26 | 44 | 5.34 | 4.00 (-34%) | -1963.3 |
| 1978 | CIN | NL | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18.0 | 13 | 5 | 13 | 13 | 2.50 | 3.69 (+32%) | -154.0 |
| 1979 | CIN | NL | 3 | 2 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37.1 | 33 | 22 | 30 | 32 | 5.30 | 4.00 (-32%) | -189.8 |
| 1980 | CIN | NL | 10 | 8 | 53 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 190.1 | 126 | 65 | 84 | 182 | 3.07 | 3.84 (+20%) | 4425.8 |
| 1981 | CIN | NL | 12 | 9 | 25 | 25 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 175.0 | 142 | 64 | 61 | 151 | 3.29 | 3.58 (+8%) | 2928.6 |
| 1982 | CIN | NL | 14 | 13 | 35 | 34 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 257.2 | 202 | 80 | 71 | 274 | 2.79 | 3.86 (+28%) | 9776.7 |
| 1983 | CIN | NL | 17 | 13 | 34 | 34 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 273.2 | 207 | 82 | 95 | 242 | 2.70 | 3.87 (+30%) | 3321.4 |
| 1984 | CIN | NL | 18 | 7 | 33 | 33 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 237.1 | 181 | 93 | 87 | 185 | 3.53 | 3.81 (+7%) | 91.5 |
| 1985 | CIN | NL | 12 | 15 | 36 | 36 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 256.2 | 196 | 102 | 104 | 214 | 3.58 | 3.89 (+8%) | 798.8 |
| 1986 | CIN | NL | 5 | 10 | 19 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 105.0 | 113 | 55 | 46 | 67 | 4.71 | 3.97 (-19%) | -1896.1 |
| 1987 | CIN | NL | 3 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31.2 | 34 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 5.12 | 4.29 (-19%) | -1498.9 |
| 1988 | CIN | NL | 3 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 87.0 | 88 | 45 | 28 | 34 | 4.66 | 3.73 (-25%) | -1051.9 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 100 | 92 | 297 | 224 | 72 | 13 | 4 | 1,730.1 | 1,395 | 667 | 657 | 1,449 | 3.47 | — | 14,589 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 303 | 530 | 32 | 70 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 0 | 11 | 166 | .132 | .152 | .166 | .318 | -3,235 |
Career AVG .132 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 49.3% below league average.
Career OBP .152 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 53.1% below league average.
Career SLG .166 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 57.5% below league average.
Career OPS .318 vs. league average .715 across their career seasons — 55.5% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | CIN | NL | 12 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .077 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1978 | CIN | NL | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1979 | CIN | NL | 25 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .571 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1980 | CIN | NL | 54 | 46 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | .043 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1981 | CIN | NL | 25 | 59 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24 | .068 | .255 (-73%) | .320 (-74%) | .368 (-82%) | .688 (-78%) | -699.5 |
| 1982 | CIN | NL | 37 | 84 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 25 | .167 | .261 (-36%) | .324 (-34%) | .388 (-45%) | .712 (-40%) | -528.2 |
| 1983 | CIN | NL | 35 | 88 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 26 | .125 | .260 (-52%) | .324 (-59%) | .389 (-59%) | .714 (-59%) | -820.6 |
| 1984 | CIN | NL | 33 | 87 | 5 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 28 | .207 | .259 (-20%) | .322 (-37%) | .384 (-22%) | .707 (-29%) | -423.7 |
| 1985 | CIN | NL | 37 | 83 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 24 | .133 | .257 (-48%) | .323 (-56%) | .390 (-60%) | .714 (-58%) | -762.5 |
| 1986 | CIN | NL | 20 | 27 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .111 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | CIN | NL | 6 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .083 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1988 | CIN | NL | 14 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | .045 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 303 | 530 | 32 | 70 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 0 | 11 | 166 | .132 | — | — | — | — | -3,235 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (600 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 145 | 255 | 22 | 35 | 1 | 12 | .137 |
| Away | 158 | 275 | 10 | 35 | 0 | 12 | .127 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 141 | 872.2 | 691 | 334 | 340 | 768 | 3.44 |
| Away | 156 | 857.2 | 704 | 333 | 317 | 681 | 3.49 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-06-16 | CIN | HOU | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-06-10 | CIN | SFG | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-06-05 | CIN | LAD | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1988-05-31 | CIN | CHC | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1988-05-25 | CIN | STL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-05-20 | CIN | CHC | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988-05-14 | CIN | PIT | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1988-05-08 | CIN | NYN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-05-03 | CIN | WSN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1988-04-27 | CIN | WSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-06-16 | CIN | HOU | L | 5.0 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 1988-06-10 | CIN | SFG | L | 2.0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 1988-06-05 | CIN | LAD | L | 6.0 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-05-31 | CIN | CHC | L | 6.2 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1988-05-25 | CIN | STL | L | 4.0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-05-20 | CIN | CHC | W | 9.