The A’s are selling high 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 considered 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 high 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 high 25 prospects the next yr. 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 the complete 2023 marketing campaign with Triple-A Las Vegas. Soderstrom has popped 20 dwelling runs and slugged .536 in 69 video games in that extraordinarily hitter-friendly setting. He’s posted middling strikeout and stroll numbers, drawing free passes simply 6.6% of the time towards an elevated 27.6% strikeout proportion. His .303 on-base proportion is final among the many 68 hitters with 200+ plate appearances within the Pacific Coast League.

In fact, the 21-year-old was typically dealing with pitching a lot older than him on the high minor league stage. Heading into the season, Soderstrom was on the Prime 100 lists in any respect of BA, The Athletic, ESPN and MLB Pipeline. Scouting studies are effusive of their reward for his offensive capacity. Soderstrom is credited with probably the greatest hit/energy mixtures 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 properly below-average receiving catcher who’s more likely 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 recommended he might be athletic sufficient to deal with third base or the nook outfield if he doesn’t catch commonly.

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 more likely 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 supply 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 typically regarded among the many high handful of younger abilities within the organizational pipeline.

As a result of he appeared on the preseason Prime 100 lists at Baseball America, ESPN and MLB Pipeline, Soderstrom can be eligible for a full yr of service time if he can squeeze out a top-two end in AL Rookie of the 12 months balloting. That’s a tall job with lower than half a season’s price of taking part in time, nevertheless. It’s possible he’ll find yourself shy of a full service yr; in that case, he wouldn’t be eligible for arbitration till after the 2026 season and is controllable via 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 have to create one other emptiness to pick out the contracts of each Gelof and Soderstrom.

Picture courtesy of USA Immediately Sports activities.