Reds' Olson masterful in professional debut
Ryan Olson, out of action for more than a year, envisioned this outing many times."Every day," the 22-year-old right-hander said. "Every day I was going to the complex to rehab, I was on a quest to get back out there and have my first appearance. It was definitely a grind,
Ryan Olson, out of action for more than a year, envisioned this outing many times.
"Every day," the 22-year-old right-hander said. "Every day I was going to the complex to rehab, I was on a quest to get back out there and have my first appearance. It was definitely a grind, and there were days I didn't know if I was ever going to get back out there. It was a long time coming, definitely."
Finally making his pro debut, the Reds prospect gave up two hits and struck out nine over seven innings Sunday, pitching Class A Dayton to a 6-0 win at Lake County.
Box score
Olson (1-0) suffered a stress fracture in his lower spine last year during his junior year at Cal Poly Pomona and had not pitched in a competitive game since March 12, 2016. But after working with the 2016 13th-round pick at the Reds' complex in Arizona over the last couple months, Dragons pitching coach Derrin Ebert had no doubt Olson would be ready to go when he got the ball.
"For his first professional outing, you can't ask for much more than that. We did so much in Spring Training, a lot of our pitchers were actually shocked at how much they threw in Spring Training," Ebert said. "Our whole organization got every one of our starters an extra start in Spring Training so that their pitch count could be 80-90. It was almost like he already had a couple starts under his belt, so the nerves kind of wore away at the end of Spring Training."
A little worn away or not, Olson's nerves were definitely present.
"I definitely had the jitters going, this being my first professional appearance, but once I was out there, I felt great," he said. "I was commanding the zone and I threw all of my pitches for strikes."
That came as a relief to Ebert after the Dragons struggled with command.
"The way we started off season, 14 walks the first three games, the no walks was much more important than the nine punchouts to me,'" he said. "And [Olson] got the strikeouts so quick, his pitch count stayed down. If a Minor League pitcher strikes out nine, he usually didn't go very long. Usually, when guys throw complete games in the Minors Leagues, they only have four or five strikeouts."
Olson wasn't especially proud of not issuing a walk because it's a goal every time out.
"That's what I try to do, not give out any free passes," he said. "I was fortunate enough to pound the zone and challenge the hitters."
That approach is a good match for Olson's stuff, his pitching coach believes.
"The kid commands three pitches and he can't throw the ball straight to save a soul," Ebert said. "Everything has action to it. I was just looking it over, and five of his nine strikeouts were three-pitch strikeouts.
"You could tell, this being A-ball, that he's a polished college pitcher. He attacked and front and back, and he changed speed. You could see [the Captains] getting more and more frustrated. They were trying to get something early, which was fine with him, because he's not afraid to pitch to contact."
The efficiency helped Olson stay fresh deep into the game.
"I was even signaling my guy in the stands with the radar gun, and his velocity was same in the seventh as it was in the first," Ebert said. "He was at 91, 92 [mph]. He sits there, but he primarily throws two-seamers with a lot of run and he's got a plus change up with the same action on it. And he was throwing breaking balls for strikes."

The Southern California native worked 1-2-3 innings in the second and third, then retired the last 11 batters he faced.
"I'll tell you what: being hurt for all that time, missing the college season, missing half that pro season, I was fired up," Olson said. "I felt like I showed everyone what I can do. It was a really good experience."
He enjoyed his debut so much, he wasn't ready for it to end.
"One thing I liked -- after he finished, he came back to me and said, 'Do I have any chance of talking you into letting me pitch the next inning?'" Ebert said. "I said, 'No, just enjoy it.'"
T.J. Friedl, the Reds' No. 16 prospect, was 3-for-5 with a triple, two RBIs and a run scored.
Josh Jackson is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow and interact with him on Twitter, @JoshJacksonMiLB.
