On Thursday night at Sutter Health Park, Tyler Soderstrom delivered his first career walk-off hit, leading the Oakland Athletics to a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves in the 11th inning. The intentional walk to Miguel Andujar by the Braves set up a crucial matchup against left-hander Soderstrom, who capitalized with a single that scored Brent Rooker and sealed the dramatic victory.
This moment added to Soderstrom’s impressive night, which included his 16th home run of the 2025 MLB season earlier in the first inning. The 23-year-old’s performance energized the crowd and helped the Athletics secure the series win against Atlanta.
Strong Offensive Contributions Highlight Soderstrom’s Rising Impact
Soderstrom, originally drafted first round in 2020, has made significant progress at the plate this season. Over his last seven games, he has posted an outstanding slash line of .370/.414/.704, demonstrating his growing confidence and skill. His shift from first baseman to left field has also shown his versatility within the Athletics’ young core.
Reflecting on his development, Soderstrom shared a sense of camaraderie with teammates he has come up through the farm system with, particularly Lawrence Butler, highlighting the depth of the team’s homegrown talent.
I’ve played with some of these guys like [Butler] since Low-A, so it’s cool to be up here in the big leagues, sharing these experiences with them. Getting my first walk-off hit tonight was super special. Something I always dreamed of, for sure.
—Tyler Soderstrom, Athletics left fielder
Pitching and Rookie Contributions Bolster Team’s Performance
Starting pitcher Mitch Spence struggled in the previous game by allowing five home runs and was subsequently optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas. In the Thursday matchup, JP Sears took the mound and delivered a strong performance, allowing three runs over five innings while striking out six and issuing no walks.
First baseman Nick Kurtz, another key player in Oakland’s youthful roster, tied the game with a solo home run in the eighth inning, his 15th rookie home run of the season, solidifying his lead among MLB rookies. His clutch hit kept the Athletics in contention and pushed the game into extra innings.
Kurtz expressed his satisfaction with the team’s resilience in the game and praised Soderstrom’s crucial contributions.
It’s a great feeling, especially with All-Star break coming up, to kind of grind through that one — come up early, then lose the lead and then be able to come back late was awesome,
Kurtz said.
Sodey had a great game, came up huge when we needed him. So it’s great team win. …
[The front office] has done a great job drafting guys, and it’s kind of cool, because a lot of those guys who were drafted came up together, know each other really well and are best friends. Then me joining and coming into the fold made it really easy to just kind of go along with the group. And it’s been really fun.
—Nick Kurtz, Athletics first baseman
Team Momentum Building as All-Star Break Approaches
With their record now standing at 39-56, the Athletics look to build on this momentum as they prepare to face the Toronto Blue Jays in their final series before the MLB All-Star break. The young roster, marked by close-knit relationships and shared experience, aims to continue developing their chemistry and success on the field.
Soderstrom emphasized the team’s focus on sustained performance and growth heading into the second half of the season.
We’re always trying to win these games, trying to stay hot and have some momentum going into the All-Star break and ready to roll for the second half,
he said.
So just continue to learn and just get better. …
We feel like one through nine, you see the lineup, all the young guys in there for the last couple of weeks. So we’re all really confident in each other. We’ve played together for a while now. So one through nine, we can get it done.
—Tyler Soderstrom, Athletics left fielder
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. How good is Tyler Soderstrom?
A. In 61 games with the A’s, he achieved a .233 batting average, hit nine home runs, and earned 26 RBIs with a .743 OPS.
Previously, during his first 45 Major League games in 2023, he batted .160, hit three home runs, and recorded seven RBIs with a .472 OPS.
Initially, he spent the first month of the season with Triple-A Las Vegas and was injured from July 10 to September 13.
Q. What was Tyler Soderstrom’s injury?
A. He started the 2021 season playing for the Stockton Ports in the Low-A West league. In June, Soderstrom was chosen to participate in the All-Star Futures Game at Coors Field. On August 16, after being unable to play since July 23, he was put on the injured list due to a back problem and missed the rest of the season.
Q. Is Tyler Soderstrom a rookie?
A. The Athletics picked him as the 26th overall choice in the 2020 MLB draft, and he began playing in the MLB in 2023.