No matter what the stats say, Soto says he knows he has to put himself in the best possible position to succeed in 2010.
Hence, the weight loss of about 40 pounds over this winter.
On Tuesday, he laughed off speculation the weight loss might have been caused by something sinister. There had been talk on Chicago's airwaves that the weight loss may have been caused by Soto getting off performance-enhancing drugs.
"I laugh at that," he said. "Throughout my whole life, I've had weight problems and stuff, and I've always been kind of immature in terms of diet, and never (would) stick to them. I had such a bad year that I was disappointed in myself, and I was willing to take that step and, 'OK, I'm really going to work hard, and I'm really going to just take it to the next level.'
"To me, it's just kind of ridiculous. I wasn't strong; I was just fat. My whole life. I've had problems my whole life. Not problems, but I just wasn't educated in a way.
"I stick to a program, and it's worked. I'm really happy I did it because I feel a lot better. Now, I'm just worried about going to play baseball instead of my weight and my cardio in the morning. I just have a clear head. Do my work afterwards just like everybody else. I have a lot of energy."