Andy Oliver
| IP | 31 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 7.258 |
| WHIP | 1.871 |
| BB/9 | 6.097 |
| SO/9 | 6.677 |
- Full name Andrew Allen Oliver
- Born 12/03/1987 in Vermilion, OH
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Oklahoma State
- Debut 06/25/2010
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Drafted in the 2nd round (58th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2009 (signed for $1,495,000).
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Oliver starred with Oklahoma State and Team USA in 2008, but he didn't look like the same pitcher at the start of this season. He had trouble locating his fastball, lost a curveball that had been one of college baseball's best and was flying open in his delivery, allowing hitters to get a better look at his pitches. Oliver got back on a roll at the end of the season, pitching inside more and routinely dominating teams with his fastball. It sits at 92-94 mph and touches 95, and he has a slow delivery that lulls hitters to sleep before his heater explodes on them. He relies heavily on his fastball because he never regained his curve. He now employs a cutter/slider as his No. 2 pitch, and he also flashes an average changeup. His strong 6-foot-3, 212-pound frame bodes well for durability. If Oliver can't develop a reliable breaking ball, his fastball velocity and command should make him at worst an effective big league reliever. The NCAA suspended him last May for having an adviser/attorney, Tim Barratta, present during negotiations with the Twins in 2006, when they drafted him in the 17th round out of an Ohio high school. Barratta turned him into the NCAA after the pitcher switched to Scott Boras, but Oliver successfully sued the NCAA and was reinstated. Oliver shouldn't be a tough sign if he's drafted in the first round as expected.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Oliver sued the NCAA in 2008 after it suspended him for having an adviser while negotiating with the Twins when they drafted him out of high school. Reinstated after winning the lawsuit, he received a $750,000 settlement and signed with the Tigers for $1,495,000 as a second-round pick in 2009. Oliver saw time in the big leagues in 2010 and 2011, but spent 2012 exclusively at the Triple-A level. He had the worst year of his pro career and led the International League with 88 walks, after which Detroit traded him to Pittsburgh for catcher Ramon Cabrera during the Winter Meetings. Oliver still has a quality fastball that sits at 92-94 mph and tops out at 96. After alternating between a curveball and a slider in the past, he's focusing on a curve that still gets slurvy at times. He also throws an inconsistent changeup but mostly relies on his fastball and curve. Oliver has averaged 5.0 walks per nine innings in the minors, wildness that's attributed to him having static hands in his delivery, which leads to an inconsistent release point. The Tigers worked with him to get more rhythm and flow into his mechanics. Oliver went on the disabled list in the middle of the season with shoulder fatigue and mostly pitched out of the bullpen in the second half. Some scouts still believe he could develop into a mid-rotation starter. If he can't cut his walks down, his more likely destination is in the bullpen as a power-armed lefthanded reliever--though he hasn't shown a significant platoon advantage in that regard. -
Oliver sued the NCAA in 2008 after it suspended him for having an adviser while negotiating with the Twins when they drafted him out of high school. Reinstated after winning the lawsuit, he received a $750,000 settlement and signed for $1.495 million as a second-round pick in 2009. He has pitched in the majors in each of his two pro seasons, but hasn't shown the control or command to survive there. Oliver's best pitch is his 92-96 mph fastball, though his inability to command his heater is one of his biggest obstacles. He couldn't overpower big league hitters, who pounded him when he couldn't locate his fastball. He once had a plus curveball in college, but he now has a below-average slider that doesn't fool lefties. His changeup is inconsistent but shows flashes of becoming an average pitch. The Tigers haven't helped Oliver by rushing him to the big leagues before he was ready. He tinkered too much with his pitches after getting sent back down to Triple-A last June. Like Casey Crosby, Oliver is a power lefty who needs to throw more strikes Scouts seem more optimistic about Crosby's chances to do so. Without a reliable breaking ball, Oliver's bullpen utility might be limited, so Detroit would like him to figure out how to command his fastball and become an effective starter. -
The NCAA sued Oliver in 2008 for having an adviser during 2006 negotiations with the Twins, when they drafted him out of high school. Reinstated after receiving a $750,000 settlement, he went in the second round of the 2009 draft and signed for $1.495 million. Oliver made his major league debut 10 months after signing, but returned to the minors after five starts. Oliver has a loose arm that produces an electric 93-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96. While he threw mostly fastballs during his junior year at Oklahoma State, he worked hard to regain confidence in his secondary offerings. His changeup ranks ahead of his slider at this point, though both still need more consistency. His 81-85 mph slider has more vertical break than tilt. Oliver needs to sharpen his command and focus on keeping balls in the lower half of the strike zone. He cleaned up his delivery this year, keeping his hips closed longer and no longer landing on his heel. Oliver still needs more time in the minors. The Tigers want him to begin in Triple-A Toledo's rotation in 2011 and project him as an impact starter. -
