Top Prospects Make Their Debut In Oakland
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The experimental lineups have begun in Oakland.
On July 14, the Oakland A’s called up their #1 and #3 ranked prospects, catcher Tyler Soderstrom and second basemen Zack Gelof to the active 26-man roster. The move would come right before the start of the second half of the season, meaning that Soderstrom and Gelof would gain valuable MLB experience prior to the eventual relocation to Las Vegas.
Calling up the two prospects comes at a great time, as due to the low probability of a playoff push from Oakland, Mark Kotsay can experiment with lineups to find out which players will be essential and able to contribute to successful A’s teams in the near future. However, both players provide an exciting spark to an A’s team that truly lacks one.
Soderstrom, Oakland’s first round pick in the 2020 MLB draft out of Turlock High School, immediately made headlines in the minor leagues. The then-19 year old started his career in Single-A and batted .306 with a .957 OPS in 57 games during the 2021 season. The following season, Soderstrom jumped three levels in the system, starting the year in High-A and ending the year in Triple-A, batting .278 and hitting 30 home runs in the 2022 season. After playing the first-half of the season in Triple-A, Soderstrom was eventually called up.
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The catcher provides an impressive offensive display that is rare at the catcher position, as the Turlock native can either hit for average or slug at an elite level. The only blemish on Soderstrom is his lack of elite defensive skills, but his versatility to either play catcher, first base, or designated hitter should allow the A’s to mix him into lineups regardless of position.
Soderstrom looks to either become the everyday catcher for Oakland, competing with Shea Langeliers for the job, or will become a designated hitter alongside Brent Rooker depending on the decisions of Kotsay and the front office.
Similar to Soderstrom, Gelof’s immediate success at the minor leagues caught Oakland’s attention early. The second-basemen jumped three levels in his first season in the minors, going from Rookie ball to Triple-A in his 2021 season. In the 36 games Gelof played in 2021, the prospect batted an excellent .333 with a .988 OPS. He would spend his 2022 season between Double and Triple-A and displayed power, hitting 18 home runs compared to his seven the previous year. After starting the 2023 season in Triple-A, Gelof was eventually called up with Soderstrom.
Photo courtesy of Matt Riley | UVA Athletics Media Relations
The infielder displays incredible offensive prowess, with his career slash line in the minor leagues being .292/.381/.503 with an .884 OPS. Gelof can hit for power and average, and provides above average defense to the infield. He looks to replace the aging Tony Kemp at second base, or also has the ability to play third base and compete with veteran Jace Peterson for the position.
Gelof is a complete player, and has both offensive and defensive skills that could make him the next Marcus Semien in Oakland.
Both players made their MLB debuts on the first game of the second-half of the season in a loss against the Minnesota Twins. Soderstrom was slotted as a designated hitter while Gelof started the game out in second base.
Soderstrom finished his debut with one walk and strikeout, while Gelof recorded his first MLB hit with an RBI double off of Kenta Maeda.
While it’s too early to see the pair’s full potential, it’s safe to say that Gelof and Soderstrom provide a bright future and spark to an Athletics team that needs it. If they perform well, fans could be seeing the cornerstones of successful A’s teams in the future as they complete the move to Las Vegas.
However, Oakland fans can only hope that the experience from the second-half of the season helps grow Gelof and Soderstrom’s game to eventually turning them into the stars they were slotted out to be.
