Reese Olson: MLB's Unluckiest Pitcher To Bet On

Tigers starter Reese Olson is baseball’s unluckiest man. And, if you’ve been betting on him this season, that bad luck follows you.

Here’s why Olson has been such an unfortunate pitcher to back, and if he’ll find a few horseshoes and be worth betting on in the future:

How Is Reese Olson So Unlucky?

Reese Olson has been one of the Tigers' (and baseball’s) best pitchers this year. He has an ERA that ranks 11th among all qualified starters and a WHIP that ranks 23rd. For context, that's a lower ERA than Luis Castillo, Tyler Glasnow, and Max Fried — who all sit top five in their league’s respective Cy Young odds.

Despite all that, Olson has somehow been the fourth-least profitable pitcher in baseball.

The Tigers’ Offense Lets Him Down

The Tigers' offense isn't great by any means, ranking out 18th in runs scored and 20th in team OPS. But, the reason so many of their starting pitchers have been unprofitable this year is because that offense is even worse while the starters are in the game. Detroit's team OPS in the first six innings of contests drops to 26th in baseball (.660).

And with Olson, specifically, on the mound, things get even darker. The young Tigers starter has received 2.27 scores of run support in his 11 outings this year, good for the second-fewest of any pitcher in baseball with at least 10 starts.

With that offensive ineptitude, while Olson is in the game, the Tigers starter has been robbed of several wins. Six times this year he’s allowed one or fewer runs and left the game with a no-decision or loss.

Should You Back Olson Going Forward?

Simply put: yes. Olson is the exact type of starter I'm willing to back as his surface-level ERA/WHIP stats are backed up with a solid 3.20 FIP and 3.27 xERA. He's also got one of the best ground-ball rates in baseball.

But, an even bigger reason to get on the Olson train is the Tigers’ offense has been much better over the last month. They rank seventh in runs scored and ninth in team OPS in the last 30 days.

That hasn’t turned into much run support for Olson in that stretch, as he’s received just 2.4 runs of backing in the last month. But, I’m willing to bank that the Olson start luck will turn with the rest of Detroit’s lineup.

Other Unlucky MLB Starters

Olson isn't alone with the bad luck this year. Here are a few other MLB starters who deserve far better records and betting profit so far this season.

You can find complete pitcher profits here.