Sizzler: Tyler Olson
Where'd that come from

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Tyler Olson

G-Money sez in the Shoutz Box,

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Olson Ks the side. DEFINITELY wants consideration as a full-bore reliever and not just a specialist - and that's at worst. Gotta love always grabbing a couple of these arms in every draft.

If you don't know Olson, he was a nice little arm at Gonzaga, very accurate but a lefty who threw high-80s - fine as a lefty (I'm thinking when we drafted him), especially if he finds a couple mph in the pen.

And with his delivery he hides the ball well, and that slider is pretty killer. A bit like Sherrill. I wouldn't have tried to start Sherrill, though, and Olson started all 27 games he appeared in last year, at 2 levels - and put up a mid-3s ERA up through AA.

So he's got a repeatable motion (even though he will change the amount of sidearm he uses just to get another angle on hitters) and stamina - and let's not forget accuracy. Don't see a lot of slider guys with walks under 2 in AA.

He's a fascinating dude. I assume we're gonna let him pitch out of the rotation in AAA this year, but he's another plug-n-play guy if that 2nd lefty spot opens up in the pen - or even a long man role.

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If he throws those pitches like that :- ) then he's for choice in the bullpen.  That goes even for Dr. D, who has no love for second lefties (or even first lefties who are not Rhodes or Furbush).  Success or not over the next few weeks, if HE were to execute like this then I'd probably have him on the 25-man, ahead of Carson Smith.

Olson had an air about him like he was Arizona's Friday starter, tossing a couple of innings against the frosh.  The crazy thing about Olson is the tempo, the location, the confidence, the way he keeps batters in a backpedal.  With that attitude, he'll roll over any poker table.  Pretty rare to see. 

You saw the same game I did -- after about six pitches, Mike Blowers was laughing "who IS this guy?"

Olson threw:

  • A side-slot, rising 90 MPH fastball with a rakish angle
  • A side-slot, sweeeeeeping 80 MPH spinner with a rakish angle
  • A love for, and an affinity for, crossfiring these pitches to the way glove side of the plate
  • (A couple of sweet roll-off-the-table changeups to RHP, like G sez)

A batter once said, "That ball looks like it's coming from the right fielder."  There is a reason the batter would prefer to be square to the pitch, you know :- )

The fastball and sweeper [obviously] were impossible to distinguish until the last second.  Olson threw them all with exactly the same amount of fear as if the hitters had plastic wiffle bats they were waving.

Gordon compares him to Sherrill.  He's right.  They don't visually look alike, and Olson doesn't even quite depend on hiding the ball.  But they both torment batters with an either/or pitch (extremely lefthanded) combo that the batters simply can't see.  Sid Fernandez threw just like Sherrill and fanned 10K per game, forever.  Tyler Olson is in this template, agreed.

Olson stacks up well as a NON-platoon arm.  But supposing you were to isolate him against lefties?  Yowch.

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#7 reliever Pro Con
Carson Smith etc You have your 25 best players

No 2nd LOOGY (sigh)

Dave Rollins 25% chance at an Elias-level asset Lots (e.g. roster freeze)
Roenis Elias Earl role in 'pen; soak April innings Supposedly:  fewer reps
Tyler Olson If he throws like this:  Secret Weapon Might not throw like this; also, you have plenty of time with him

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He ax's, "Who is the #6 reliever?"  We thought that it was a given, Rodney-Furbush-Farquhar-Medina-Leone-Wilhelmsen.  Mebbe not?  Leone could conceivably lose out to somebody, I guess.

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Casual fans might wonder, "If he's this good, why weren't his stats Lincecumesque in the low minors?"  It's another one of those Paxton situations, where a pitcher's "game" and weapons are actually better suited to ML conditions than to minor league conditions.

Let you in on a little something.  This is part of why they run spring training.  They won't admit it, not in a million years.  But every once't in a while, some batter or pitcher steps into the games, says "I'm better than most the guys you got" and then stares at you.  What are you going to do about it?

Chris Sale was a shocker.  Alvin Davis as a rookie was that way, with ML closers losing to him on a 2-RBI double and going "at least I kept him in the ballpark."  It happens.

On a smaller scale, that has been the way with Tyler Olson.  He's got a major league game, and he flat enjoys showing it.

Cheers,

Dr D

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kurt steputis's picture

hi  check  this  out......   trade  felix  and  a  1st  round  draft  pick  of  2018  to the  dodgers   and  get   kyle's  brother  over  here  it's  a  no  brainer

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