Donovan Solano

Donovan Solano

37-Year-Old Second Baseman2B
 Free Agent  
Free Agent
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Solano has been a remarkably consistent hitter over the past four seasons, batting between .280 and .286 with an OBP of between .339 and .369 in each of those campaigns. Those are nice numbers, but it's very hard to get excited about the veteran infielder from a fantasy perspective given his lack of production in any other area. While Solano is among baseball's best at hitting the ball at an ideal launch angle -- his 37.0 percent sweet-spot percentage last season was well above average for the sixth straight year -- he simply doesn't strike the ball with enough force to turn that skill into power production. In fact, Solano's eight long balls last year were the most he's ever hit in a big-league campaign. As long as he can continue to hit for average, Solano should have a place on an MLB roster, but there's little room in fantasy for a part-time player with almost no power or speed. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
From Preseason
$Signed a one-year contract with the Padres in April of 2024.
Sitting out Game 4
2BSan Diego Padres  
October 9, 2024
Solano isn't in the Padres' lineup Wednesday for Game 4 of the NLDS against the Dodgers.
ANALYSIS
Wednesday marks the third straight game San Diego has decided to keep Solano on the bench after a 1-for-13 start to the postseason. Luis Arraez will get the starting nod at first base instead while David Peralta serves as the DH.
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Batting Stats
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2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2024 MLB Game Log
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2023 MLB Game Log
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2022 MLB Game Log
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2020 MLB Game Log
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Batting Order Slot Breakdown
vs Right-Handed Pitchers
vs RHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
3
18
3
8
vs Left-Handed Pitchers
vs LHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
8
1
3
12
10
1
Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2022
 
 
+5%
OPS vs LHP
2024
 
 
+12%
OPS vs LHP
2023
 
 
+3%
OPS vs RHP
2022
 
 
+9%
OPS vs LHP
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2022vs Left .775 360 29 7 38 0 .295 .356 .419
Since 2022vs Right .736 703 67 10 59 2 .278 .351 .385
2024vs Left .816 118 10 4 12 0 .302 .373 .443
2024vs Right .726 191 21 4 23 2 .277 .325 .401
2023vs Left .746 153 9 2 15 0 .286 .346 .400
2023vs Right .766 297 34 3 23 0 .280 .380 .386
2022vs Left .770 89 10 1 11 0 .301 .348 .422
2022vs Right .704 215 12 3 13 0 .277 .335 .369
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2022
 
 
+12%
OPS at Home
2024
 
 
+10%
OPS at Home
2023
 
 
+3%
OPS at Home
2022
 
 
+29%
OPS at Home
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2022Home .792 531 49 11 50 1 .294 .365 .427
Since 2022Away .707 532 47 6 47 1 .274 .340 .367
2024Home .798 150 16 6 17 1 .271 .347 .451
2024Away .726 159 15 2 18 1 .300 .340 .387
2023Home .771 235 23 2 21 0 .295 .374 .396
2023Away .748 215 20 3 17 0 .267 .363 .385
2022Home .821 146 10 3 12 0 .316 .370 .451
2022Away .634 158 12 1 12 0 .255 .310 .324
More Splits View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Donovan Solano compare to other hitters?
This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • BB/K
    Walk to strikeout ratio
  • BB Rate
    The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a walk.
  • K Rate
    The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a strikeout.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many of a batter’s balls in play go for hits.
  • ISO
    Isolated Power. Slugging percentage minus batting average. A computation used to measure a batter's raw power.
  • AVG
    Batting average. Hits divided by at bats.
  • OBP
    On Base Percentage. A measure of how often a batters reaches base. Roughly equal to number of times on base divided by plate appearances.
  • SLG
    Slugging Percentage. A measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats.
  • OPS
    On base plus slugging. THe sum of a batter's on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
  • wOBA
    Weighted on-base average. Measures a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance. wOBA combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Hard Hit Rate
    A measure of contact quality from Sports Info Solutions. This stat explains what percentage of batted balls were hit hard vs. medium or soft.
  • Barrels/PA
    The percentage of plate appearances where a batter had a batted ball classified as a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Expected BA
    Expected Batting Average.
  • Expected SLG
    Expected Slugging Percentage.
  • Sprint Speed
    The speed of a runner from home to first, in feet per second.
  • Ground Ball %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are on the ground.
  • Line Drive %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are line drives.
  • Fly Ball %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are fly balls.
BB/K
0.34
 
