Mar 02, 2010 6:43 AM EST

Cubs catcher Geovany Soto feels like he let a lot of people down in 2009 and has gotten himself in better shape to prove it wasn't the norm.

"I feel like I let down my teammates," said the 2008 National League Rookie of the Year. "I wanted to show that I care. I needed to show that I really worked in the offseason."

Soto hired a personal trainer, changed his diet dramatically and worked out furiously this offseason.

He lost 40 pounds and his waistline is six inches narrower.

"It's the best I've been body-wise my whole life," Soto said. "I have a lot of energy. I feel like a 12-year-old."

Via ESPN