Adam Oller is a mighty interesting Mets minor league pitcher.
Ask 100 average Mets fans a few months ago if they had ever heard of him, and it is doubtful that even one fan would have.
Drafted in the 20th round in 2016 by Pittsburgh, he didn't pitch well, except in NY Penn League rookie ball in 2017, when he was 5-3, 1.59 ERA, mostly in relief.
In the minors in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020, he was mediocre to...well...lousy.
So...he almost retired, but tried Indy Ball briefly as a last-ditch effort and got enough attention for the Mets to decide to pick him up.
What could it hurt? The Mets needed lots of functional minor league pitchers.
Even after the Mets picked him up, he was mediocre, for a while, anyway...
Until July 15, when he threw 7 AA innings and allowed 3 runs while fanning 7.
That game was Oller turning the corner.
Since then, he did his best impression of a major league ace.
Take out one start where he was touched up in the 5th inning and gave up 5 runs in that start, in his other starts, what he's done in AA and AAA has been incredible.
Don't believe me, look at his stats.
I watched some video clips of him (that can also be found on his MILB stats page - take a look for yourself), and to me he looked savvy and sharp. Nice FB, nice change, nice breaking stuff.
He burst out of anonymity on September 27 by winning Mets Minors Pitcher of the Year!
JT Ginn and Eric Orze pitched well, too, as did Josh Walker, but Oller collared the award. I'll bet Oller hollered, too.
His last start, on September 30, was also pretty solid, as he allowed 3 runs while in the game during his 5.2 innings pitched. This and one other start against a very hard-hitting Buffalo team were his only so-so AAA starts. Not bad ones...just so-so.
2022 is another season to come, and if you're Adam Oller, what you did in 2021 only truly counts if you can replicate 2021 in 2022.
If Oller can do that, this seemingly out-of-nowhere starting pitcher might just find himself pitching as a starter and/or reliever for the 2022 Mets.
A pitcher that 100 out of 100 Mets fans will then have heard about.
In 2022, I would not be surprised if Mets fans Holler for Oller.
There are plenty of guys we can have doubts about, and they prove us wrong.
Collin McHugh, for one.
He was 0-5, 8.26 ERA as a Met in 2012-13. Since then, he is 64-39, mid 3’s ERA, and in both 2018 and 2021, had an ERA under 2.00. REMARKABLE, HUH?
Or Chris Flexen, who looked like toast - but in 2021, pitched like filet mignon.
The past does not have to dictate the future, for McHugh…or for Felexen...or for a guy named Adam Oller.
I love underdogs. Tylor Megill in 2021, for instance. He sure out pitched Jake deGrom in the 2nd half, huh?
Hopefully, Oller goes from Big Underdog in 2021 to Big Dog in 2022.
With the NY Mets.
So we can all...HOLLER FOR OLLER!
10 comments:
Tom
I forwarded this to Adam, Tommy Tanous, and Mr. Cohen.
Great, Mack...thanks
Adam is Rule 5 Eligible again this year. If the Mets don't add him to their 40 man roster, someone else will.
Why are we all always thinking that they won't do the right thing here. Guys any info on Garrison Bryant?
Adam liked and re-tweeted your post
Great on Adam, Mack. He was a high performer and deserves kudos. I love it when under-achiever, off-the-radar types out-perform virtually all of the "name" prospects. It is one of the beauties of baseball.
Gary, John posted the Arizona Fall League results last night, with a few video clips of Bryand "bringing the heat". He looked great.
And yes, I would love to see Oller continue defying the odds and make the Mets rotation in 2022, either on the opening roster or as needed in 2022. And to continue defying the odds by becoming a successful major leaguer. Remember Rick Reed, anyone? All some guys need is an opportunity.
John, you add him to the 40 man or trade him ahead of time. Many teams (like pitching starved Baltimore) would love to grab a guy like Oller. But we should keep him.
Minor league success does not always result in doing well in the bigs.
Ray, that’s the beauty of baseball.
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