I always marvel at the people who ride rafts on the Colorado River. Yes, there are stretches of peace and tranquility, which allow one to soak in the natural aesthetics, but there are also pockets of chaos and heart-pounding adventure when the water hurtles with a ferocity that guides you to wherever it flows like the bumpers and rails on It’s a Small World at Disneyland. The closest I’ve come to riding rapids is at Knott’s Berry Farm but I’ve watched enough movies and now the Olympics to understand how crazy they can be. For fantasy baseball, no matter how hard we try, we always get sucked into a ride on the rapids from time to time, as players who strike out a lot go on heaters. Tyler Soderstrom of the Oakland Athletics is the latest example. He has hit five home runs in 98 plate appearances but with a 31.6% strikeout rate. It’s only fitting that Soderstrom means south stream or river in Swedish or Norwegian. Let’s go fishing!
Tyler Soderstrom is 22 years old, 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, and bats from the left side. He was one of the top prospects in the 2020 MLB draft and was selected by Oakland with the 26th overall pick. Covid canceled his initial minor league season. Once he played in 2021, he rocketed through the minor league system, advancing to Triple-A in only a year.
Throughout his brief minor league career, Soderstrom would have a walk rate in the 7% range with an elevated strikeout rate in the 26% area. The power was evident from the get-go, as the ISO was above .200.
He made his MLB debut in 2023 and struggled mightly. The slash was .160/.232/.240 in 138 plate appearances. The walk rate was 8% but the strikeout rate was 31.2% and the ISO was a paltry .080. So far this season, Soderstrom is slashing .250/.357/.464 with a 12.2% walk rate, 31.6% strikeout rate and .214 ISO.
Compared to 2023, Soderstrom is hitting fewer ground balls and more line drives and fly balls. He’s pulling the ball less and making more hard contact. The Statcast numbers are very nice, as the exit velocity is 93.2 mph compared to 89.3 mph. The launch angle is 12.4 degrees compared to 5.7 degrees and the barrel rate of 17% trumps the 6% from last season.
In terms of the plate discipline numbers, they are solid for a strikeout-prone power hitter. The chase rate is only 28% while the contact rate in the zone is 83.1%. The swinging strike rate is 14.1%.
Now, Tyler Soderstrom is likely a platoon bat since he’s only received six plate appearances against them. But he has catcher eligibility in some leagues, which is a boon. Even if he’s only 1B eligible, Soderstrom has utility because he’s batting fourth or fifth in the lineup recently and the power is real. He’s riding an eight-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 10 of the last 11 contests. After last season’s struggles all around, Soderstrom has proven this year that he can handle the heat. He’s struggled against offspeed stuff, but two of his home runs have come off those pitches.
If riding the Soderstrom, hang on tight because the ride could be bumpy yet exhilirating. If the waters become tranquil, just hop off and look for the next time the rapids start again.