The NCAA tried to make an example of Oliver in May 2008, suspending him for having an adviser present during negotiations with the Twins two years earlier, when they drafted him in the 17th round out of high school. Oliver sued the NCAA, was reinstated for the 2009 season and received a $750,000 settlement. He had an up and down junior season at Oklahoma State, but the Tigers loved his live left arm and gave him a $1.495 million bonus as a second-round pick. Oliver throws harder than most lefthanders, pitching at 92-94 mph and occasionally reaching the upper 90s. He throws strikes and gets average movement with his four-seam fastball, and Detroit is having him add a two-seamer and emphasizing pounding the bottom of the strike zone. He pitches with clean mechanics and an easy arm action. Part of the reason Oliver struggled last spring was that he was essentially operating with just one pitch, throwing 95 percent fastballs in some starts. He had shown a good curveball in the past but it was virtually non-existent. He also has a cutter/slider and a changeup, but he needs to throw them more to maximize his effectiveness. Oliver also has a few kinks to iron out in his delivery. He sometimes opens up too early and tends to land a little hard on his heel. The Tigers made some tweaks to help him use his strength and leverage more efficiently. If Oliver develops his secondary stuff, he has the potential to be a frontline starter. If not, he could wind up as a closer. After getting some experience in the Arizona Fall League, he could make his pro debut in high Class A.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Despite having never pitched professionally before this season, save for a brief stint in the Arizona Fall League, Oliver started 2010 in Double-A and got a late-June promotion to Detroit. He got hammered in the majors and got demoted to Toledo, where he finished the year on a positive note. At 90-95 mph, Oliver has plenty of fastball. He's working on his slider and changeup, both of which show promise but lack consistency. He's also trying to improve his control and command, and the amount of polish he can add will determine if his ultimate role is in the rotation or bullpen. "For Andy, it starts with fastball command," Toledo pitching coach A.J. Sager said. "But he has worked on secondary pitches, and I think in the last few starts that work started to show up." -
The Tigers haven't been shy about speeding pitchers through their farm system. Oliver made just 14 starts in Double-A before going to Detroit in June. He made five starts in the majors, losing four of them, before finishing the season with Triple-A Toledo. Oliver has a big league body and arm. His fastball sits at 90-95 mph and touches 96. He pitches off his fastball well and throws strikes with it, but he'll need to repeat his delivery better to improve his command. Oliver's changeup developed nicely during the year and was better than his slider. While one scout said Oliver showed the ability to spin a hard breaking ball, another thought he'd fit better as a lefty reliever in the Matt Thornton mold, living off his heater. "I picture him as a frontline guy as he commands his fastball better and as his secondary stuff becomes more consistent," Erie manager Phil Nevin said. "I think that's why he's in instructional league, to learn to repeat his delivery. I think he'll make those adjustments because he's got great makeup, he's a competitor and he's got an electric arm."
Top 100 Rankings
Scouting Reports
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Background: Oliver sued the NCAA in 2008 after it suspended him for having an adviser while negotiating with the Twins when they drafted him out of high school. Reinstated after winning the lawsuit, he received a $750,000 settlement and signed for $1.495 million as a second-rounder in 2009. He has pitched in the majors in each of his two pro seasons, but hasn't had the control to survive there. Scouting Report: Oliver's best pitch is his 92-96 mph fastball, though his inability to command his heater is one of his biggest obstacles. He couldn't overpower big league hitters, who pounded him when he couldn't locate his heater. He once had a plus curveball in college, but he now has a below-average slider. His changeup is inconsistent but flashes average. The Tigers haven't helped Oliver by rushing him to the big leagues before he was ready. He tinkered too much with his pitches after getting sent back down to Triple-A last June. The Future: Like Casey Crosby, Oliver is a power lefty who needs to throw more strikes Scouts seem more optimistic about Crosby's chances to do so. Without a reliable breaking ball, Oliver's bullpen utility might be limited, so Detroit would like him to figure out how to command his fastball and become an effective starter.
