Not only does AJ Soldra have the five tools needed to be a baseball player at an elite level, but his reputation off the field reflects someone who is willing to lead his teammates through adversity.
Like most kids, Soldra played several sports growing up. He dabbled in basketball and soccer during middle school, but he always knew baseball was his sport.
“I played everything growing up, but nothing stuck like baseball did,” Soldra said.
Growing up in Connecticut, Soldra had two nearby baseball teams to root for: the Mets and the Yankees. His dad was a Mets fan, while his mom rooted for the Yankees, leaving him torn on which team to support.
Buster Posey was Soldra’s favorite player growing up, thanks in part to Posey’s three World Series titles in five years with the San Francisco Giants. Playing catcher in youth baseball led Soldra to root for the future Hall-of-Famer, eventually choosing the Giants as his favorite team.
Posey is one of the most successful alumni of the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox and now serves as the Giants’ President of Baseball Operations. That connection made Soldra’s arrival at Y-D even more meaningful, as he had the opportunity to follow in Posey’s footsteps at Red Wilson Field.
“When I got the contract here and found out that he played here, it was super cool to know that I’m getting to play in a place he did,” Soldra said.
While talent can take a player far, Soldra understands that success in the classroom is just as important as performance on the field. Being a student-athlete comes with its own set of challenges, and balancing both roles becomes more difficult each year. Maintaining strong grades has helped the outfielder earn opportunities at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Seton Hall, and now the University of Connecticut.
“I think it all kind of ties in, just having organization in your life. Not only in baseball, but in academics. It keeps you in a good spot, not only as a player, but as a person,” said Soldra. “If you’re all out of whack, you’re not on time for things and [not] keeping yourself organized, it translates onto the field. I think just trying to be overall, a good and well-organized person, is where that comes from.”
Every baseball player has a hero they model their game after. For Soldra, that inspiration came from the nation’s capital. Bryce Harper, who debuted with the Washington Nationals at just 19 after a highly publicized high school career, stood out to him. It was Harper’s iconic swing that captured Soldra’s attention at a young age.
“I used to try and copy Bryce Harper a lot. That’s kind of where the leg kick originated from,” Soldra said.
After high school, Soldra attended Cheshire Academy, a prep school in Connecticut. In 15 games, he posted an impressive .476 on-base percentage and scored 20 runs, a testament to his ability to consistently reach base.
“He’s the only postgraduate I’ve ever had that I named captain because you had to,” Cheshire Academy Head Coach Anthony Giano said. “He was infectious to everybody.”
Continuing to show off the several skills he had to offer, Soldra stole a whopping 16 bases with the Cheshire Cats. He added three home runs, with a total of 17 hits in his 63 plate appearances.
“He had tremendous talent. His talent was unbelievable. He could run, hit, throw, steal bases, great defensively, and has a cannon for an arm,” Giano said. “[He’s an] unbelievable athlete, but his leadership and love for the game was incredible too.”
During his freshman season at NJIT, Soldra had an .889 OPS with 11 extra-base hits in 38 games. That summer, he played for the Norwich Sea Unicorns in the FCBL (Futures Collegiate Baseball League). While his average dropped by nine points to .336, his OPS jumped by 75 points to .964.
He hit 16 extra-base hits that summer, including a staggering eight triples. Soldra walked 21 times in just 37 games with the Sea Unicorns. He stole 20 bases as well, only being caught five times.
The transfer portal is still relatively new to college baseball, with players taking advantage of it for several different reasons. After a successful season at NJIT, Soldra transferred to Seton Hall for his sophomore season. He started to find his power stroke, with 24 extra-base hits throughout the year.
Soldra reached base at a .426 clip, with 30 walks being the most in his college career. He was also hit by a pitch eight times, making him even more valuable to his team.
Before arriving on the Cape for the 2025 summer season, Soldra announced his commitment to UConn. He was put in a unique situation, coming into the summer with draft eligibility due to his age.
“A big part of it this year was the draft and putting myself in a good spot for that. I think a lot of it has to do with always looking for that extra challenge,” said Soldra. “You don’t want to put yourself in a spot where you can get complacent. It’s a new style of college baseball.”
Playing in the Cape Cod Baseball League is a big step towards getting drafted. More than 32% of the players drafted in 2024 played in the CCBL, showing its importance as a pipeline to the major leagues.
