After years of being an afterthought in the American League, the Oakland Athletics are suddenly making noise. They are coming off a phenomenal New York road trip. Now, with form under their belt, one of their young stars has set the goal straight for the team with a clear message.
“We want to win now. So, I think that’s the main goal and just focus on this year,” the A’s left fielder, Tyler Soderstrom, shared via MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM.
The 24-year-old was drafted by the Athletics in 2020 and made his major league debut in 2023. Soderstrom signed a 7-year, $86 million extension with the A’s in December 2025. This season, the youngster has recorded 13 hits, 2 homers, and 13 RBIs from 59 at-bats.
He has been confident with his bat and his words as he said, “We’re going to try and get to the postseason and win a World Series.”
Tyler Christian Soderstrom is a homegrown star and is one of the key parts of the A’s young core. The power bat is essentially the vocal leader of the group that includes first baseman Nick Kurtz, catcher Shea Langeliers, and shortstop Jacob Wilson, among others.
The A’s have been nourishing the young talents for the past few years. They not only share the same timeline but a stronger bond as well.
With a young core in place, the A’s have their eyes set on October
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“We’ve all come up together. So, you know, we’re all super, super comfortable around each other,” Soderstrom hinted at the reason behind his confidence in the team.
Tyler struggled significantly in his rookie season. In 45 games, he averaged .160. However, 2024 was a solid year for him, and he showed great improvement. It was, however, interrupted by his injuries. 2025 was a breakout season for him as Soderstrom recorded 25 HRs and 93 RBI, averaging .276. This is what triggered the huge deal, and he is already trying to justify the same on and off the field.
Soderstrom had a slow start this year, and so did the team. But it seems like they have found their footing. The A’s recent success might prove to be a payoff for all the rebuilding they have been going through.
Soderstrom’s message builds on A’s recent success
The Athletics haven’t been very successful in October for a long time. And a World Series seems like too far a goal. The last time they won the championship was in 1989. They reached the World Series the very next year again, but were defeated by the Reds.
Since then, they have qualified for the playoffs 12 times but have never played the World Series again. They managed to enter October for the last time in 2020, and they have mostly been sitting in the bottom half of the AL West since.
2026 didn’t seem like a change in the scenario when the A’s lost the first 4 games. But the story is a bit different now. They have won 8 games out of 14 so far, and the best part is that they won 4 back-to-back games in New York.
First, they secured the series against the Yankees. Then they carried their momentum into Queens and absolutely dominated the Mets in the first two games with 4-0 and 11-6. They came up on top in the final game as well, making it a three-game sweep against the Mets.
The urgency in Tyler Soderstrom’s voice wasn’t random. The A’s rebuilding of the roster has instilled belief among the youngsters. Their past struggles and the recent turnaround justify the urgency and offer solid hope for the fans.
