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Physical Description: Slightly
undersized with an average frame. Minimal remaining projection.
Athletic.
Mechanics: Throws from a low
three-quarters arm slot. Effort in delivery. Pitches exclusively
from the stretch. Medium-high leg kick and long arm action. Solid
front-side deception. Has trouble repeating his delivery.
Fastball: 93-96 mph. Tops out at 98 mph.
Will sit 93-94 after the first inning or two when he is
starting. Has shown the ability to miss bats with the pitch.
Pitch will show sink sometimes, arm-side run at others. Will
also throw a two-seam fastball at 92-93 mph. Command and control
need work. Below-average command and control profile. Struggles
locating arm-side. Has the tendency to yank the pitch glove-side
when his arm gets out ahead of the rest of his delivery.
Potential above-average offering.
Slider:
85-88 mph. Hard breaker with tilt. Pitch shows sharp, 10-to-4
shape and depth. Has shown the ability when ahead in the count
to land it in the zone or bury it down and away from righties or
in on the hands of lefties to generate swinging strikes. Will
flash plus potential, but needs to improve consistency.
Changeup: 87-89 mph. Clear third pitch that he
has not incorporated often. Poor pitch at present. Has thrown
early in counts in what seems to be an effort to work on the pitch,
but he lacks feel for the pitch and confidence. Will throw also
with two strikes on occasion. Well below-average potential. |
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Career Notes: Was a top high school prospect in
Oklahoma in 2018. Big-12 All-Freshman Team in 2019. Started 2021
in the Oklahoma rotation, but was moved to the bullpen after he
struggled. May have changed his pitch mix in 2021 as part of his
planned move into a full-time starting role, but Red Sox preferred
his 2020 pitch mix, which they hoped to return to while
attempting to maintain the ability to turn a lineup over he
showed at times in 2021. Participated
in the Fall Performance Program in 2021. Struggled throughout
the first half of 2022, leading to a stint on the development
list and, in mid-June, a demotion to the FCL to attempt to
address his control struggles. Returned to Portland in late
July in a bullpen role. Selected to participate in the Arizona
Fall League in 2023.
Summation: Potential up-and-down relief arm.
Ceiling of a middle reliever. Command and control need
refinement for him to reach his potential. Even though he is
being developed as a starter initially, his size, delivery and
arsenal point to bullpen role long-term. Has a quality
fastball/slider combination and could move quickly in a pure
bullpen role. Needs to improve his changeup and show he can stay
healthy over a full season as a starter to be considered in that
role. Will be developed in the rotation initially to force him
to use all of his pitches and work on his fastball command.
Links
Red Sox select
Wyatt Olds with seventh-round pick
(7.12.2021)
Scouting Report Update (3.4.2022)
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