After starting at the bottom of the lineup, Soldra slowly moved his way up. He was Y-D’s best hitter during his time with the team, leading the way in several offensive stats. One of the biggest changes between playing in college and the Cape is the bat material. Offense is normally down at the beginning of the summer as players become more comfortable, but Soldra didn’t miss a beat.
“You have to make adjustments against the good pitching, and I think one of those things was staying disciplined on picking good pitches to swing at and getting my swing off on those pitches,” Soldra said. “I think that a big part of it is just sticking with the approach and trusting it and not expanding my zone, as I did a lot of times during the spring. I didn’t change anything, I think I’ve always had the power. It just didn’t show with the numbers.”
His .921 OPS is the sixth-best in the CCBL among qualified hitters. He hit four home runs with Y-D, tying his college season high, which he set earlier this year with Seton Hall. What’s even more impressive is that it only took him 14 games in the Cape, with wood bats making the feat that much more compelling.
The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox are one of the most storied franchises in the CCBL, with manager Scott Pickler being a large reason for that. Pickler is currently in his 27th season in charge of Y-D, already owning six championships and seven President’s Trophies. Heading into the 2025 season, he had a league record 601 wins to his name. He’s coached several World Series Champions, such as Walker Buehler, Justin Turner, Chris Sale, and the previously mentioned Posey. Playing for Pickler and his staff is an honor, something Soldra didn’t take lightly.
“They’ve meant a lot. The way they coach the game and the style that they play. [It] fits with me a lot personally, just being aggressive and not being scared,” said Soldra when asked about the importance of Y-D’s coaching staff. “Going out to win every game. One of the things they do so well here is hold us to a high standard and look to grow every game. We have our points of focus that we get from the previous game, every day before the lineup card. Win or lose, we have stuff to learn from, we have stuff to grow, which is big to me.
When asked to speak more about his former captain’s character, Coach Giano could have gone on for hours. On top of his strong statistics, the person behind the numbers should stand out even more.
“He was a leader on the field, but off the field [during] practice and things like that, he would help other guys. He would help guys with maybe tweaking swings, or doing certain things, and did it with respect,” Giano said. “It wasn’t ‘you should do this’ or ‘you should do that,’ but ‘sometimes when I do this I get better results.’ He wasn’t a guy who would tell you what to do; he showed you what he thought. He shared a lot with you, but did it in a quality way. He helped teach [younger players].”
During his time at Y-D, Soldra was one of the first ones to the field, always ready to practice and work towards perfecting his craft. Whether it was high school, college, or summer baseball, the same mindset of getting better was always the focus.
“I know he’s going to be a pro, but when he’s done with his career, he’ll be a tremendous coach and a tremendous leader,” said Giano.
Soldra couldn’t tell his story without mentioning the support of his parents, who were often present at his games with the Y-D Red Sox.
“My dad was, and still is, an ultimate competitor. I think that’s kind of where I get a lot of my drive from. He played college baseball for a little bit, but even still growing up, everything he did was just 110%,” said Solda. “I text him pretty much every day about how the games go. He always has some words of wisdom for me about continuing to work hard and putting the struggle behind me, focusing on growth versus the results. I think that’s a big part of where I am is his mindset and what he taught me, not only as a player but as a person, has gotten me here. My mom’s the same thing. They all preach the same stuff. I think it’s a good balance. My dad could be a bit more honest and kind of a bad cop. My mom is more of the good cop. She just likes to build me up and keeps me happy, but everything that they taught me has gotten me to where I am today.”
Done with his stint on the Cape, Soldra now has his sights on the MLB Draft when it comes around. When talking to Soldra, it quickly became clear that he wasn’t too worried about what happens when the draft comes around. Having the option to continue his education at a school like UConn has him excited for whatever should end up happening.
“There’s a lot that’s gonna happen within the next week, but I know my dream has been and always will be to be a professional baseball player,” Soldra said. “I think the funny thing with the draft is that it’s not really up to me. That’s kind of up to these teams. So [I’m] excited to see how it goes.”
The Connecticut native is in a unique position, being draft-eligible before his junior year of college. In a way, it gives him greater freedom to pave his path into professional baseball. Regardless of the route he chooses, there’s no doubt he has what it takes to take the next step.
“The work ethic, the quality human being he is, and his skill level are all second to none,” Giano said. “He’s the best all-around baseball player, athlete, person, human, that I’ve ever coached. So it’s pretty high standards because I’ve coached thousands of kids.”
