Tyler Soderstrom, C/1B, Lansing Lugnuts (Oakland A's #1 Prospect)
Tyler Soderstrom is the top prospect in the Oakland A's system and for good reason. He's one of only a handful of prospects in the top 100 that are currently playing in the Midwest League (Robert Hassell and Elly De La Cruz are the others), and among all Midwest League players and high school players from the 2020 draft class, Soderstrom is the only one to have played in the Futures Game. Soderstrom has plenty of power which would rank among the best in the Midwest League.
Baseball Q & A
James Weisser: What got you interested in the game of baseball?
Tyler Soderstrom: I was pretty much born into it with my dad having played. He went to Fresno State and got drafted in the first round in 1993 and went on to play with the San Francisco Giants. He had two cups of coffee in 1996 and 1998 when he pitched in the big leagues for a little bit. I never got to watch him play but growing up that's what helped get me started.
JW: What was your favorite team growing up?
TS: The San Francisco Giants. My dad played for them and they were close to where I grew up. Turlock, California is where I'm from and their ballpark is only about an hour and fifteen minutes away. We'd go to some games and it was fun watching their dynasty as a kid.
JW: What's it like for you having grown up a San Francisco Giants fan now playing for the rival Oakland A's?
TS: I can't complain, it's something I always knew that could happen growing up around the game. Now that I'm an Oakland Athletic, that's my team and that's who I pull for. I grew up a Giants fan because my dad played for them.
JW: Did you have a favorite player?
TS: Not really, I mean I always enjoyed watching the game of baseball and good players. There's a lot of good players, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, all the big name guys, Cody Bellinger, they're all fun to watch.
JW: Being a part of the 2020 draft class, how do you feel Covid has affected you as far as the draft and your development?
TS: I think it's hard to say. I had a really good summer in 2019 (the summer before the 2020 draft) and I had a pretty good idea heading into 2020 that I would have to go out and have a good season and that I could get picked where I'd like to be picked. I personally couldn't be happier with what happened with the draft. I got drafted by the A's so I got the chance to play for a team close to home and we all got what we wanted. I don't think it had much effect on me at all really.
JW: What was it like being a part of the alternate training site that summer?
TS: So I got drafted and heard a rumor that some of the younger prospects would be invited to the alternate site. I was ready and looking forward to it, especially with high school baseball being over. I had done a lot of workouts so I was pretty much ready to go. The site was in San Jose at the San Jose Giants field so it was nice and local.
JW: Now having spent over a month in the Midwest League there've been some early struggles, what do you attribute that to (new environment, better pitching, injury)?
TS: I look at it as at some point we're all gonna go through failure. I'm not gonna make any excuses like the weather although it's been tough it's been a good learning experience for me. I've been doing better lately so I'm just trying to build off of that. The first month was a challenge but it's a good learning experience.
JW: How do you feel about the pitching you've faced so far in the Midwest League?
TS: There's a lot of good arms, I mean nowadays everyone throws hard and has good offspeed stuff. Some of the bigger name guys like Connor Phillips or Gavin Williams can command it better and are around the zone a little more. I feel like hitting is hitting; you’re gonna face guys who throw harder than others and it's all about timing. You just got to be on time.
JW: What does it mean to you to be considered one of the best players in your organization or league?
TS: It means a lot, I worked really hard growing up. I would always put a lot into it and do extra reps when working with my dad and my brother.
JW: What is your best attribute? What's something you add to a team?
TS: I feel like hitting is one of my better strengths. Behind the plate I have a strong arm, I can receive the ball well, and I have a lot of power.
JW: What motivates you?
TS: My dream of playing in the big leagues. I want to make it to the big leagues and stay there for as long as I can. I think that's everyone's biggest motivator to get to the big leagues and stay there for a long time.
JW: What's one of the things you're working on improving about your game?
TS: I'm working on consistency, day in and day out you want to be as consistent as you can be, whether that be hitting, behind the plate, defensively, offensively, being as consistent as you can be. Try to control the controllable.
JW: Are there any goals you have for this year?
TS: No goals, I think my mindset is to just trust the process. There's not a whole lot I can control, I just have to go out and play my hardest every day and play my game.
JW: What's your favorite thing about the game of baseball?
TS: I love how hard the game is. I'm super competitive, I've been that way my whole life growing up with my brother whether it be ping pong, basketball, anything. I love how difficult it is and how much effort it takes everyday.
JW: What's something you've learned about the game of baseball that's helped you in your everyday life?
TS: I like the challenges that the game presents and so you have to be mentally tough. The mental toughness is something that I've taken from the game.
Interests outside of Baseball
JW: What do you like to do outside of baseball?
TS: I'm big into duck hunting and bass fishing. Those are two of my main hobbies when I'm back home with my buddies. In the wintertime in California, the weather is usually pretty good for duck hunting so I like to get up early and do that most days in the winter. I don't get to do a whole lot of bass fishing because the best time for that is the summer when I'm playing baseball.
JW: What's your favorite food?
TS: I really don't complain a whole lot about food. Everything's pretty good, but if I had to choose, a good burger and fries would probably be my go to. I really like In-N-Out Burger being from the west coast.
JW: What's your favorite kind of music?
TS: I really like both country and hip hop/rap.
JW: What is/what are some of your favorite movies?
TS: There are a lot of good ones but I'd say Happy Gilmore is one of my favorites, I also like The Addams Family movies and Stepbrothers or a classic comedy like that.