Now a couple of weeks into a new year, fantasy baseball enthusiasts are beginning to prepare for – even participate in – various types of drafts. An important part of that preparation process is digging through the farm systems of all 30 MLB organizations to uncover the next crop of potent producers. Here are the top-five 1B prospects that could emerge for fantasy managers in 2023. And below we take a closer look at Tyler Soderstrom.
(Each player included still holds MLB Rookie eligibility)
Top Fantasy Baseball Prospects: Tyler Soderstrom
Like Mervis, Soderstrom has only spent two years in the minor-league ranks. Also like Mervis, Soderstrom rocketed up through three farm levels in 2022, posting a .825 OPS with 29 homers across 556 plate appearances in total.
Soderstrom came to the A’s as a teenage catcher in the first round of the 2020 draft. His bat has far outpaced the progression of his glove, and after exclusively catching in 2021, he spent more time at first base than behind the plate last year. That’s a positive for his MLB outlook since his path to the bigs as a catcher could well have been blocked by Shea Langeliers. First base is likely where his future lies in Oakland.
So far, Soderstrom has played just nine games above Double-A. For what it’s worth, he did hit .297 with one deep drive across 38 plate appearances for Triple-A Las Vegas last year. At age 21, Soderstrom is likely to see the majority of his playing time at Triple-A in 2023. Still, it is reasonable to expect a promotion to the bigs at some point this upcoming summer. Fantasy managers will be scrambling to obtain his services at that point.
Beyond our fantasy baseball content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Baseball Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – which optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy baseball draft season.
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