Athletics' Tyler Soderstrom: New era begins

Soderstrom's contract was selected from Triple-A Las Vegas ahead of Friday's game against the Twins.

Soderstrom is as good of a candidate as any to be the face of the Athletics franchise going forward. The 21-year-old lefty hitter has huge raw power and could retain catcher eligibility for several years while playing almost every day at a combination of catcher, first base and designated hitter. Soderstrom, who was selected with the 26th overall pick in the 2020 Draft, hit .254 with 20 home runs and 59 RBI in 69 games at Triple-A. There could be some initial growing pains with strikeouts and a low batting average, but Soderstrom has a chance to contribute positively in the four non-speed roto categories during his prime years.