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| 1988-05-14 | CIN | PIT | W | 7.1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| 1988-05-08 | CIN | NYN | L | 7.0 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-05-03 | CIN | WSN | — | 6.1 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 1988-04-27 | CIN | WSN | L | 8.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | CIN | P | 12 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| 1978 | CIN | P | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | CIN | P | 25 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | CIN | P | 53 | 12 | 12 | 25 | 3 | 2 |
| 1981 | CIN | P | 25 | 25 | 10 | 19 | 2 | 1 |
| 1982 | CIN | P | 35 | 34 | 10 | 29 | 3 | 1 |
| 1983 | CIN | P | 34 | 34 | 22 | 28 | 5 | 1 |
| 1984 | CIN | P | 33 | 33 | 12 | 22 | 3 | 1 |
| 1985 | CIN | P | 36 | 36 | 13 | 34 | 2 | 0 |
| 1986 | CIN | P | 19 | 20 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987 | CIN | P | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | CIN | P | 14 | 14 | 5 | 12 | 3 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 298 |
Salary History
Mario Soto's recorded salaries total $4,621,429 over 4 seasons, 1985 to 1988. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Soto's career ran from 1977 to 1988. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | CIN | NL | $1,200,000 |
| 1987 | CIN | NL | $1,200,000 |
| 1986 | CIN | NL | $1,150,000 |
| 1985 | CIN | NL | $1,071,429 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $4,621,429 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Cy Young Award | NL | 6th | 2.0 | 120 | 0 |
| 1983 | Cy Young Award | NL | 2nd | 61.0 | 120 | 2 |
| 1983 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 14th | 16.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1982 | Cy Young Award | NL | 9th | 0.0 | 120 | 0 |
| 1980 | Cy Young Award | NL | 5th | 1.0 | 120 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Mario Soto (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Mario Soto
Mario Soto: the record in brief
July 21, 1977 and June 16, 1988 bracket Mario Soto's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Soto's only club in the season tables is the Cincinnati Reds. Soto played primarily as a pitcher and both batted and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on July 12, 1956, in Bani, Peravia, D.R. and a listed size of 6 feet, 0 inches and 174 pounds. The bio lists the given name Mario Melvin.
Across 297 games (224 starts), Soto recorded 100 wins against 92 losses with a 3.47 ERA. Soto had 1,449 strikeouts, 72 complete games, and 13 shutouts. Against a 3.89 league ERA for the same years, Soto was 10.8% better. The best win total was 18, in 1984. Soto struck out 274 batters in 1982, a career high. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 2.70 in 1983, when the league's was 3.87.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mario Soto
- What years did Mario Soto play?
- Mario Soto played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1988.
- Was Mario Soto a pitcher?
- Yes. Mario Soto pitched in the major leagues, recording 100 wins and 1449 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Mario Soto hit?
- Mario Soto hit 1 career home run with 70 hits.
- What teams did Mario Soto play for?
- Mario Soto played for one team, the Cincinnati Reds (1977–1988).
- Did Mario Soto win a Cy Young Award?
- No. Mario Soto did not win the Cy Young Award.
- What awards did Mario Soto win?
- Mario Soto was selected to 3 All-Star Games.
- What were Mario Soto's career stats?
- In 297 games, Mario Soto went 100-92 with a 3.47 ERA, 1,449 strikeouts, 1,730.1 innings pitched, and 4 saves. At the plate he had 70 hits and 1 home runs.
- How much did Mario Soto earn in his career?
- Mario Soto's recorded salaries total $4,621,429 over 4 seasons, 1985 to 1988. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Soto's career ran from 1977 to 1988. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
- What was Mario Soto's salary?
- Mario Soto's last recorded salary was $1,200,000, in 1988. His highest recorded salary was $1,200,000, in 1987, and his lowest was $1,071,429, in 1985. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1988.
- What position did Mario Soto play?
- Mario Soto played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Mario Soto and how much did he weigh?
- Mario Soto was listed at 6 feet and 174 pounds.
- What was Mario Soto's career ERA?
- Mario Soto finished with a 3.47 career ERA, going 100-92 with 1,449 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Mario Soto have?
- Mario Soto recorded 1,449 career strikeouts.
- Is Mario Soto in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Mario Soto has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.