Mike Olt
| AB | 352 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .168 |
| OBP | .25 |
| SLG | .33 |
| HR | 16 |
- Full name Michael George Olt
- Born 08/27/1988 in New Haven, CT
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Connecticut
- Debut 08/02/2012
-
Drafted in the C-A round (49th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2010 (signed for $717,300).
View Draft Report
Olt followed his older brother Brad to UConn and made an immediate impact as the starting shortstop as a freshman, hitting 13 home runs and setting a school record with 61 RBIs. He ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the New England Collegiate League that summer but was hampered by a sprained ankle in 2009, when he also missed 22 games after being hit on the wrist by a pitch. Olt moved to third base as a sophomore, and his soft hands, smooth actions and strong arm will make him at least a solid-average defender there, and some scouts believe he has Gold Glove potential. He got off to a slow start offensively this spring, struggling against pitches on the outer half and breaking balls, but midway through the season he went to a narrower stance and worked to shorten up his swing. The adjustment paid off, and he was hitting .342/.407/.668 with 16 homers and 59 RBIs. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Olt has good leverage in his swing and above-average raw power, but his swing has holes and scouts still question his pitch recognition. His work ethic garners rave reviews, giving reason to hope he can become an average major league hitter. He's also a good athlete with fringe-average speed. Olt's stock was on the rise down the stretch, and he could be drafted as high as the second round.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
Olt led the Double-A Texas League with 28 home runs in 2012, playing in the Futures Game and making his major league debut with Texas. Injuries had slowed him in the past, such as a broken collarbone in 2011 and plantar fasciitis in 2012. But none of that prepared Olt for 2013, which was an unmitigated disaster. In November 2012, Olt was hit in the head by a Francisco Samuel pitch while playing for Licey in the Dominican League. He missed a week with a concussion but returned to the field and participated in big league camp in 2013, then opened the season with Triple-A Round Rock. He went on the disabled list with blurred vision in late April but seemed to return to normal in June and July, hitting 10 home runs in a 45-game stretch prior to being traded to the Cubs in the Matt Garza deal. He struggled mightily after the move as his vision issues persisted. Olt has changed prescriptions on his eye drops, which the Cubs hope will solve the problem. Concussions and beanings have felled many players in baseball's history, and the Cubs hope Olt doesn't join their ranks. Even when he's at his best, his swing tends to get uphill, making some scouts believe he'll have trouble tapping into his plus power while being a below-average hitter for average. Olt has the actions, arm strength and agility to be an above-average defender at third. If the 2012 version of Olt shows up, he could seize the everyday job in Chicago. -
The 49th overall pick in the 2010 draft, Olt raced to Texas in little more than two years despite missing half of the 2011 season after breaking his collarbone in a home-plate collision. He led the Double-A Texas League with 28 homers and a .579 slugging percentage in 2012 before being called up in August. Plantar fasciitis in his left foot kept him out of the lineup for most of September. With plus raw power and a strong hitting approach, Olt is a threat to go deep anytime he steps to the plate. He works deep counts and piles up both walks and strikeouts, so his average will settle in the .260-.270 range. Pitchers have had success exploiting the length in his swing by attacking him with high fastballs, and he continues to work to identify and stay back on breaking balls. Scouts say Olt is a joy to watch defensively, owing to his agility and ability to make throws from any angle. He's a well below-average runner. Like Profar, Olt has advanced rapidly thanks to his tools, work ethic and mental toughness. He's blocked in Texas by Adrian Beltre, so a shift to first base or an outfield corner could be in the works. A potential all-star, he could open 2013 in the big league lineup or get a couple of months in Triple-A. -
The fourth and final of Texas' selections in the 2010 draft, Olt was the lone college pick and viewed as a safer choice. Signed for $717,300, he quickly established himself as the best prospect of the bunch and might have won the high Class A Carolina League MVP award in his first full pro season if he hadn't broken his collarbone in a home-plate collision in June. He made up for lost time by hitting .349/.433/.764 in the Arizona Fall League. Olt offers the increasingly rare combination of plus righthanded power and plus defense at third base. Sturdy and physically mature, he has great bat speed and impressive raw thunder. He projects as an average hitter, as he occasionally gets out front and struggles with quality offspeed stuff. Despite his selective approach, he strikes out often, Initially a shortstop in college at Connecticut, Olt plays the hot corner with fluid actions and soft hands. He has a plus arm and while he's a below-average runner, he has good first-step quickness and average range. With Adrian Beltre signed through at least 2015, Olt likely won't break in with Texas at third base. He has the athleticism to play left field, and he could be used as a blue-chip trade commodity. He'll spend 2012 at Frisco, where he should post massive power numbers. -
After setting Connecticut career records with 44 home runs and 177 RBIs and leading the Huskies to the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 1994, Olt was the fourth of Texas' four picks before the second round of the 2010 draft. He signed for $717,300 and had a strong debut in the Northwest League, where he ranked as the No. 4 prospect. Midway through last spring, Olt went to a narrower stance that he said helped him see the ball better, but he took to a wider, more balanced set-up last summer. He has good leverage and generates above-average raw power, but a hitch in his swing causes his timing to get out of whack at times. He can get pull-happy and still must improve against good breaking balls. Olt began his college career as a shortstop, and his athleticism plays very well at the hot corner. He excels at making plays on slow rollers, and he owns smooth actions, soft hands and a plus arm. He's a slightly below-average runner. Scouts and coaches constantly laud his makeup and work ethic. Olt may never be better than an average hitter, but his power potential and defensive ability give him a chance to be a valuable everyday player. He figures to start 2011 at Hickory but could reach Myrtle Beach quickly.
