Soderstrom’s Athletic Ability Accelerated the Learning Curve
We all know how this typically plays out. When you cannot find a position for a player you usually stick them at first base or in left field. On paper, that looked like the case for Soderstrom, but he’s a much better athlete than you might think.
While not a burner, Soderstrom moves well for his 6-foot-2, 200 pound build. He has enough speed to cover ground in left to prevent extra bases down the line or soft hit balls heading towards the left-center field gap. On ability alone, he has enough to work with to make up for what he lacked in experience.
Of course, raw ability is just one part of the equation. Perhaps even more important is reading the ball off the bat, perfecting your angles, and reacting quickly enough to get to a spot where you are in position to not only field the ball but also be ready to deliver an on time and accurate throw. We all know the initial read and reaction as “jump”.
Traditional broadcast camera angles make it difficult to always see an outfielders jump, but the above video is more impressive than you might think. At 97.8 mph off the bat with a 22 degree launch angle, Soderstrom did not have much room for error.
Because of the lower launch angle Soderstrom’s path had to be precise as he did not have an opportunity to adjust his angle like you would with a higher flyball. Believe it or not, this ball only had a 30% catch probability and Soderstrom made it look easy, traveling 89 feet in less than five seconds to take away extra bases.
The reason it looked so easy was because of is initial read off the bat and quick reaction tracking the ball to perfection. Learning routes and angles on balls that are tailing usually takes time on task and repetitions that Soderstrom was not afforded after being placed in left field abruptly, but he adjusted quickly and the numbers back it up.