For the second time in his three-year career in professional baseball, Turlock High alumnus Tyler Soderstrom is heading to the Futures Game to represent the Oakland Athletics organization during Major League Baseball’s All-Star week festivities.
This year, T-Mobile Park and the Seattle Mariners will play host to All-Star festivities and welcome Soderstrom and 49 other of baseball’s hottest prospects for the annual showcase exhibition. Soderstrom first played on the Futures Game stage in 2021 at Coors Field in Denver, the home of the Colorado Rockies.
“It’s really an honor to be named to the game again and to get that experience in Seattle,” Soderstrom said.
Soderstrom, the Athletics’ number one ranked prospect, has been in Triple-A with the Las Vegas Aviators since the start of the season, playing catcher and first base. In Vegas, the Turlocker has continued his dominant ways at the plate, having slashed .262/.559/.866 with 67 hits, 19 home runs and 56 RBI through 76 games.
Only a handful of ballplayers have had the opportunity to play in multiple Futures Games. With the previous experience in 2021, Soderstrom is excited to be able to fully appreciate and take everything in.
“Last time, it was my first year in pro ball, so I was still kind of getting the hang of things. I was still pretty young (19 years old), so it was definitely a kind of an eye-opening experience to play in front of that huge crowd in Denver,” Soderstrom said. “It was super cool to be around all the other really talented players, too. I know what it’s all about now, so it’s exciting to experience it all again.”
This year’s Futures Game will take place on July 8. Players get flown in the day before. Once they arrive, they fulfill obligations with media and make appearances for their brand deals before having the Friday night to themselves to explore the city. On gameday, the players take fielding and batting practice together like any other game – though it’s far from it.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of guys from different organizations there that you meet for the first time and there’s a ton of media. I think the biggest thing is building relationships with other guys. Meet new players and maybe you take some things from them here and there. But I think it’s the overall experience of getting to play in the Major League field in front of the crowd,” the now-21-year-old said.
In Colorado in 2021, Soderstrom was the lone representative of the Athletics organization, playing only one inning and striking out in his lone at-bat. This year, he will be joined by one of his close friends, outfielder Lawrence Butler, who currently plays for Oakland Double-A affiliate, Midland. The two spent time together in spring training this year.
“It's going to be awesome to be with him,” Soderstrom said. “Me and Lawrence are really close and I’m excited for him too. It’s going to be fun that we both can share that experience together, and hopefully share some more experiences in the future.”
In spring training, Butler introduced the moniker of “The New Oakland,” which he used to describe the fruitful farm system of the Oakland Athletics that includes him, Soderstrom, Zack Gelof, Denzel Clarke and others.
“I think we definitely do have a good group coming up, and it's going to be exciting when we all get there [to the major leagues],” Soderstrom said.
The 2023 Futures Game will serve as another opportunity for the duo to give the nation a preview of what the new-Athletics roster will look like in the coming months and years. The game will get underway at 4 p.m., PST and will be broadcast live on MLB Network.
