The Las Vegas Aviators, the Triple-A affiliate of the Athletics, are champions of the Pacific Coast League after sweeping the Tacoma Rainiers in a best-of-three series last week. And right in the middle of the action was Pitman High graduate Kade Morris, who capped off his second full season in professional baseball leaving a strong impression on those in the organization.
Morris was tasked to start the first game of the championship series against the Seattle Mariners affiliate, and he delivered, tossing seven innings of one-run baseball in the Aviators’ 7-1 victory under the lights of Las Vegas Ballpark. He allowed just four hits and two walks while punching out a pair in the winning effort, the lone run coming on a solo shot to Samad Taylor in the sixth inning. It marked his sixth straight quality start.
Las Vegas returned the next day to clinch the PCL banner with a 7-3 win, marking the club’s third ever title and first since 1988, when they were known as the Las Vegas Stars. They were back in action Saturday in the winner-take-all Triple-A National Championship, where they fell 8-7 to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on a dramatic two-run, walk-off home run by top Miami Marlins prospect Jacob Berry.
Morris, the No. 15 prospect in the A’s organization, was called up to Triple-A on May 31, where he finished with a 7-7 record and a 5.22 ERA over 19 starts in the regular season. In 98 1/3 innings, the 23-year-old righty struck out 80 batters, though he did allow his share of traffic on the basepaths, surrendering 37 walks and 112 hits. His efforts him the title as the club’s Most Valuable Pitcher.
The 2025 season was also the first full year for Morris as a member of the A’s organization, as he was acquired from the New York Mets at last summer’s trade deadline. The former Pride ace will look to build off his strong finish to the season in the offseason and when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in early February.
Carrigg among Hartford’s top hitters
This 2025 campaign was also the second full season of professional baseball for Turlock High alumnus Cole Carrigg, who is on his own blistering pace up through the Colorado Rockies farm system.
Carrigg, also 23, spent the entirety of the year in Double-A Hartford, and finished with some of the best hitting statistics of those on the team.
In 123 games, Carrigg racked up 113 hits — including 18 doubles, six triples and 15 home runs — with 64 RBI. He reached base another 46 times on walks, and when he was on the basepaths, he was a menace, setting a new franchise record for stolen bases with 46 and scoring 81 times. His hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI and runs, as well as his .316 OBP, .394 SLG and .710 OPS, led the club.
Like Morris, Carrigg was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training this year, and another year of development under his belt will be beneficial as he tries to break through big league club soon, which finished with the worst record in baseball at 43-119 as they continue their rebuild.
Soderstrom’s breakout season
More than two years removed from his MLB debut, Tyler Soderstrom has finally wrapped up his first full season as a big leaguer. And it was a monster one.
The Turlock High graduate and former first round draft pick played in nearly every game for the Athletics this year, almost unprecedented considering he was sent down to Triple-A twice in each of the last two seasons and missed two months due to injury last year. His 158 games played were second on the club to only All-Star Brent Rooker, who appeared in all 162 games.
Soderstrom certainly made the most of his opportunities, hitting .276 (155-for-561) with a .346 OBP, .474 SLG, .820 OPS, 25 home runs, a team-high 93 RBI and 57 walks. The 23-year-old did most of his damage as he learned an entirely new position — left field.
The Turlock native, who had only played a handful of the outfield as a little leaguer, logged 867 2/3 innings in left and only 394 at first base, accommodating first base prospect Nick Kurtz, who will likely win the American League Rookie of the Year.
Qualifying as a regular left fielder these days, Soderstrom’s RBI mark ranked 10th-most and his hits were the ninth-most hits among all outfielders in baseball.
Soderstrom’s big year also qualifies him for All-MLB consideration, with fan voting having started Tuesday and running through Oct. 10.
According to Major League Baseball, fan ballots will count for 50% of the final results, with the remaining votes determined by a panel of media members, broadcasters, former players, and league officials.
Whether he takes home hardware or not, the Athletics view Soderstrom as a key piece of their young core that hopes to break into postseason contention next season, according to sources.
The A’s finished the 2025 season with a 76-86 record, a seven-game improvement from the year prior. The club’s second half record of 35-29 was the fifth-best in the AL. With an average lineup age of just 26.1 (the youngest in all of MLB), the final stretch could give the team some much needed momentum and confidence heading into 2026.
