Tyler Soderstrom lands at No. 60 on Keith Law’s Top 100 prospect list

Jan 31, 2023 - 5:00 PM

Prospect list season continues to roll out in the lead up to pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training. The latest was Keith Law’s Top 100 prospect list that was published Monday at The Athletic and includes Oakland A’s catcher/first baseman Tyler Soderstrom at No. 60. Infielder Zack Gelof was among 10 prospects that just missed out on the Top 100.

Soderstrom dropped from No. 35 on Law’s list in 2022 to No. 60 this season. Law cites his slow start at High A along with a thumb injury that he suffered in early April which forced him to spend more time at first base. While Law remains skeptical that Soderstrom can stick behind the plate, he lauds him as a hitter.

Soderstrom is a hitter first, aggressive without overly expanding the zone, and he continued to make hard contact even after the thumb injury. He has excellent bat speed and stays very steady through contact, with easy power already even though he hasn’t filled out physically.

Law also mentions that he has heard from scouts that Soderstrom doesn’t want to catch which is an interesting note. A switch to first base may be inevitable, but Law thinks he is capable of 30 homer seasons at the plate.

On Gelof, Law mentions that he probably would have made the Top 100 if not for the torn labrum in his left shoulder that he suffered in 2022. He wasn’t the same hitter after returning and the injury seemed to sap his power for the remainder of the season and the Arizona Fall League. Still, Law sees 20-25 homer potential in Gelof as a solid to average defender at third base.