8 of the best team matchups in Spring Breakout
After Spring Breakout's dynamic debut last year, the prospect showcase event returns in full force for 2025. All 30 Major League teams will field squads of top prospects to face off in 16 games from March 13-16 -- the Cubs and Nationals will play twice since there's an odd number
Fowler: A 19th-century baseball pioneer
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
Everything you need to know about prospects and Spring Training
This story was excerpted from MLB Pipeline's newsletter. Subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Arkansas-based Mariners affiliate to honor legacy of the Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine sounds like it could be the name of a baseball team playing in Arkansas' capital city, and for three nights during the 2025 season, it will be. The story behind the name transcends baseball, however. From Aug. 21-23, the Arkansas Travelers -- Seattle's Double-A affiliate --
MiLB podcast breaks down Spring Training storylines
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Leaf Peepers? Thunder Chickens?! Coming to the Minors this year
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Dodgers greats Newcombe and Campanella made history as Minors teammates
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
15 prospects primed for a bounceback season from injury
A lot of players will be getting a fresh start heading into the 2025 season. Prospects who missed significant time due to injury have had upwards of six months between regular-season games to return to health. Now they'll be looking to re-establish their value and maybe even reach new heights.
Check out the newest Minor League team logos for 2025
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Here are 18 prospects who also starred on the gridiron
The two-time defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs are set to meet the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, and plenty of baseball prospects will be keeping a close eye. After all, many current Minor Leaguers played football at a high level before committing fully to the diamond. No, there aren't any
Did you know the Superdome was once home to a Minor League team?
On Sunday, one of the world’s most-watched sporting events will take place at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Believe it or not, decades before Super Bowl LIX came to town, the same building was home to a Minor League Baseball team for one season. The 1977 Triple-A New Orleans Pelicans
How a Black pitcher's brief PCL stint in 1916 generated a historic card
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2010. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
The Show Before the Show: Episode 489
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minors legend Jones still holds batting record
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2008. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers. Grover "Deacon" Jones spent more than a half-century in baseball, serving the game at almost every level and in
Hooks have a new look -- and more -- on the line for 20th season
In advance of a milestone season at Whataburger Field, the Corpus Christi Hooks are making a change. The Houston Astros' Double-A affiliate unveiled new logos and uniforms on Friday evening, marking the first time they have significantly altered their look since debuting in 2005. According to Hooks general manager Brady
Here's how Jackie Robinson fueled Montreal to a Minor League title in 1946
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
They're due! MiLB's longest active title droughts
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
These players could earn teams extra Draft picks in 2025
Since the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) was implemented under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, four players have earned their clubs extra Draft picks. The PPI rewards teams for promoting their best prospects to the big leagues at the start of the season, enabling them to earn a Draft pick if
Each team's best non-Top 100 prospect
There just isn't enough room to fit all the worthy talents on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. We unveiled our latest rankings last Friday, and now we're going to spotlight the best prospect in each farm system who couldn't quite make the cut. We undertook the same exercise last
MiLB collaborates with Stand Up To Cancer
Minor League Baseball announced a new collaboration with Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C), an organization that funds the development of new and promising cancer treatments to help patients today. Founded in 2008, SU2C raises awareness and funds research to detect and treat cancers with the aspiration to cure all patients.
These are the best tools on the new Top 100 Prospects list
Players featured on last year’s edition of the best tools among Top 100 prospects should look familiar to even casual baseball fans at this point. Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes (best fastball, slider) took the Major Leagues by storm as the NL Rookie of the Year, thanks to his hard-throwing ways
Answering your Top 100 Prospects list questions
MLB Pipeline released its new Top 100 Prospects list on Friday, and it was met with a bevy of questions and comments about fans' favorite prospects. To help make sense of all the inquiries, Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo took to Reddit and responded to fan questions in a Top 100 Prospect-focused
Here are every organization's Top 100 prospects for 2025
MLB Pipeline’s 2025 Top 100 Prospects list went live on Friday night, led by the newest Dodger, right-hander Roki Sasaki, Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony and Twins outfielder Walker Jenkins. There’s a lot of offensive firepower throughout the list, beyond those two outfielders at the top, but while the bats
Check out MLB Pipeline's 2025 Top 100 Prospects list
He was one of the most sought-after talents this offseason, and he hadn’t even played stateside ball yet. Now, he can add another bullet point to his already lengthy baseball resume. Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki tops MLB Pipeline’s 2025 preseason ranking of the Top 100 prospects, followed by Red Sox
The Show Before the Show: Episode 488
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other