With the Major League Baseball offseason in full swing, everyone is thinking about the future. In most cities, that means next season. However, the next he can also mean the big picture, 3 to 5 years. There is an old saying that either you sell your victory or you sell your hope. Here at CBS Sports, we want to give you as much hope as possible this time of winter by evaluating each team’s farm system.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that all teams have equally good farm systems. Some teams are lacking in that regard, as you will see through this process. That said, there’s no doubt that CBS Sports will spend the next few weeks researching each organization’s top three prospects. We define “prospect” as maintaining his rookie eligibility for the 2023 season, so if a young player is absent, that’s likely the reason.
These lists and ratings are formed following conversations with scouts, analysts, and player development types. Also, direct ratings and biases have been thrown into the mix. Remember that player rating is a difficult task. It’s okay if you disagree with the ranking. These are opinions and do not affect the future. Click here to check out our top 20 winter list..
With that in mind, let’s analyze the Oakland Athletics.
1. Tyler Soderstrom, 1B/C (2023 season: age 21)
Scouts appreciate Soderstrom’s bat since he was drafted with the No. 26 pick in 2020. Some evaluators favored getting him out quickly from the back of the plate, giving him the opportunity to maximize his offensive potential. The Athletics apparently didn’t share that opinion. They continued to play Soderstrom at catcher despite cross-training him at first base. But with the A’s sharing responsibility for his Soderstrom defense (and his presence on the depth chart with Shea Langeliers suggesting he’s not the catcher most days), here. The draw in is his attack. He has the chance to be a positive hitter contributing both in batting average and slugging percentage. Soderstrom needs to start the season in Triple-A. He might end up in the majors.
2. Ken Waldichuk, LHP (2023 season: age 25)
As part of Frankie Montas’ return, Woldichuk pitched about as many innings with the Athletics as Montas did with the Yankees. He appeared in his seven games, marking a 4.93 earned run average in 34 his innings and striking out about 23% of the batters he faced. Waldichuk has a long bassit arm action, but that hasn’t stopped him from throwing strikes throughout his career.His best pitches are the fastball and sweep his slider in the mid-’90s. , both certainly enhanced the mood with small samples. He also throws promising changeups and curveballs to keep hitters off balance. Waldichuk should start the year in the A rotation.
3. Zach Gerof, 3B (2023 season: age 23)
Oakland’s second-rounder in 2021, Gerof reached Triple-A in his first season as a pro, batting .271/.356/.438 and hitting 13 homers in 87 Double-A contests. The selling point here is that he has a wide collection of solid average tools and a patient approach that allows him to draw walks. He may not have any positive tools other than that, and his zeal to always go deep into the count has resulted in a 27% strikeout rate. Add in how Gerof’s arm can play on the light side, and there’s probably more downside than meets the eye.
