In 2023, Jorge Soler earned his first career selection to the Midsummer Classic, but everyone in the South Florida community knows he was already an All-Star.
He is passionate about giving back to the children of South Florida and is committed to continuing those efforts as he raises his family there. Since becoming a member of the Marlins prior to the start of the 2022 season, Jorge joined the Miami Marlins Foundation in making a Marlins Impact in the South Florida community. With more than 10 years of MLB experience, the native of Havana, Cuba, has served as a leader on and off the field by supporting fundraising efforts of the Miami Marlins Foundation and attending special events in the surrounding neighborhoods.
At the conclusion of 2022, Jorge joined the Miami Marlins Foundation at the annual Holiday Wishes event, where he handed out gifts for the holiday season and took photos with children from the Little Havana community. At the outset of the 2023 season, the Marlins hosted a special Caravan Week with various community outreach events. Jorge signed up immediately to participate in the week’s first event, attending the Opening Day of the Miami Marlins Youth Academy Spring Tee Ball Initiative presented by Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital. His attendance at the Opening Day festivities at Howard Palmetto Baseball & Softball Association made it a day to remember for the children participating in the Marlins’ Tee Ball Initiative -- which provides jerseys and hats to more than 12,500 Little Leaguers -- as the organization hopes for another successful season of creating the game’s future stars.
Earlier this year, Jorge was one of three Marlins players participating in the Marlins’ Great Minds – Great Athletes Panel at John A. Ferguson High School in Miami. In partnership with the Miami Marlins Foundation, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Positive Coaching Alliance and Nike, the program has impacted more than 9,000 middle and high school student-athletes already and hopes to expand its programming in subsequent years to ensure lasting cultural change regarding mental and emotional wellness. Jorge joined a panel, speaking on the importance of mental health in the game of baseball, a topic that was once labeled as taboo in the professional sports industry. He provided first-hand experience with his own mental health and provided key insight and techniques from which the attendees can draw.
Jorge also has tremendously supported Miami’s Nicklaus Children’s Hospital by donating to their heroic efforts in caring for ailing children in the South Florida community. He has hosted several groups of families from the hospital for a VIP experience at loanDepot park throughout the Marlins’ 2023 season. The VIP experience is hosted and funded by Jorge and caps off a milestone celebration for the children, which can mean the end of treatment, graduation, surgery or milestone discharges throughout the year. All the kids receive Miami Marlins gear and then watch the game from a suite, where Billy The Marlin surprises them with a visit. In addition, Jorge makes financial contributions and visits to the hospital on his own time throughout the offseason.