BB Rate
7.1%
 
K Rate
21.0%
 
BABIP
.346
 
ISO
.131
 
AVG
.286
 
OBP
.343
 
SLG
.417
 
OPS
.760
 
wOBA
.337
 
Exit Velocity
87.3 mph
 
Hard Hit Rate
30.6%
 
Barrels/PA
2.6%
 
Expected BA
.257
 
Expected SLG
.378
 
Sprint Speed
22.0 ft/sec
 
Ground Ball %
44.3%
 
Line Drive %
22.8%
 
Fly Ball %
32.9%
 
Advanced Batting Stats
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Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
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Batted Ball Stats
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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Donovan Solano See More
The Z Files: NFBC Postseason Hold'em Contest
82 days ago
The NFBC's Postseason Hold'em contest kicks off at the start of the Division Series, and its scoring system leads to some unusual rankings.
The Z Files: Generic MLB Playoff Ranks by Position
86 days ago
Todd Zola provides some player rankings ahead of the playoffs, as Mookie Betts and the Dodgers take MLB's best record into the postseason.
The Z Files: Strategy and Rankings for the Underdog Fantasy Playoff Contest
90 days ago
Todd Zola examines strategies for the Underdog postseason contest, and notes that while Shoehi Ohtani may be the best player, you may not want to take him first overall.
Lineup Lowdown: National League
92 days ago
Ozzie Albies has temporarily given up switch hitting after returning from a broken left hand, but he's Atlanta's No. 2 hitter against both righties and lefties nonetheless.
Weekly Hitter Rankings: Last Ups
95 days ago
Ryan McMahon and the Rockies finish the season with six straight home games.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2024
2023
2021
2017
2015
2014
2013
Solano was signed late in the spring as an extra utility option but his bat worked his way into the lineup and he became the primary first baseman for much of the season. "Donnie Barrels" is able to put the bat on the ball as he was in the 99th percentile for hitting the sweet spot on the bat and 87th percentile in xBA (both per Baseball Savant), though curiously 27th percentile in barrel percentage. While Solano can hit for average and has an above-average on-base percentage, he lacks power with just five home runs and a .112 ISO. That's not enough power to play first base for most teams, but the Twins had several injuries at the position. Solano is passable as a second baseman and can play third in a pinch, but his lack of a premium glove limits his upside. He also has little speed to help his fantasy value. He'll compete for a similar utility role this spring.
Solano spent the 2022 campaign with the Reds after spending the three previous seasons with the Giants, and the 35-year-old slashed .284/.339/.385 with four homers and 24 RBI over 304 plate appearances. The right-handed-hitting infielder has shown the ability to hit for average with a .301 clip over the last four seasons, but he's homered just 18 times over 316 games in that timeframe while stealing just two bases. Solano should be a utility option for the Twins that sees time all over the infield, particularly against left-handed pitching, but he profiles as a one-category player for the 2023 season.
Solano turned in solid production at the dish for San Francisco in 2020, finishing the year with a .326/.365/.463 slash line to go with three homers and 29 RBI across 54 contests. The second baseman has been locked in over the last two seasons, however, he's yet to show that he can hit above .300 for an entire big-league season. Nonetheless, he's finding success against both right and left-handed pitching, hitting .315 against right-handers (140 plate appearances) and .356 against southpaws in 2020 (62 plate appearances). The 33-year-old isn't likely to bring much power to your fantasy team -- he's hit 16 career home runs -- but he boasts quality contact skills, and he should see plenty of chances to drive in runs hitting in the heart of San Francisco's lineup.
After four relatively unremarkable seasons in Miami, Solano joined the Yankees' organization on a minor league deal over the offseason. The 28-year-old spent almost the entire season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and hit fairly well, posting a .319 average with 67 RBI before joining the big league team in September. He wasn't overly impressive in that nine-game stint and ultimately elected free agency at the end of the season after being outrighted off the roster. The utility infielder will be 29 years old by the start of the 2017 season, and after performing decently in a somewhat regular role to start his career, Solano hasn't shown much at the plate in the majors over the past two seasons. The clock is likely running out on his chances to win back a major league job, leaving him in an organizational depth once again following a return to the Yankees in January.
Solano once again earned a share of the second base role in Miami during the 2014 season, and finished with totals that were nearly identical to those from his 2013 campaign. Last season, Solano put together a modest .252/.300/.323 slash line over 340 plate appearances while finding his way into the lineup regularly down the stretch. With the Marlins trading for Dee Gordon and Martin Prado, Solano looks set for a utility role this season. Solano's solid defensive work and decent contact rate keep him in the conversation for playing time, but a lack of pop limits his chances to win an everyday role.
Solano got the nod as the Opening Day starter for the Marlins in 2013, but his journey did not exactly go smoothly. He got off to a nice start, batting .278/.333/.324 in 30 games, before hitting the disabled list with an oblique injury in early May. Once healed, Solano took some time to get himself back into an everyday role, but earned the job for the final two months of the season. Solano does a decent job putting the ball in play (84% contact rate) and has the inside track to the Marlins' second base job once again, but he'll be hard-pressed to duplicate the BABIP-fueled .295 average he posted over 285 at-bats in 2011, while Derek Dietrich could prove to be a more viable option to man the keystone.
Solano performed well when given opportunities in 2012, posting a solid .295 average over 285 at-bats while taking over as the Marlins' regular second baseman down the stretch. Though he offers little in the power department, knocking just two home runs on the year, Solano provides defensive versatility and a touch of speed. It's likely that his average last season was buoyed by a fortunate .364 BABIP, but with the Marlins' lack of depth, Solano figures to see plenty of opportunities in 2013. Expectations should be tempered for a guy who has a career .314 OBP over 2,795 minor league at-bats.
More Fantasy News
Out of Game 3 lineup
2BSan Diego Padres  
October 8, 2024
Solano is absent from the lineup Tuesday in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Dodgers.
ANALYSIS
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Sitting in Game 2
2BSan Diego Padres  
October 6, 2024
Solano is not in the lineup Sunday for Game 2 of the NLDS against the Dodgers.
ANALYSIS
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Absent from Sunday's lineup
2BSan Diego Padres  
September 29, 2024
Solano is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.
ANALYSIS
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Four hits in Saturday's win
2BSan Diego Padres  
September 28, 2024
Solano went 4-for-5 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 5-0 win over the Diamondbacks.
ANALYSIS
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Not starting Thursday
2BSan Diego Padres  
September 26, 2024
Solano is not in Thursday's starting lineup against the Dodgers.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Reunion with Minnesota?
2BFree Agent  
December 22, 2024
Solano could be a free-agent target for the Twins, per Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic.
ANALYSIS
Minnesota has a major hole at first base following the departure of Carlos Santana and the retirement of Alex Kirilloff, and the first-base market has picked up lately with Santana, Christian Walker and Paul Goldschmidt all recently landing deals. Solano, who produced a .760 OPS in each of the past two seasons and spent 2023 with the Twins, has provided an above-average bat in five of the past six seasons. He likely wouldn't fill an everyday role but could be part of a multi-player solution at first base for Minnesota.
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