Eye of the Soderstrom
Tyler Soderstrom (ATH): 3-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI.
It’s been a tough start to 2026 for Athletics first baseman/outfielder Tyler Soderstrom.
Going into Saturday’s game, he was hitting .200 with a .573 OPS and had not hit a single home run. Safe to say, it’s been disappointing for the 24-year-old first-round pick, especially after he broke out with a 25-home run and 93-RBI season that also saw him post an .820 OPS in 624 plate appearances last season.
However, Saturday may have been a step in the right direction for Soderstrom.
In an 11-6 win over the New York Mets in Queens, Soderstrom went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI. They were his first two home runs of the year, and he increased his RBI total to 13 after Saturday’s five-run win.
There still are plenty of question marks for Soderstrom this season. His strikeout rate is 27.3%, up from 22.6% a season ago. He is also posting a 5.7% barrel rate, down 5.7% from 2025. Lastly, he has a 40.7% hard-hit rate. While that’s 3% better than league average, it’s 9.8% down from 2025 and 8% lower than his career average. Thus, Soderstrom is down across the board in a lot of important Statcast categories, which makes fantasy managers worried that he may not live up to his preseason draft value.
An interesting characteristic this season for Soderstrom is that the Athletics haven’t played many home games so far in 2026. Last year, there wasn’t much of a home-road split for Soderstrom, as he posted an .837 OPS on the road and .804 OPS in Sacramento. It’s been different this year, however. He is hitting .300 with a 1.100 OPS at home while only hitting .222 with a .639 OPS on the road. That said, he has 46 plate appearances away from Sacramento compared to just 14 at Sutter Health Park.
The Athletics begin a seven-game homestand on Monday. Perhaps this strong performance on Saturday and his strong numbers at home this year (albeit in a limited sample) can get him going.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Saturday
Mickey Moniak (COL): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
It’s looking like 2025 was a stepping stone for the No. 1 overall pick, not an aberration. After hitting 24 home runs and posting an .824 OPS last season in his first year with Colorado, he has eight home runs and a 1.121 OPS this year. That includes two against the Padres in San Diego. Granted, Moniak has had only 30 plate appearances this year due to various injuries, but he’s proven to be a major fantasy producer when he’s in the lineup.
Riley Greene (DET): 2-3, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB, SB.
The Tigers’ All-Star is only hitting .228 with a .674 OPS, but he seemed to get on the right track on Saturday. Not only did he go 2-for-3 with four RBI, but he also hit his first home run and stole his first base. Greene hit a big home run off Marlins starter Janson Junk on the 10th pitch of the at-bat with two runners on base. It was the kind of at-bat that showed the kind of star Green can be when everything is clicking.
Ramón Laureano (SDP): 2-2, 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB.
The Padres have moved Laureano to the top of the Padres lineup, and the move paid off. On Saturday, in the leadoff spot, Laureano had two hits, two runs scored, three RBI, and hit his third homer of the year. Laureano has been one of the Padres’ top performers this year with an .849 OPS and .275 average. After a 24-homer and .854 OPS season in 2025, Laureano is showing so far this season that he may have another campaign like that in the tank.
José Ramírez (CLE): 2-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB, 2 SB.
It hasn’t been a memorable start for the Guardian’s franchise player. Yes, he had two hits, a home run, and two stolen bases on Saturday, a vintage Ramirez performance. Conversely, he is only hitting .175 with a .610 OPS. The Statcast percentiles are still solid, and his .174 BABIP hints that positive regression should be coming soon for the Cleveland third baseman. Nonetheless, for fantasy managers who spent a premium pick in fantasy drafts for Ramirez, this start has been tough to stomach.
Bo Bichette (NYM): 2-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, 2 BB.
Even though the Mets lost on Saturday, they saw an encouraging performance from Bichette, whom they signed to a big deal this offseason. He had two hits, three RBI, and hit his first home run of the season as a Met. Still, he’s only hitting .250 with a .628 OPS, and a lot of the Statcast percentiles aren’t great either, with his barrel rate ranking in the 12th percentile and his bat speed ranking in the 13th percentile. It’s possible that Bichette will figure it out, but he’s got to show more, especially if he wants to match his 2025 production.
Jeremiah Jackson (BAL): 3-4, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI.
It was a game to remember for the 26-year-old Baltimore second baseman. He had three hits, including a double and his first home run of 2026, in their 6-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants at home. Jackson had a nice campaign last year, hitting .276 with a .775 OPS in 183 plate appearances as a rookie. He’s still hitting well at .278, but the power hasn’t quite been there, as evidenced by his .678 OPS. Maybe his Saturday performance can help change things for him in the power department.
Oneil Cruz (PIT): 4-5, 2B, R, BB, 3 SB.
Cruz’s defense in center field has been an adventure, but his bat has been solid for a surprising Pirates team that is 9-5 so far this season. Cruz is hitting .345 with a 1.018 OPS, and on Saturday, he added to those averages with four hits and a walk. He also stole three bases, bringing his stolen base total up to five for the season. The 27-year-old has always shown excellent hard-hit ability, and that’s once again been the case in 2026, as his hard-hit rate ranks in the 93rd percentile. Now, he’s producing legit numbers with those hard-hit rates.
Trevor Larnach (MIN): 1-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
At 8-7, the Twins have been a mild surprise in the AL Central. A key contributor to the team has been Larnach, who is hitting .273 with a .948 OPS in 29 plate appearances. Larnach doesn’t see much time against lefties, but against righties, he’s been solid and dependable. In Saturday’s win over the Blue Jays, the 29-year-old outfielder hit his first home run of the season and also added three RBI. His platoon status makes him a tough fantasy option in standard leagues, but he should be a must-roster in deeper leagues and AL-only formats.
Maikel Garcia (KCR): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI.
Many wondered if Garcia would be a fluke in 2026 after a breakthrough 2025. Thankfully for Royals fans and fantasy managers, he has kept things going, hitting .328 with a .911 OPS in 66 plate appearances as the Royals’ leadoff man. In Kansas City’s 2-0 win over the White Sox, Garcia scored both runs, with one of them coming on a home run in the first inning on the first pitch of the inning from Chicago starter Erick Fedde. With a 13.3% barrel rate and 40% launch-angle Sweet-Spot rate, the WBC MVP seems poised this year to pass his 16-home run mark from a year ago, which was a career high.
