July 12, 2021 at 4:19 PM
Red Sox select Wyatt Olds with seventh-round pick
A third-year sophomore, Olds was the No. 2 high school player out of Oklahoma in the Class of 2018, according to Perfect Game, and was also listed as a middle infielder, though he appeared exclusively as a pitcher in college. He bats and throws right-handed.
He pitched in 19 games for the Sooners in 2021, starting 11 of them. He had a cold start to the season out of the rotation and did not get his ERA permanently below 6.00 until his appearance April 30 against Oklahoma State. He finished with a 5.23 ERA and a .233 batting average against, performing more effectively after he returned to the bullpen. He was also selected to the Big 12 All-Freshman team in 2019.
His low arm slot helps him miss bats, according to Baseball America, but his long arm action and delivery that he struggles to repeat reduces his control, especially during his starts. His fastball sits at 93-96 out of the bullpen and it has touched as high as 97 mph. Olds is likely to remain in the bullpen as a professional, which will allow his intriguing fastball/slider combination to play up in shorter outings. His third pitch as a starter was a change-up, which Baseball America graded as below-average.
Photo Credit: Wyatt Olds by the University of Oklahoma Sooners