Detroit Tigers: Top 20 prospects for 2022 – Part One

Detroit Tigers No. 12 Prospect – Reese Olson – RHP

Milwaukee spent $440K in the 13th round of the 2018 draft to lure Reese Olson away from Georgia Tech, but he wasn’t particularly impressive in his first two seasons of pro ball. He looked better in 2021, though, and the Tigers were able to snag him the day before his 22nd birthday when they traded Daniel Norris to the Brewers. Olson continued to pitch well in the Detroit system, and he earned a promotion to Double-A Erie after 11 dominant innings with the West Michigan Whitecaps.

Olson has a true four-pitch mix, led by an above-average fastball that can hit 96 MPH early in outings, but generally settles into the 91-94 range. All three of his secondary pitches are above-average offerings, though his upper-80s changeup and low-80s slider are a bit more consistent than his high-70s curve. It’s a starter’s arsenal, and Olson holds his stuff fairly well, but he’s not terribly big (6’1, 170lbs) and his wonky delivery leads to below-average command. The Tigers will likely continue to develop him as a starter, but his MLB future is most likely as a multi-purpose middle reliever along the lines of Alex Lange.