Braden Olthoff

A transfer from Palomar (Calif.) JC, Olthoff went 4-0, 0.32 with 47 strikeouts in 28 innings with just 12 hits and three walks in the abbreviated 2020 season. Olthoff couldn’t match that performance in 2021, but he posted a respectable 6-3, 3.78 mark as Tulane’s Friday starter. He struggled to maintain his stuff as the season wore on and his ERA rose by more than a run in his final four starts. Olthoff was sitting 87-90 mph in late-season starts, down from the 90-92 mph with which he began the season. His fastball has sink and run, especially when he’s throwing it down in the zone arm side. It pairs extremely well with his frisbee of a big-breaking slider. Olthoff loves to throw plus 78-81 mph sliders that break just off the plate, tantalizing hitters who think they are going to yank a hanging breaking ball, only to find that the pitch’s late break makes it nearly unhittable. Olthoff can pitch on the edges thanks to some of the best control in the draft class—he walked 1.27 batters per nine innings in 2021. Olthoff has an average changeup that he tries to pair with his fastball against lefties. He often seems like a throwback to a different time. In an era where pitchers try to explode off the mound, Olthoff takes a simple step, seemingly barely using his lower half. He eats innings and is durable. He’s likely going to need to add velocity to have long-term pro success, but if he does, his excellent feel and understanding of how his pitches play off of each other could make him a valuable starter.