Tyler Soderstrom

Selected by the Athletics with the 26th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft out of a high school in California, Soderstrom climbed through the minor leagues far more quickly than most young catchers and made his major-league debut just after the 2023 All-Star break at age 21. How much he'll actually catch over the course of his big-league career is an unsettled debate, but he should retain eligibility at fantasy baseball's shallowest position for at least a little while longer as he also works in at first base and DH. Oakland loves his bat, and it's easy to see why. Across his 268 total games on the farm, the now 22-year-old registered an .856 OPS with 62 home runs and 216 RBI, and he absolutely feasted on right-handed pitching as a fast-rising lefty-swinging slugger.

Once Sean Murphy gets traded, Soderstrom becomes the most important position player in Oakland's organization. A prep catcher when he was drafted with the 26th overall pick in 2020, Soderstrom got more starts at first base (58) than catcher (50) last year, and most evaluators expect him to be Oakland's first baseman of the future. It's possible he could have catcher eligibility when he debuts, depending on the host site, but dynasty-league managers should count him as a first baseman when doing roster inventory. He got off to a slow start in 2022, but considering he was playing in the cold weather of the Midwest League, that should be forgiven. From May 24 on, Soderstrom (a California native) slashed .293/.346/.534 with 22 home runs, a 26.1 K% and a 7.0 BB% across High-A, Double-A and Triple-A. His 31.8 Hard% on the year was a very strong mark and Soderstrom easily projects for plus game power, although his future home park and teammates could suppress his counting stats. The 21-year-old lefty hitter should return to Triple-A, and it's possible the A's will bring him up earlier than expected due to the lack of talent on the big-league roster.

Seen as one of the best pure hitters in the 2020 draft, Soderstrom was popped by Oakland with the 26th overall pick and spent the rest of that year at the alternate training site. He lived up to his billing in his pro debut, hitting .306/.390/.568 with 12 home runs, a 10.6 BB%, a 24.0 K% and a 145 wRC+ in 57 games at Low-A before suffering a season-ending injury in late July. There were varying reports as to the exact nature of Soderstrom's injury/injuries -- collarbone, back and oblique have all been reported by different outlets, and those are part of the same kinetic chain. He was expected to take part in the Arizona Fall League but a flare up to the prior injury reportedly prevented him from taking part. When healthy, he excelled at using the whole field, but his power output may have been artificially boosted by the homer-friendly park in Stockton and a 21.1% HR/FB. Even so, he was a 19-year-old catcher who had a lot to focus on defensively, so he gets very high marks for his offensive performance. Evaluators seem to agree that Soderstrom's bat will be special, while his defense lags well behind, so there has been plenty of speculation that it would be for the best if Oakland moved him to left field or first base and fast-tracked his bat to the majors. This would probably be more of a Bryce Harper situation than a Daulton Varsho situation, so Soderstrom wouldn't retain catcher eligibility if the A's ultimately made that decision.

Soderstrom's offensive ability gets rave reviews, and the hype continued to mount at Oakland's alternate training site and in the fall instructional league after he was selected with the No. 26 overall pick. At 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, he is physically mature and turned 19 in November. His sweet left-handed swing already produced a 108 mph max exit velocity, due more to strength and barrel control than pure bat speed. Soderstrom is currently hit over power, but he could end up with a plus hit tool and plus game power. He reportedly dominated at the plate early on at the alternate site and logged a .441 OBP during instructs. Soderstrom's defense probably won't be good enough for him to catch in the majors without the help of robo umps. However, he could play third base or the corner outfield spots. For fantasy, a position change would be ideal in order to fast-track his bat to the majors.