While Orioles fans await the promotion of promising 21-year-old right-hander Hayden Penn, the inevitable question to follow is: Who?s next?
The answer: Garrett Olson.
A sandwich pick selected between the first and second rounds of the 2005 draft, Olson, 22, is flourishing in his second season in the Orioles? farm system. He burst onto the scene last summer, debuting with short-season Single-A Aberdeen before an August call-up to Single-A Frederick.
This year, he began at Frederick, compiling a 4-4 record with a 2.77 ERA in 14 games. Since being promoted to Double-A Bowie on June 21, Olson has gone 4-3 with a 3.10 ERA over 10 starts. Overall in 2006, Olson is 8-7 and averaging roughly one strikeout per inning.
Is it feasible that he could be seeing another promotion in the near future?
“Oh yeah,” said Bowie pitching coach and former Orioles left-hander Scott McGregor. “He?s definitely on the fast track.”
Despite being in just his second season in the Orioles? minor leagues, Olson has advanced stuff. His breaking ball is already of major league quality, according to some in the industry, and he commands an accurate, moving fastball like a veteran.
“Garret?s got a great curveball, a heavy sinking fastball and a good change-up, which he?ll use more in the big leagues than he has here,” McGregor said prior to Olson?s start Sunday against the Binghamton Mets. “He throws lots of strikes and goes right after people.”
The only Olson-related debate coming from the Bowie clubhouse is how to describe his knee-bending breaking ball.
“I call it a slider. They call it a curveball. It?s a slider. I don?t care what anybody says,” said Bowie manager Don Werner, a former big league catcher.
Regardless of what you want to call it, Olson?s breaking ball has been working.
David Stockstill, the Orioles? director of minor league operations, recently said that Olson could throw in the majors right now as a middle reliever.
“It?s probably a good way to break into the big leagues in [middle relief],” Werner said. “But I?m a bigfan of him being a starter.”
THE OLSON FILE
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 200
College: Cal-Poly
Did you know? Olson was drafted with the Orioles? sandwich pick, which was granted as compensation for the team?s failure to sign 2004 first-round pick Wade Townsend ? Was recognized as the Orioles? sixth-best prospect by Baseball America after the 2005 season.
