There’s a Soderstrom A-Brewin’

Tyler Soderstrom (OAK): 2-3, HR, R, RBI, BB.

Soderstrom hit his third home run of the season, an opposite-field solo shot off Bryan Woo in Sunday’s game against the Mariners. Soderstrom was a popular late-round target for many fantasy analysts, including ours at Pitcher List. A 23-year-old post-hype prospect with a first-round draft pedigree always makes for a great lottery ticket at the end of drafts, especially a player who showed signs of his power in 2024. His 49.6% hard-hit rate and 14.6% barrel rate would have qualified in the top 25 in 2024 with enough at-bats. It’s only been three games into the 2025 season, but Soderstrom can’t stop crushing the ball.

Soderstrom’s two bombs in Thursday’s game were no doubters, with one being a blast to centerfield off Mariners ace Logan Gilbert and the second leaving his bat at 111.4 mph, a homer to right field that left the ballpark in a hurry. On Sunday, Soderstrom decided to remind everyone that his power plays to all fields by hitting a homer to left field. Sandwiched in between was a double in Saturday’s game. Don’t overlook that he put his power on display at T-Mobile Park, the most pitcher-friendly ballpark in the league, with a park factor of 91 in 2024.

Will he keep up this pace this coming week? Most likely, yes. The A’s play their first home games in Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, which is likely to be more of a hitter-friendly park despite its track record being a pitcher-friendly park in the minors, a significant upgrade to the cavernous Oakland Coliseum. And then the A’s head to Coors Field for a three-game series. Even if you’re skeptical of Soderstrom’s long-term sustainability, which you shouldn’t be, this man deserves a start in 15-teamers and maybe even 12-teamers. At the very least, stash him on your bench if he’s out on the wire.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Sunday

 

Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY): 3-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 5 RBI

Is it the torpedoes or is it just the good ol’ smooth Jazz? Or maybe a little of both? The Yankees have been on fire, with home runs flying out of the ballpark in the Bronx all weekend long. Chisholm added two more home runs on Sunday, batting cleanup behind Aaron Judge. Whenever the Yankees decide to stop hitting home runs every at-bat, Chisholm might start stealing some bases. After stealing 40 bases in 2024, Jazz could easily give us a 25/40 season if he stays healthy.

 

Julio Rodríguez (SEA): 1-3, HR, R, 2 RBI

Julio took a few seconds to admire the 438-foot bomb he hit off a JP Sears hanging slider before trotting around the bases, and rightfully so. Julio’s 113 mph two-run shot in the bottom of the sixth inning put the Mariners ahead for good on Sunday. Julio didn’t get any first-round love during this year’s draft season like he has in the past, but he’s looking to change that for 2026 fantasy drafts, reminding us this weekend that his power and speed combo (two stolen bases in three games) is elite.

 

Nathaniel Lowe (WSN): 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI

Lowe is loving life in a Nationals uniform. He had a great day at the ballpark on Sunday, capping a strong opening weekend. Lowe hit his second home run of the season off Aaron Nola, adding a single and double to his score sheet as well. Another late-round first baseman that many managers targeted as a sneaky late source of power and OBP, Lowe holds a prominent role in the Nationals lineup and should be able to challenge his 2022 total of 27 home runs if he stays off the IL.

 

Kyle Manzardo (CLE): 2-5, HR, R, 2 RBI

Manzardo’s hot start to 2025 continued on Sunday with his second homer of the season. The Guardians’ DH seems to be an everyday player in Cleveland, slotting third in the lineup over the last two days. He hit Thursday’s homer off a lefty and Sunday’s off a righty. Manzardo is another slugger who should not be hanging around your waiver wire. His DH-only eligibility in many leagues is dinging his value, but don’t let that be the reason to let your opponent pick him up.

 

Victor Scott II (STL): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI, SB

I get the allure of what Scott brings to fantasy baseball: cheap steals. However, don’t let Scott’s two stolen bases in 2025 fool you, and especially don’t be fooled by Sunday’s home run. Yes, Scott showed us a power surge this spring, but that hasn’t been his game traditionally. The man steals, but he often struggles to get on base to do that. Even the Cardinals are skeptical, as they have him hitting toward the bottom of their lineup. You can take a flyer on him, but I would rather grab Soderstrom, Manzardo, or Lowe before putting in a claim for Scott. I wouldn’t be surprised if Scott was back in the minors sooner rather than later.

 

Kyle Tucker (CHC): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB

While fantasy managers decided to pay a hefty price to make sure Tucker was on their team this year, the Houston Astros did not want to pony up the cash, sending him away in a trade to the Cubs. Well, after his second home run in two games, it’s safe to say Tucker is enjoying life on the Cubs, but not as much as fantasy managers are enjoying having Tucker on their team. His past injury history will always be an issue, but a 30+ HR/100+ RBI season might alleviate that concern moving forward.

 

Brandon Lowe (TBR): 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI

If we could turn off injuries in real-life baseball, Lowe would be one of the top 2B in the league due to the power potential he brings to every single at-bat. Lowe is healthy heading into 2025, batting in the top third of the Rays’ lineup and playing every day. He didn’t need the short porch at Yankee Stadium Jr. for Sunday’s 409-foot HR, but the lefty will certainly reap the benefits of his new home park’s dimensions, especially as the Florida weather heats up. A healthy Lowe can easily put up 30 homers this season.

 

Wyatt Langford (TEX): 2-4, HR, R, RBI

Many fantasy managers paid a hefty draft-day price for the potential upside of Wyatt Langford’s power-speed ceiling. Investing an early draft pick on unproven or inconsistent young players can be risky, but those who own shares of Langford are sleeping easier tonight after he showed off his strength, hitting a game-tying opposite-field home run against the Red Sox, his first of the year. Should I mention that it just cleared the fence? Nah.

 

Ryne Nelson (ARI): 1-1, R, RBI

Wait, the pitcher? Isn’t this a Batter’s Box article? Yes, and yes! Baseball is fun, and oftentimes, it’s wild. How wild? Let’s start with an Arizona eight-run comeback in the bottom of the eighth against the Cubs after being down 6-2. And who knocked in Arizona’s eighth run of the game? Nelson, a pitcher who hasn’t hit since his college days in 2018 and who was the next man up to pinch hit after Torey Lovullo went through his entire bench. Nelson’s 89.8 mph ground ball magically found a hole, the Diamondbacks’ dugout went crazy, and Nelson got to take home a souvenir to remember his first big league hit. Baseball is the best.