Mike Olt may become a good major league player. Or he may be another positional holder until another hot prospect makes the roster.
Olt hit .273 this spring with 5 HR and 12 RBI. But he also struck out 28.3 percent of the time. His has been bothered by a new shoulder issue that kept him at DH for the majority of camp. When he got to play third, he butchered two routine plays. The Cubs claim he is a plus defender, but his short time with the Rangers states the opposite.
Olt may be a prototypical corner basher: all hit, little field. He may be a Mark Reynolds type of player, who will homers but have a low BA.
The strike out ratio is a concern. The ghost of Brett Jackson, who had better minor league and spring stats the year he got called for his big league debut, still sticks in many fans' craws. Jackson was a total disappointment; it looked like he was overwhelmed with his opportunity - - - and the strike outs could not be corrected. The one time 5 tool prospect has been tumbling down the minor league ladder.
Olt was headed down the same path. A freak eye injury caused him to miss his chance to make the Rangers. Just three years ago, he was a prospect that Texas would not trade. Then, after the setback, Olt became part of the four player package to land Matt Garza as a rental pitcher. (Ranger GM Daniels recently stated that he may regret the trade as giving up too much for too little in return as Garza did not perform well.)
But in some ways, Olt making the team is a tangible notice to the fans from the front office that "hey, we can get good players in trades." Trust us. The toxic taint of Ian Stewart still sneaks up and burns us. Epstein and Hoyer want fans to like them and understand their moves. By making Olt the proforma starting third baseman, the front office is self-validating their work. Public review is next.
