The defense wasn’t the only thing that clicked, however. He blew basically every career high out of the water, including home runs (25), RBIs (93), wRC+ (125), fWAR (3.4), and all three of the big three offensive statistics with a .276/.346/.474 slash line.
Arguably the most impressive part were the strides he made in the strikeout department. In his 2023 rookie campaign, he held a punch out rate of 31.2% as compared to the 22.6% rate he posted this past season.
What once looked like a disaster of a development for the Athletics now looks like a clear success. Soderstrom is part of one of the best young cores in all of baseball and can be a huge factor for the Athletics contending soon. However, could he be used to benefit the A’s in a different way?
Soderstrom Shipped Out?
Now immediately, people might think it’s insane to consider trading Soderstrom after the season he just put together. However, the Athletics have a surplus of outfielders who can slide in if he’s dealt.
On the big-league roster, Lawrence Butler, JJ Bleday, Denzel Clarke, and even a Colby Thomas can play any of the outfield spots.
Brent Rooker, who is primarily the designated hitter, also has plenty of experience in the outfield. On the prospect side of things, Henry Bolte is an intriguing outfield option in the system who is probably big-league ready heading into 2025.