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Detroit Tigers: 3 things you should know about Reese Olson

By Tyler Kotila |
Detroit Tigers pitchers and catchers went through drills and a bullpen session during Spring Training in Lakeland, Fla.
Detroit Tigers pitchers and catchers went through drills and a bullpen session during Spring Training in Lakeland, Fla. / Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Profiling Detroit Tigers recent call-up Reese Olson.

It's been an exciting week for the Detroit Tigers; not all is good news. There was a wave of transactions and roster moves that left the team in a spot where they will be fighting to stay alive and compete in the American League (AL) Central.

The team lost Matt Vierling to an injury, and outfielder Riley Greene exited Tuesday's game early. Luckily, the Detroit Tigers had just acquired veteran outfielder Jake Marisnick from the Chicago White Sox to help fill that gap.

On the other hand, some medical news should be exciting as Tarik Skubal continues to progress toward a return to the mound. But amid the bad news and untimely injuries, the team has made a move to call up right-handed pitcher Reese Olson.

Olson is perhaps the team's best pitching prospect outside of Jackson Jobe, who is not even on the mound with his back injury. He came in at no.11 on the Motor City Bengals pre-season Top Prospect Countdown. However, Olson is easily one of the top arms within the teams' farm system and will get his chance to make the big league roster.

As Olson prepares for his debut, why not dive into the right-handed pitcher a bit more and look at three things you should know about the Tigers' new starting pitcher?

1.) Detroit Tigers pitcher Reese Olson features a full four-pitch mix.

There may not be a ton of data available in terms of Statcast since he has not made his debut, but a look at some of the MiLB footage shows a glimpse into what Olson does good and how he finds his success out there on the mound.

One of the things that Olson does well is mix in all four of his pitches. The fastball works with some arm-side life, and he's pitching from a high slot, which sometimes gives it some angle. His go-to breaking ball is more of a sweeping-slider or sweeper in today's game with that 10-4 shape and a ton of lateral movement.

The pitch can miss bats and tunnels well off of the fastball. His tertiary offering would be the sinking changeup. The pitch has good arm-side tumble and good depth to it, again, tumbling and tunneling off the fastball well.

Olson has also added in a curveball and developed the pitch well with more of a vertical break to it than the sweeper. The pitch is another asset to setup opposing hitters for "K pitches" and allow him to cruise through the batting order with ease, something he's done well in the minors.

Here's a look from 2022 of Olson showcasing all of his offerings in a clip that amounts to some pretty filthy pitches.

2.) Detroit Tigers fans should expect strikeouts from Reese Olson.

It will be his first big league start, so being out on the mound may have him blacking out as it is. But if there's one thing that Olson has done over his rise to the big leagues, it's punch out hitters. The 6-foot-1, 160-pound right-hander has the stuff to miss barrels and cause hitters fits.

As mentioned above, he has the repertoire to cause opposing teams trouble and a quick arm from a higher slot that plays well in terms of his movement profiles. Plus, the stats back it up. In 2022, en route to being one of the most dominant pitchers on the Double-A Erie SeaWolves pitching staff.

Olson threw 119.2 innings on the season while pitching to a 8-6 record, a 4.14 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, and accumulating 168 punchouts. In 2023, Olson has been with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, where he has accumulated 36.2 innings pitched with 47 punchouts to his credit.

Again, in his first start, I'm not expecting him to show out and punch out 12 batters, but he's someone who's going to have a low BB/9 and high K/9, controlling the strike zone, something that Scott Harris has marveled about in the past.

3.) Detroit Tigers calling on Reese Olson may be temporary.

The Detroit Tigers have called up Reese Olson and sent down stuff-first reliever Braden Bristo in his place to free up the roster spot. Olson may very well be a temporary addition, especially with the fact that Tarik Skubal is starting to trend toward a return to the mound.

It should not discount things for Olson as there is a ton of upside; even with some reliever risk, there's plenty to like with the right-handed arm. Olson has high strikeout numbers, and as of late, his walk numbers have been better, leading to a better feel to command.

However, the Tigers are going to bring up Olson as a starter. Without Eduardo Rodríguez in the rotation, it may buy him some time, but Olson may have to shift into the bullpen in an extended relief spot depending on two things.

One being his performance, if he gets to stick with the rotation and handles the job well, he'll stay, but a rough debut and string of starts could point to a relief role. The other being pitchers returning to the rotation, but the Tigers want to keep Olson on the big league staff to get some innings.

While Olson has some reliever risk long-term, the hopes are still high now, and he will get his first chance for the Tigers, starting with his MLB debut on Friday!

Next. Detroit Tigers: It's time to see what Scott Harris is made of. Detroit Tigers: It's time to see what Scott Harris is made of. dark

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