1-26: C Tyler Soderstrom, Turlock HS (CA)
2-58: RHP Jeff Criswell, Michigan
3-98: OF Michael Guldberg, Georgia Tech
4-127: RHP Dane Acker, Oklahoma
5-157: RHP Stevie Emanuels, Washington
The A's probably weren't expecting Tyler Soderstrom to fall to them at 26th overall, and while he likely threw off their entire draft plan, they were more than likely to grab him. His true impact bat leads this class, while Jeff Criswell, Dane Acker, and Stevie Emanuels all bring something a little different to the mound. Criswell has now stuff but could use a little refinement, Acker more or less just is what he is, a safe bet #4/#5 starter, and Emanuels is a projection arm trending up. Aside from Soderstrom, the lone bat is Michael Guldberg, a money-saving pick who likely figures in as a fourth outfielder. The success of this class comes down to how much Soderstrom hits, though I personally see Emanuels as the under the radar x factor who could define the second through fifth picks.
Full index of team reviews here
1-26: C Tyler Soderstrom, Turlock HS, CA (my rank: 19)
Though they didn't get to pick until towards the end of the first round, the A's started off the draft with a bang, picking up Turlock High School catcher Tyler Soderstrom, a top twenty talent according to most. A semi-local kid who grew up in the Central Valley about an hour and a half west of the Coliseum, Soderstrom brings an exceptional bat that has been praised around the industry. Coming from a strong, 6'2" frame, he finds the barrel consistently and against very good competition with a strong left handed swing with plenty of loft. More recently, he's begun to grow into more power, taking that part of his game from average to safely above average, with potentially plus power projected. He gets a ton of leverage out of his frame and swing, driving the ball with authority to all fields, and his strength combined with his above average feel to hit enable scouts to be confident he'll tap that power in pro ball. His defense is behind his bat, as he's very athletic but hasn't quite refined his game behind the plate. If the A's are willing to work with those raw skills behind the plate and be patient, he could be one of the best hitting catchers in baseball, but the team may decide they want the bat sooner and decide not to worry about catching – especially with Sean Murphy in tow. Because of that athleticism, he could potentially handle third base or the outfield well, and he certainly has the bat to profile at any position. At his ceiling, he could project for as many as 25-30 home runs annually with high on-base percentages, even at the spacious Coliseum. Committed to UCLA, he's going to be a very expensive sign, likely significantly over the $2.65 million slot value. Pre-draft profile here.
2-58: RHP Jeff Criswell, Michigan (my rank: 58)
Criswell ranked 58th on MLB Pipeline, 58th on my list, and went 58th overall, so I guess we're being consistent (Baseball America is the outlier, ranking him 53rd). He's been a consistent performer in some strong Michigan rotations, holding a 2.88 ERA and a 174/78 strikeout to walk ratio over 162.1 innings throughout his career in Ann Arbor. The repertoire is led by a mid 90's fastball with some armside tail that makes it hard to square up, and he also brings an above average slider and changeup. With a little bit of funky, but clean, arm action in the back, it can be hard to pick up his pitches out of his hands. However, he still has work to do on his control and command, as his mediocre strike throwing ability can hurt him at times and won't work in pro ball. The A's will hope to get him a little more consistent with his release point, because he has everything else he needs to start: a 6'4" frame, three above average pitches, and a good track record in a large conference. If he can get up to average command, he has the type of arsenal to effectively tunnel his pitches and have them make each other better. Slot value is $1.21 million here near the end of the second round, and I wouldn't be surprised if he took a slight discount. Pre-draft profile here.
3-98: OF Michael Guldberg, Georgia Tech (unranked)
If you like hit tools and on-base percentage (of course you do, you're an A's fan!), you're going to love this pick. Michael Guldberg is a career .374/.463/.459 hitter at Georgia Tech, striking out just 41 times in 104 games while drawing 44 walks. He's very much a singles hitter, with just 19 extra base hits in those 104 games, but he does an exceptional job poking line drives over infielders heads and going to all fields. He's more of a solid runner than a true plus speed guy, making him mostly just a one-dimensional player. Guldberg can handle center field or second base if needed, but he fits better in left. Overall, despite his uncanny ability to make solid contact, he's unlikely to end up a full time player down the road, with more of a fourth outfield projection. That said, you don't hit .374 over more than 100 games against an ACC schedule by accident, and with a June birthday, he's relatively young for a college junior. Slot value is $593,100, but he'll likely sign for significantly less as the A's work to reel in Soderstrom.
4-127: RHP Dane Acker, Oklahoma (unranked)
Dane Acker is much more of a right now product than a projection play. Hailing from the small town of Brenham, Texas, Acker moved from Rice to San Jacinto Community College to Oklahoma over the last three years and looked like he was finally finding his place when the season shut down. In his second to last start of the season, he tossed a complete game no-hitter against LSU, striking out eleven Tigers and thrusting himself onto draft radars. It's a pretty average four pitch mix overall, sitting in the low 90's with his fastball and adding a curve, slider, and changeup. The curve is ahead of the slider, but he mixes all four effectively and maintains his stuff deep into games. Acker's command is above average, though his lack of a true out pitch means that any wavering of that command could sink a start. Case in point: after no-hitting LSU on March 1st, he allowed four runs on eight hits over 4.2 innings against San Diego State on March 8th, right before the shutdown. It's a pretty safe #4/#5 profile, and he could have some modest #3 upside if he sharpens his offspeeds a little or adds some velocity. Slot value is $447,400, though the A's will likely ask for another slight discount to afford Soderstrom.
5-157: RHP Stevie Emanuels, Washington (my rank: 105)
It's easy to love the Tyler Soderstrom pick, but aside from that one, this is by far my favorite pick of this draft for the A's. After a solid sophomore season at Washington (2.35 ERA, 65/22 K/BB), Emanuels was taking it to another level in 2020, holding down a 0.79 ERA and a 38/9 strikeout to walk ratio across 22.2 innings, with six of those nine walks coming in his first start of the season. He's a 6'5" righty with an extremely loose arm that has continued to add velocity, now sitting consistently in the low 90's while touching 96, and he rattles off a really sharp slider that can miss bats in bunches. There's a solid curveball that he's still working on differentiating from his slider, as well as a changeup, and he's been working in more two seam fastballs that show nice run. A pretty lanky dude, it seems like he's still growing into his body a bit, but his strike throwing has gotten better and now plays as solid average, with the chance to work towards above average in the future. I look at the arm action and frame and think this kid could continue to get better and better and better, with a huge ceiling in addition to a nice baseline of skills. He could be an impact starter, with a fallback of a fastball/slider reliever. Slot value is $333,300, but I'm not sure if they'll be able to save much here.
Undrafted: RHP Grant Judkins, Iowa: 2-0, 2.33 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 24/5 K/BB in 21 IP
Undrafted: C William Simoneit, Wake Forest: 3 HR, .377/.462/.642, 0 SB, 14/7 K/BB in 17 games
Undrafted: C Cooper Uhl, Loyola Marymount: 0 HR, .361/.487/.443, 5 SB, 8/14 K/BB in 16 games
With 25 more draft reviews to write, I don't have the bandwidth to research all of these guys, but off the bat it looks like these are older players (all at least 22 years old) who figure to be role players long term. Uhl (a California kid from Orange County) has no power to speak of but has a good eye at the plate, while Simoneit was hitting for more impact this year after transferring from Cornell to Wake Forest as a graduate student. Judkins was showing a sharper strikeout to walk ratio at Iowa.
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