Position: LHP
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 215 lbs
Bats/Throws: L/L
Born: 07/30/1997
High School: Jensen Beach (FL) HS
Drafted: 4th round, 135th Overall, 2016 (Pirates)
How Acquired: Minor League Free Agent
Bonus: $800,000
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: Yes
Minor League Free Agency: 2023
Options Left: 3
Overview
The Pirates drafted Ogle in 2016 as a projectable prep lefty. He got a lot of attention when his velocity jumped to 96 early that season, but he eventually sat at 91-93. He dropped his curve for a slider while still in high school and was also working on a change when he was drafted. Ogle was rated 69th in the draft class by Baseball America and 83rd by MLB.com. He was committed to the University of Florida, but signed for $374,300 over the slot amount. By 2017, he was sitting in the mid-90s and the change had become his best secondary pitch. Ogle’s command has never been a strong point. The Pirates eventually traded him to the Phillies, then signed him after he became a minor league free agent.
2016-20
Ogle moved up gradually through the low minors, hampered by some control problems and by shoulder issues that eventually forced him to the bullpen. He pitched well in his debut in rookie ball, then in 2017 had an encouraging season as a starter in the Appalachian League. Opponents had just a .661 OPS against him at the latter level.
In 2018, Ogle opened the season in the West Virginia rotation. After four starts, he went on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation. He had repeated setbacks during his rehab and was never able to return. In 2019, he started the season in the Greensboro rotation, but after two starts the Pirates moved him to the bullpen, apparently out of concern over his workload and shoulder. He pitched well apart from some gopher ball problems. Those may have resulted from Greensboro’s HR-prone park, as five of the six he allowed came at home. The Pirates moved him up to Bradenton in late June, but he was shut down for almost six weeks at the beginning of July. He gave up three runs in his first game back, then finished the season with four perfect innings over three outings. Overall, he showed much better control and had no platoon split. He didn’t pitch in 2020.
2021-22
After the missed season, the Pirates sent Ogle to AAA. Apart from a 6.5 BB/9, he pitched well over the first four months of the season, entirely in relief. That included an 11.9 K/9. In July, the Pirates agreed to a trade with the Phillies in which they’d give up Tyler Anderson for catching prospect Abrahan Gutierrez and another player, but the trade fell through due to the other player’s physical. The Pirates then agreed to trade Ogle for Gutierrez. After the trade, things fell apart for Ogle in AAA with the Phillies. The control problems continued and he got hit very hard, including better than a home run every four innings. The Phillies sent him back to AAA in 2020 and he continued to struggle, although not nearly as much as he had late in the 2021 season. His walk and K rates were bad, at 5.3 and 6.1 per nine innings, respectively.
2023
After the 2022, season Ogle became a free agent and signed a minor league deal with the Pirates. He spent most of the season at Altoona and mostly struggled because he couldn’t throw strikes. He walked 7.6 per nine innings, leading to a 1.64 WHIP. He also walked eight in four innings for Indianapolis. He had one stint on the injured list and one on the development list.
Stats
Transactions
June 10, 2016: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 4th round, 135th overall pick; signed on June 20.
July 30, 2021: Traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Philadelphia Phillies for Abrahan Gutierrez.
November 10, 2022: Became a free agent.
February 22, 2022: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates.