Wyatt Olds 'had some learning experiences' when promoted to Worcester; Debuting new pitch and higher velocity
The 2023 season was a bit of a roller coaster ride for WooSox reliever Wyatt Olds.
After being drafted by the Red Sox in the 7th round of the 2021 MLB Draft, Olds entered the Red Sox organization as a starter where he immediately made 3 starts in Salem that year. When 2022 came around, the Oklahoma product made 26 combined starts between Greenville and Portland.
The 2023 season would be where things would change.
“I definitely did not see myself being here in Worcester,” Olds said of looking back. “Last year was definitely a roller coaster for me. I had a tough year and especially in the start of the year when I couldn’t find the zone. I went through a lot of struggles, but I feel that makes you a better player at the end of the day. You go out there a little more free because the worst things have already happened. I definitely wouldn’t have seen myself being in Triple-A at the end of 2023.”
Olds entered last season as a starter and struggled mightily to begin the season. He ultimately landed in the Portland bullpen where he would finish out the season before representing the Red Sox in the Arizona Fall League.
Fast forward to 2024, the right-hander earned a promotion to Triple-A Worcester where he is now just one step away from the majors.
“I had some learning experiences for sure with leaving balls over the middle of the plate,” Olds said of what Triple-A has been like. “It is a step up in talent level and that is a huge difference. The strike zone feels a little bit smaller as well, so I have been getting adjusted to that over the last few weeks. It is a more professional environment up here in Triple-A. It was a really tight knit group down in Portland. I am not saying that it isn’t that way here, but we had all played together for years down there through the system. It is a lot of moving parts and a lot of new faces for us to meet once we get up here in Worcester.”
A huge benefit to younger players that reach Triple-A is the access to guys that have years of MLB service time. Olds knows he is in a unique situation in which he shares a locker room with a few pitchers who have that experience.
“I just try to be a sponge and absorb all the knowledge I can,” Olds said of being around MLB veterans. “I was out the other day just listening to Greg Weissert and Brad Keller talk. I just try to stick around those kinds of guys. I hear a lot of it in the bullpen too so I am always just trying to be a sponge and learn as much as I can.”
With September right around the corner, Olds knows he has limited time to end the year on a high note.
“I just want to attack the zone and throw my stuff for strikes,” Olds said of his end of season goals. “My velocity has also been climbing up over the last month as well. I have been throwing a new pitch in my splitter, so getting that in the zone and being competitive with that is next step for me.”
