Jorge Soler has had an excellent NLDS 2015 MLB playoff series for the Chicago Cubs and he is the X-Factor for their hopes moving forward in the postseason.
Last night against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of their NLDS series at Wrigley Field, Soler ended up going 2-2 from the plate with two walks, a home run and two RBI's. His home run came in the sixth inning when the Cubs needed it the most and extended their lead to 7-4 over the Cardinals. Without him on the field, there is a chance that the game could have gone a completely different way.
At just 23 years old, seeing him come through with the type of performance that he did last night is a huge step in the right direction for the Cubs. Theo Epstein has to be ecstatic with the way that the young players are performing this season and with the way the team has come through a year earlier than many expected them to.
Soler wasn't the only Cubs' young player to step up with a big game. Kris Bryant had a clutch two-run home run as well, while Kyle Schwarber knocked a solo shot out of the park as well.
Chicago is hoping to move past the Cardinals and into the NLCS tonight and keep things rolling after last night's emotional victory. While there are quite a few key players for the Cubs, Soler is the X-Factor for them if they want to get past St. Louis and into the next round.
Throughout the entire series with the Cardinals, Soler has not recorded an out yet. He has drawn five walks and has recorded four base hits, two of them being home runs and four RBI's. Those numbers show just how big he has been playing for the Cubs and why he is their biggest key player moving forward.
Even though Anthony Rizzo and Bryant were struggling in a major way through the first two games of the series, Soler was the bright spot that kept coming through for his team. Now that Rizzo and Bryant appear to have figured things out again, the Cubs are going to be a tough team to beat.
There may be other players that put up bigger numbers than Soler each night, but he has to continue coming through with solid games every night in order for the Cubs to continue their postseason journey.
Expect to see the Cubs continue playing strong baseball and don't be surprised if they knock off the Cardinals in Game 4 to move onto the NLCS. They are without question one of the best teams in baseball and the depth that they have on their roster is one of the biggest reasons why. Soler will likely remain in the lineup for the foreseeable future and Joe Maddon is hoping that he can continue his hot hitting and strong defense.
