ON Top 50 Prospects 2013 – #41: Oliver Drake

[Jordan Tuwiner]

http://orioles-nation.com/2012/11/26/to ... ver-drake/

Most teams didn’t know Oliver Drake was draft eligible coming out of Navy, but the Orioles did. Baltimore awarded drake a $100,000 bonus as a 43rd round pick and he was immediately thought of as a steal.

Drake progressed through the minors nicely and pitched well at each stop, but a shoulder injury which required surgery halted his progression in 2012. He had been placed on the Orioles' 40-man roster prior to 2012 but was recently removed to make room for Jonathan Schoop and Mike Belfiore.

2013 Top 50 List
41. Oliver Drake
42. Hector Veloz
43. Wynston Sawyer
44. Matt Bywater
45. Ryan Berry
46. Tyler Kelly
47. Zach Clark
48. Mychal Givens
49. Ashur Tolliver
50. Brady Wager

[ofahn]

Because of his age and development level he really needs to be considered as ONLY a RP at this point. Allowing him to focus on just two pitches should make him ML ready not long after he's full go from his rehab IF we don't lose him in the Rule 5 Draft.

[Jordan Tuwiner]

Because of his age and development level he really needs to be considered as ONLY a RP at this point. Allowing him to focus on just two pitches should make him ML ready not long after he's full go from his rehab IF we don't lose him in the Rule 5 Draft.

That's true. It's not guarantee he's not selected.

I'm really curious to see where his velocity is this spring.

[Old Sneakers]

My guess is we know a great deal when we learn three things: When he plays. His velocity. Lastly what level he starts out in 2013.

Until then he's another unknown. Prior to injury though it looked like we really had something.