On Tuesday, Reese Olson will begin living the dream.
The former North Hall standout, who was the 395th overall pick in the 13th round of the MLB Draft last month, signed with the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday. Olson, a right-handed pitcher who had initially signed to play at Georgia Tech, inked the deal after he and the Brewers agreed on a $440,000 signing bonus that also included future money for college.
“They gave me a great offer from the start and after we worked out a couple of details I decided this was the right path,” Olson said. “There’s no guarantee of playing pro ball after college so I really felt like I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. But if things don’t work out they’ll also help me pay for college later.”
Olson, who holds the North Hall record for wins in a career (27-4), was instrumental in leading the Trojans to the 2017 Class 3A state title, the first-ever for the program.
Olson arrived in Phoenix, Ariz., on Sunday to work out the final details of the contract and said he will begin his professional career on Tuesday as part of the AZL Brewers Rookie League team based in the Phoenix area.
“I haven’t pitched since May so I’ll just be working with the coaches for the next two or three weeks to get in shape,” he said. “They drafted me as a starter so my goal is to be ready to get in a game around the beginning of August if not sooner. The season ends August 26 and then I’ll come home for a week or so and then head back out to Phoenix in September for the five-week Instructional League. Once that ends I’ll be off until heading to Spring Training next year."
Olson said there will be no regrets about bypassing the college experience.
“This is what you dream about as a kid. It’s exciting and I’m looking forward to it. I can’t wait to get started.”
