Mike Olt -- the legend is growing!

[UConnSportsGuy]

Former UConn 3B Mike Olt is absolutely on fire. ESPN peri0dically ranks the Top 12 fantasy baseball prospects for 2012 that are currently in the minors. ESPN just released an updated list, and Mike Olt has made his debut on the list....at #6 (ahead of Trevor Bauer who is going to be an absolute stud in the majors soon). Olt is absolutely on fire in the minors and if it weren't for Beltre at 3B for the Rangers, he may already be in the MLB. Here is the blurb on Olt in the ESPN Insider piece:

http://insider.espn.go.com/fantasy/baseball/flb/story?page=top12prospects120608

6. Mike Olt, 3B, Texas Rangers (Last week: unranked)



Last week's stats (at Double-A Frisco): 10-for-22 (.455), 7 HR, 12 RBIs
Season totals: .311-18-48 , 3 SB in 55 games
Update: Arguably no prospect in baseball is as hot as Olt, whose hitting display included three consecutive two-homer games. The biggest question is where he fits in with Texas. He's certainly not going to usurp Adrian Beltre at the hot corner, and he hasn't been getting much time in at first base or left field.
What he can do: There are some holes in Olt's swing, as evidenced by his 63 strikeouts in 55 games. But he has more than enough power and patience to make up for what will be merely an acceptable batting average.





Last week he hit almost .500, had 7 HRs, and 12 RBIs....Wow! And he already has 18 HRs and 48 RBIs on the season. That is quite impressive!

I have a feeling that Olt may be the key piece to a deadline trade this year for the Rangers to pick up some pitching and Olt may make his MLB debut later this season for whoever he is traded to (the Cubs for Dempster or the Astros for Rodriguez???). Hopefully he just takes off from there and I can finally draft a UConn playe for my fantasy baseball team again (it has been since the 1990's with Charles Nagy)!

Very impressive for Mike Olt!!!!!

 

[huskymedic]

Nice update from Chip M @ NH Register:

MINOR LEAGUE NOTES: Branford native, UConn product Mike Olt raking in Rangers system- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut

http://nhregister.com/articles/2012/06/09/sports/doc4fd3afcb4d40c604537099.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Mike Olt has enjoyed his share of hot streaks over the years.

There was the time in 2007 he batted nearly .700 in the New England Regional, including hitting for the cycle in championship game, to lead Branford to the American Legion World Series.

As a junior at UConn, he had nine consecutive hits in a doubleheader sweep of Rutgers. Later that spring he hit two homers and drove in eight runs in an NCAA tournament game, setting the school single-season home run mark (23) in the process.

Impressive. But child’s play compared to his most recent exploits.

“I’ve never been through anything like this,” Olt said Friday from San Antonio, where he looked to continue his assault on Texas League pitchers through the weekend.

Since late May, Olt has put up numbers straight out of a video game. Even more remarkable is the fact that it’s his first season in the upper minors, where he plays third base with the Double-A Frisco (Texas) RoughRiders.

Over the last 10 games, he’s hitting .447 with eight home runs and 17 RBIs. That includes a stretch of three straight two-homer games last weekend, and another bomb on Wednesday to give him seven in five games.

“These first couple of months has been a learning experience,” Olt said. “I’m really just trying not to do too much, to stay relaxed and let the game come to me.”

Olt might be relaxed, but opposing pitchers are counting the days until he’s promoted to Triple-A, which, given his current numbers, could be soon.

Olt, a sandwich pick by the Texas Rangers and the 49th overall selection out of UConn in the 2010 draft, leads all Double-A hitters with 18 home runs. Only Triple-A Omaha outfielder Wil Myers (21) has more among minor leaguers. Olt is also leading the Texas League in slugging percentage (.642) and is second in RBIs (48) while batting a robust .311.

It’s the continuation of a run that began in the Arizona Fall League. Olt missed most of last summer with a broken collar bone, but made up for lost time by leading the prestigious league in home runs — his 13 more than doubled Bryce Harper’s 6 — and RBIs (43) while batting .349.

His spring training assignment included a long stint with the big club, where he observed the likes of Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre on a daily basis before his reassignment to Double-A.

One dilemma that Texas will soon face is finding him a spot. The club signed Beltre to a long-term deal as its third baseman in 2011. One solution is to move Olt to first base, an option the team is considering, though Olt has only played five games there thus far.

“Right now, my main focus is on playing third base,” Olt said. “It’s nice to get over there (at first base) a few times to get my feet wet, and I like the fact that they’re willing to put me in other positions. I’ll do whatever they ask me to do.”

 

[huskyblooz]

Olt hit a grand slam last night!

Barnes pitched a complete game shutout! Minor league double-headers are only 7 innings, but so what! he lowered his ERA on the year to 0.93!