The A’s are selling prime catching/first base prospect Tyler Soderstrom earlier than Friday’s sport towards the Twins, MLBTR has confirmed. The decision-up was first reported by Christopher Correa of the Turlock Journal.
Oakland chosen Soderstrom with the twenty sixth general pick of a California highschool in 2020. The left-handed hitter was thought to be a bat-first catcher on draft day. He’s lived as much as that profile within the minors, hitting .272/.333/.525 in 260 skilled video games.
Soderstrom has been a prime younger expertise for the previous couple seasons. He participated within the Futures Recreation in 2021 (which he did once more final weekend) and ranked amongst Baseball America’s prime 25 prospects the next 12 months. Soderstrom traversed three minor league ranges final season, hitting .267/.324/.501 whereas spending nearly all of his time in Excessive-A.
He’s spent your entire 2023 marketing campaign with Triple-A Las Vegas. Soderstrom has popped 20 house runs and slugged .536 in 69 video games in that extraordinarily hitter-friendly atmosphere. He’s posted middling strikeout and stroll numbers, drawing free passes simply 6.6% of the time towards an elevated 27.6% strikeout share. His .303 on-base share is final among the many 68 hitters with 200+ plate appearances within the Pacific Coast League.
In fact, the 21-year-old was usually going through pitching a lot older than him on the prime minor league degree. Heading into the season, Soderstrom was on the High 100 lists in any respect of BA, The Athletic, ESPN and MLB Pipeline. Scouting experiences are effusive of their reward for his offensive capacity. Soderstrom is credited with among the finest hit/energy combos of any participant within the minor leagues.
The most important query, as has been the case since draft day, is his eventual place. Prospect evaluators recommend he’s a effectively below-average receiving catcher who’s prone to transfer off the place. That’s earlier than contemplating the presence of Shea Langeliers, whom the A’s have used behind the dish as their potential long-term alternative for Sean Murphy.
Soderstrom has break up his time between catcher and first base with Las Vegas this season. He’s gotten 35 begins behind the plate, 24 nods at first base and 9 outings as a delegated hitter. Catcher and first are the one positions he’s performed in professional ball, although each Baseball America and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel urged he might be athletic sufficient to deal with third base or the nook outfield if he doesn’t catch recurrently.
A’s skipper Mark Kotsay will presumably discover methods to get Soderstrom within the lineup on an on a regular basis foundation. He may take some begins from Langeliers whereas working in at first base or DH. Rule 5 draftee Ryan Noda is having a powerful rookie marketing campaign and can presumably play whichever of first base or DH that Soderstrom isn’t manning. Brent Rooker and Seth Brown appear prone to take most of their reps within the nook outfield.
There haven’t been many causes for celebration for A’s followers this season. Friday’s sport will provide the fanbase and group a glimpse of what they hope is a extra thrilling future. Soderstrom joins 2021 second-round choice Zack Gelof in getting his first MLB nod. Gelof isn’t fairly the caliber of prospect Soderstrom is, however they’re each usually regarded among the many prime handful of younger abilities within the organizational pipeline.
As a result of he appeared on the preseason High 100 lists at Baseball America, ESPN and MLB Pipeline, Soderstrom could be eligible for a full 12 months of service time if he can squeeze out a top-two end in AL Rookie of the Yr balloting. That’s a tall process with lower than half a season’s value of enjoying time, nonetheless. It’s seemingly he’ll find yourself shy of a full service 12 months; in that case, he wouldn’t be eligible for arbitration till after the 2026 season and is controllable by way of 2029. Future assignments to the minor leagues may push that again additional.
The A’s have one opening on the 40-man roster after waiving right-hander Adam Oller this week. They’ll must create one other emptiness to pick the contracts of each Gelof and Soderstrom.
Picture courtesy of USA In the present day Sports activities.
