Photography courtesy Washington Nationals
Washington pitcher Michael Soroka wants to energize the Nationals’ clubhouse with good vibes. Soroka plans to achieve this by being upbeat daily, showing outstanding leadership, sharing dinner with lots of teammates, and even playing pool, chess, or ping pong.
Soroka, who is Canadian, also can add to clubhouse camaraderie and culture with music. He has played the guitar for 15 years and, sometimes, brings one to the ballpark.
“I brought it to the White Sox clubhouse last year,” Soroka explains. “Teammate John Brebbia was learning. I brought my acoustic and played. I should bring it to the clubhouse more.”
Soroka says baseball is the only thing he puts more time into than music.
The 27-year-old will now get a chance to raise his profile as the Nationals’ highest paid player (1-year, $9 million). He has been effective in spurts when healthy. He wants to show the form he displayed as a 20-year-old in 2019.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Soroka went 13-4 that year, with a 2.68 ERA for the Atlanta Braves and made the All-Star team. He also finished second behind the Mets’ Pete Alonso in the National League Rookie of the Year voting and sixth for Cy Young Award.
Yet he pitched only 46 innings over the next three seasons as he tried to rebound after tearing his right Achilles tendon in both 2020 and 2021. He missed both of those seasons and Atlanta traded him to the White Sox in 2023.
His season in Chicago (0-10, 4.74 ERA) was a disaster. After nine starts, the White Sox—who lost a league-record 121 games—moved him to the bullpen, where he averaged 15 strikeouts per nine innings while posting a 2.75 ERA.
“I went into the offseason wanting to be a starter,” says Soroka, who had committed to the University of California, Berkeley, but turned pro instead, after being picked in the first round. “I narrowed down the list of teams. I thought Washington was the best fit.”
Photography courtesy Washington Nationals
What appealed to you about the Nationals that made you sign a contract with them? The number one goal was to be a starter. I talked to the teams that saw me as such. We moved forward from there. The first meeting with the Nationals was the best meeting I had. It seemed like everyone was on the same page. They gave me a lot of confidence that they saw me as a big part of the team this year. So, it was a no-brainer. I am looking to make a difference on a team that wants to get back in the playoffs. I am excited to do that.
Do you want to be a leader on this team? Absolutely. We actually talked about what it means to be a leader. I think when I came up, it was different. It was only seven years ago when I made my debut and how different leadership was back then compared to now. There’s still a duty to our young guys coming up to show them what it means to be a big leaguer. Come ready to the field to work every single day and enjoy it, too. It’s a privilege every day when you put on that jersey. You have to make sure it’s not lost among the next generation. It’s very important and I look forward to doing that with a bunch of new guys.
Are you a big fan of the Washington area? Of course. The first time I was in D.C. was 2010. I was in the Cal Ripken World Series with Team Canada. We saw some of the historical sites. It was great. I got the chance to see a lot of restaurants when I was in town with the Braves. I can do a lot more exploring, and I am excited to do that. I am partial to steak houses. That is typically my go-to meal. I also like Japanese American fusion. I really plan on checking out the restaurant scene.
What managers or players have had big influences on you? I played for (2021 World Series-winning manager) Brian Snitker in Atlanta. He just let us play when we came up. He was like, “This is how we do it and do it the right way.” He showed me how he wanted the game to be played. You play it hard and with respect. You can tell the guys that appreciate every day they have in the big leagues. (Ex-Oriole pitcher) Darren O’Day is a veteran I got to know quite well. I learned a lot from Darren. I am still friends with him. I got to watch and learn from (2024 World Series MVP) Freddie Freeman. He was the ultimate professional.
Tell me about your passion for playing the guitar and where you want to go with it. I will probably start a studio after baseball. I really do enjoy the guitar a lot. I have been playing since I was 12. I have to be careful not to play too much. If you are in the same position too long, it’s not so good for the shoulder. Baseball comes first. I really started playing the guitar a lot during Covid. I got much better and learned a lot from watching musicians on YouTube that I followed. I like country rock and a little heavy metal. I like the heavier music for the guitar. My dad passed on all his likes of ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s country as well. It’s definitely my main hobby outside of baseball.
When people in baseball talk about you, your memorable 2019 season is brought up often. Talk about that year. That season was surreal. It happened so quickly. There are some things you do at that time when you are so young. You don’t know how you are doing it. You just keep riding the wave. I had more confidence than I knew. Baseball felt easy.
Obviously, you’ve had success, but overcoming two torn Achilles tendons is a rarity for a professional athlete. What are your thoughts on what you went through? Either time, I really didn’t know what happened, especially the second time because I didn’t think of it as a possibility. It ultimately got me to work harder every single day. I knew there was a possibility of turning away from baseball and coming back to it. I had a really good support system around me. That helped and fueled me.
It seems like hockey was your No. 1 sport for a long time since you grew up in hockey-crazy Calgary. Why did you give it up? I played hockey for about 10 years. I decided I wanted to be a goalie because at the time in Calgary we had a goalie in Miikka Kiprusoff. He was the reason the team made the Stanley Cup final in 2004. Eventually, I decided I didn’t like it. At the end of the day, I liked baseball more. I think my dad Gary (played junior and college hockey) knew it long before I did. It was a lot easier going to baseball practice. I always wanted to be in the cage hitting and throwing. I never got tired of it.
