Chris Oliver

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #66 prospect in 2014 draft
  With a glut of Friday night arms to see in a pitcher-heavy draft, scouts have often flocked to see Oliver pitch on Sundays for Arkansas. He was a 27th-round pick out of high school in 2011 by the Orioles and legendary late scout Larry Chase, then pitched sparingly his first two seasons for Arkansas, logging just 36 innings. He earned a weekend rotation spot this year with flashes of brilliance, such as eight shutout innings and 10 strikeouts against South Carolina, around stretches of inconsistency. Oliver has an electric arm, having sat in the 94-97 mph range with his fastball in relief outings in the past. His lanky 6-foot-4, 180-pound frame could stand to add strength, as he often sits 92-94 mph as a starter before losing velocity and falling into the upper 80s. Oliver's slider flashes plus as well, and he's learned to incorporate an improved changeup that flashes average. His lack of mound time shows when he gets out of whack mechanically, as he's not experienced enough to make adjustments himself. Oliver is a low-mileage SEC arm with upside, though some evaluators go in and just see a future reliever. A team could take him and try to start him as early as the second round.