Rule 5 Draft Prospect Profile: Braeden Ogle
During the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates were stockpiling pitching talent, especially left-handed pitchers. Seven of their first 10 picks we're pitchers with three of those seven being left-handed. One of the top high school pitchers they signed that year was one of those left-handed pitchers, Braeden Ogle. Ogle came to the Pirates from Jensen Beach High School in Florida and has found success at every level he has pitched at so far. He made it as high as Advanced-A Bradenton in 2019 and has seemingly found a home as a middle-reliever in the Pirates system. It has allowed him to use his fastball more effectively and he can in turn use his breaking pitches better.
Even though there was not a 2020 Minor League season last year, Ogle still got the chance to show his stuff at the Pirates Minor League camp. While there, he showed off his high-powered fastball and was even getting consideration of being called to the Big League roster. However, it wasn't meant to be and Ogle remained at satellite camp. 2021 could see him go to Double-A Altoona and work as a middle relief guy in the Curve bullpen. However, he is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his career and is one of the top prospects on the market. If Pittsburgh wants to keep Ogle in their system, they have to decide if he is worth protecting or if they can hang him out there for others to see.
High School Ace to High Powered Bullpen
While at Jenson Beach High School, Ogle was one of the top pitchers not only in his high school but in the state of Florida. During his senior year, he threw 60.2 innings of work and allowed an opponent batting average of just .126 over 19 appearances. Even in high school, he went back and forth between starting and relief with six starts in those 19 games. This success caught the eyes of the Pittsburgh Pirates and they began to heavily scout the left-hander. At 6'2, 170 pounds he is an imposing figure and his fastball makes him that much more dangerous. The Pirates ended up taking him in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB Draft, and he was the first high school arm taken by the team.
After taking a few weeks to sign, Ogle got right to work pitching in the Gulf Coast Pirates' starting rotation. He made eight starts in Rookie Ball and went 0-2, but posted a 2.60 ERA over 27.2 innings of work. While he had virtually no run support, he posted good strikeout numbers setting down 18.8% of batters. His control was a little erratic and he had to deal with a lot of traffic on the base paths. However, if he wasn't walking batters, he was almost untouchable with an opponent batting average of just .188. While it was a short showing, it was enough to advance him to the Appalachian League in 2017.
He would remain in the starting rotation with the Bristol Pirates and saw similar numbers as he made 10 starts and went 2-3 with a 3.14 ERA. He doubled his workload from the year before working 43 innings and one of the biggest differences was the severe drop in walk rate. He dropped his walk rate by 2% to 8.6% and it helped raise his strikeout rate to 19% during the season. He wasn't blowing anybody away, but he was making steady progress and headed to Short-Season West Virginia in 2018. Ogle made just four starts with the Black Bears that season, before being shut down with Shoulder Inflammation on April 27th. He was posting some of the best numbers of his career before the injury, going a perfect 2-0 with a 2.65 ERA over 17 innings of work.
However, Ogle would be back and stronger than ever in 2019, as he moved to full-season ball in Low-A Greensboro. Looking to save his arm, the Pirates moved Ogle to the bullpen and he ended up thriving. He appeared in 20 games, making two starts, for the Grasshoppers, and went 1-2 with a 3.69 ERA. He was averaging more than a strikeout per inning for the first time in his career and walked a career-low 10 batters. He kept his opponent's batting average low at .237 but was pestered by the home run ball giving up six on the season. However, Ogle went from the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League to the pitcher-friendly Florida State League at the end of the year and pitched better in eight games going 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA. He is now looking to establish himself as a top relief prospect in Bradenton in 2021.
Ogle to the 40-man Roster
Out of all the pitchers eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this season, Ogle is one of the most likely to be protected. He is a good left-handed pitcher with a lot of upsides, and the Pirates seem to be very high on him. Given his success at Advanced-A Bradenton, and his work with the coaching staff last season, Ogle is turning into a professional pitcher. And, at just 23-years-old, Ogle still has time to develop into a Major League pitcher. With the ability to both start and appear out of the bullpen, the options are endless for Ogle, and if the Pirates don't protect him, it is an asset they risk losing.
As far as Ogle's projection for 2021, the Pirates will likely move him to Double-A Altoona after continuing his development in the satellite camp last year. He had success in the bullpen in 2019, but it is unclear if that is the path the Pirates will keep him on. Even though he is in the bullpen, he has still been working three or four innings at a time as a middle to long-relief option. With his shoulder fully recovered from the inflammation problems he suffered early in the year, Ogle could get back to starting this year. A good left-handed pitcher can be hard to come by, and the Pirates are hoping Ogle can develop into a dominant lefty who can help the Pirates in the future.
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