Minor League Top Prospects
-
Olt drew attention with a powerful batting-practice display at the Futures Game in July, and by August he had been called up to the big leagues. He led the TL with 28 homers despite of leaving a month early, and also topped the league with a .579 slugging percentage. Olt is an average hitter, and he took a leap forward this year because of his increased power output from the right side. He doubled his home run total from 2011, partly because of more friendly ballparks in the TL but also because he showed more patience and put himself in better hitter's counts. A shortstop early in his college career at Connecticut, Olt has become an above-average defender at third base, with soft hands and above-average arm strength. He has good range even though he's a below-average runner. -
An injury was the only thing that could stop Olt. He was making a case for the league's MVP award when he snapped his collarbone in a home-plate collision on June 6. He missed two and a half months and struggled to regain his swing after he returned. Olt's selective approach at the plate enables him to get pitches he can drive, pulling them out of the park or driving them to the opposite-field gap. He'll need to make more contact to hit for a high average. A slightly below-average runner, he has the easy actions, quick hands and storng arm scouts want to see in a third baseman. "He reminded me of when I saw Evan Longoria in Double-A," Lynchburg manager Luis Salazar said. "He looks just like him. He's a tremendous athlete, he can pick it at third base and he's got good power to right-center field. This kid is a major league third baseman." -
Olt, 23, used the AFL season to make up for lost time after the righthanded hitter broke his collarbone in June and missed a significant part of the summer. He led the league in home runs (13), RBIs (43), total bases (81) and slugging percentage (.764), coming just short of tying AFL records in the first two categories. Olt projects to be a solid-average hitter with above-average power in the big leagues. He'll be at least an average defender at third base. -
At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Olt has more of a prototypical build for a third baseman than Gyorko and NWL observers often compared the two. He doesn't quite have Gyorko's pure hitting ability, but he does offer a little more power and can drive the ball out of the yard to all fields. Though Olt narrowed his stance halfway through his junior year at Connecticut, which he said helped him see the ball better and led to a second-half surge, he was more spread out in Spokane, which gave him a little better balance. Defensively, he has more lateral range than Gyorko, and while his hands are very good, they're not quite on par with Gyorko's. Olt has an above-average arm and fringy speed. "He's a nice looking player," Salem-Keizer manager Tom Trebelhorn said. "I don't know if he's going to have David Wright's power, but he's kind of like David Wright or Todd Zeile. Those are the guys that come to mind when I see him, somewhere between those two guys."
Top 100 Rankings
Best Tools List
- Rated Best Power Prospect in the Texas League in 2012
- Rated Best Power Hitter in the Texas Rangers in 2012
- Rated Best Defensive 3B in the Carolina League in 2011
- Rated Best Power Hitter in the Texas Rangers in 2011
Scouting Reports
-
Background: The 49th overall pick in the 2010 draft, Olt raced to Texas in little more than two years despite missing half of the 2011 season after breaking his collarbone in a home-plate collision. He led the Double-A Texas League with 28 homers and a .579 slugging percentage in 2012 before being called up in August. Plantar fasciitis in his left foot kept him out of the lineup for most of September. Scouting Report: With plus raw power and strong hitting approach, Olt is a threat to go deep anytime he steps to the plate. He works deep counts and piles up both walks and strikeouts, so his average will settle in the .260-.270 range. Pitchers have had success exploiting the length in his swing by attacking him with high fastballs, and he continues to work to identify and stay back on breaking balls. Scouts say Olt is a joy to watch defensively, owing to his agility and ability to make throws from any angle. He's a well below-average runner. The Future: Like Profar, Olt has advanced rapidly thanks to his tools, work ethic and mental toughness. He's blocked in Texas by Adrian Beltre, so a shift to first base or an outfield corner could be in the works. A potential all-star, he could open 2013 in the big league lineup or get a couple of months in Triple-A. -
Background: The fourth and final of Texas' selections in the first and sandwich rounds of the 2010 draft, Olt was the lone college pick. Signed for $717,300, he established himself as the best prospect of the bunch and might have won the high Class A Carolina League MVP award in his first full pro season if he hadn't broken his collarbone in a home-plate collision in June. He made up for lost time by hitting .349/.433/.764 in the Arizona Fall League.Scouting Report: Olt offers the increasingly rare combination of plus righthanded power and plus defense at third base. Sturdy and physically mature, he has great bat speed and impressive raw thunder. He projects as an average hitter, as he occasionally gets out front and struggles with quality offspeed stuff. Despite his selective approach, he strikes out often. Initially a shortstop in college at Connecticut, Olt plays the hot corner with fluid actions, soft hands and plus arm strength. While he's a below-average runner, he has good first-step quickness and average range.The Future: With Adrian Beltre signed through at least 2015, Olt likely won't break in with Texas at third base. He has the athleticism to play left field, and he could be used as a blue-chip trade commodity. He'll spend 2012 at Frisco. -
Olt, 23, used the AFL season to make up for lost time after the righthanded hitter broke his collarbone in June and missed a significant part of the summer. He led the league in home runs (13), RBIs (43), total bases (81) and slugging percentage (.764), coming just short of tying AFL records in the first two categories. Olt projects to be a solid-average hitter with above-average power in the big leagues. He'll be at least an average defender at third base.
