Father-son duo from Turlock have chance at history

Twenty seven years after the San Francisco Giants selected Turlock native Steve Soderstrom with the sixth overall pick in the MLB Draft, another Turlock product is expected to be in the mix when the team is on the clock in Wednesday’s first round.

Soderstrom, who appeared in three games for the Giants during the 1996 season, can vouch for the 18-year-old catching prospect’s talents.

It’s his son, Tyler.

Only nine father-son duos have been taken in the first round of the MLB Draft and none were chosen by the same team. With the 13th overall pick in this year’s draft, the Giants and the Soderstrom family can make history.

“It would be super special,” Tyler said. “It’s been my dream to play in the major leagues since I found out my dad played professional baseball. My dad is my mentor.”

Since Farhan Zaidi was hired as president of baseball operations in November, 2018, the Giants have prioritized positional versatility and publicly stated their desire to acquire talent with local connections. The team’s first round selection in 2019 was Hunter Bishop, a Serra High (San Mateo) and Arizona State product who spent draft night detailing memories of watching Barry Bonds launch home runs into McCovey Cove.

Zaidi, amateur scouting director Michael Holmes and Bishop met at the Giants’ minor league complex in Scottsdale before the draft last summer. Bonds, who also attended Serra and ASU, made a surprise appearance and was part of a contingent that assured Bishop he would be the Giants’ first round pick if he was still available.

With a desire to add a handful of top pitching prospects in this year’s draft, it’s unlikely the Giants have given Soderstrom a similar assurance to the one Bishop received.

It hasn’t stopped the Soderstrom family from dreaming about the possibility.

“If we happened to get drafted by the same team in the first round, that would even be a topper,” Steve said. “We talk about it and it’s exciting to talk about, but we do try to keep it in perspective because the draft hasn’t happened yet.”

The Giants, like all 29 other club, face challenging realities ahead of the 2020 amateur draft.

The coronavirus pandemic brought a screeching halt to college and high school seasons across the country, leaving scouting departments with fewer opportunities to evaluate game action and get in-person looks at rising talent. Shelter-in-place restrictions have forced front offices to conduct meetings over Zoom and instead of meeting players in person, conversations are now taking place virtually.

The pandemic was equally challenging for

draft-eligible players such as Soderstrom, who was named California’s Gatorade Player of the Year despite playing just five official games this season.

“Not getting to play with my buddies was the hardest part of the season getting canceled,” Soderstrom said. “We’re all close and had a really good team and our coach put together an awesome schedule. It was tough not getting to play it out.”

His father Steve said the cancelation of Tyler’s final high school season was harder on teammates than it was for his son, because many realized their careers had come to an abrupt end. One of Tyler’s former Turlock High teammates, Alex García, knew early on that Soderstrom’s future would include plenty of baseball after high school.

“I remember walking to the batting cages the first day,” García said. “I knew his older brother (Tate), but I didn’t know him and I saw him take a round of batting practice and you could just tell by that sweet lefty swing that this kid is different.”

García played alongside Soderstrom at Turlock High during the catcher’s freshman and sophomore seasons and said that even as one of the youngest players on the team, Soderstrom boasted an advanced skill set.

“He was a bigger target behind the plate and he could tell if my mechanics were off,” García said. “He would come out to the mound and even as a freshman and sophomore, he was a very consistent voice behind the plate.”

Steve Soderstrom was drafted as a pitcher, but Tyler is expected to be selected in the first round Wednesday thanks to his skills in the batter’s box. Solid power from the left side and impressive bat speed have turned Tyler into an intriguing option for many clubs drafting in the 10-25 range Wednesday, including the Giants who used their 2018 first round pick on a catcher, Joey Bart.

It shouldn’t come as a shock to Giants fans if the franchise uses this year’s

first round pick on a catching prospect, particularly because Soderstrom has the potential to complement Bart well. The players hit from opposite sides of the plate and Soderstrom appears to have the athleticism and conviction to play other positions on the diamond as well.

“I am confident I can catch at the next level,” Soderstrom said. “I know I can also play a corner or in the outfield. I’m happy to play anywhere on the field to get my bat in lineup. My bat is my biggest tool and being able to play a lot of different positions defensively is one of my biggest strengths.”

Tyler considers Buster Posey one of his favorite players, but like Bishop, he also admires Milwaukee Brewers left-handed slugger Christian Yelich and 2019 National League MVP Award winner Cody Bellinger.

Steve said Tyler didn’t root exclusively for the Giants when he was growing up because he followed players around the league who were Steve’s former teammates, but noted the Soderstrom family attended many games at Oracle Park. The family’s best memories at China Basin aren’t from the game action, but from watching Tyler and his older brother Tate, an outfielder at the University of Arizona, roam the bleachers during batting practice.

“I loved watching the kids go in the outfield, go in the stands and try to get home run balls,” Steve said. “Tyler was obsessed with it. My older son was a little more like, ‘Eh whatever,’ but Tyler would fight for them. He would come back with four or five balls and I always got a kick out of that.”

On Wednesday, the Giants anticipate adding another top prospect to a farm system that has made impressive strides over the last three years. Tyler anticipates hearing his name called and then eventually determining whether or not he’ll forego a commitment to UCLA to pursue his professional dreams.

In the draft, there are no guarantees. But 27 years after the Giants phoned the Soderstrom family during the first round of a Major League Baseball draft, it’s possible they’ll be doing it again.