Minnesota Twins: Appreciating Bailey Ober’s season
There haven’t been many bright spots this season, but Bailey Ober has provided a glimmer of hope for the future Minnesota Twins starting rotation.
The current starting rotation looks completely different from what it was at the beginning of the season. For one, Ober was not even on the opening day’s roster – not making his first start until May 18. For the most part, you can make the case that he’s been one of the few consistent players this season.
Ober made eight starts before the All-Star break and was too inconsistent. The start of his rookie season wasn’t an easy task, facing the division-leading Chicago White Sox.
In that first game, the 6-foot-9 right-handed pitcher was beaten up a bit. In four innings, he gave up four earned runs and two home runs.
Eventually, he made his next appearance on June 6 against the Kansas City Royals after a few starts at Triple-A. It wasn’t until the All-Star break did he start showing some consistency.
Here’s a look at Ober’s first and second half numbers:
- 8 G, 1-1, 5.45 ERA, 33.0 IP, 34 H, 20 ER, 11 BB, 37 SO, 9 HR, .264 AVG, 1.36 WHIP
- 9 G, 1-1, 2.96 ERA, 45.2 IP, 45 H, 15 ER, 6 BB, 44 SO, 7 HR, .259 AVG, 1.12 WHIP
One noticeable difference has been the number of innings pitched. Minnesota likes to pull their starting pitchers earlier than they need to, even if that player is dealing on the mound. Sometimes it’s justifiable because he hasn’t pitched over 100 innings before, and there wasn’t a minor league season last year. But if he’s healthy and looks good, then it makes more sense to keep him in the game.
Ober’s limited inning total is another reason he’s only 2-2 after 17 games. A pitcher is only eligible for a win if they’re able to go five or more innings.
In nine games, he’s drastically dropped his ERA and WHIP.
An important step in his development was increasing his velocity. Ober had success in the minors, but pitching at the majors is a different ball game. The 26-year-old has steadily increased his velocity throughout the season.
The faster his fastball becomes, the more lethal he’ll be on the mound. At 6-foot-9, Ober is able to release his pitch closer to the plate, thus resulting in some deception for other hitters.
Ober relies heavily on his fastball, throwing it 58.8 percent of the time. His next closest pitch is his slider (18.1 percent), followed by the changeup and curveball. Having four pitches in his repertoire is important because it’ll allow him to face the lineup multiple times.
Because he doesn’t throw with as much velocity, Ober is a victim of a lot of hard-hit balls. He ranks poorly in a lot of categories amongst the 2021 MLB percentile rankings.
Where he’s been well above average is his walk rate (90th), and getting batters to chase pitches (83rd).
Each start, he looks more and more like someone who isn’t a rookie. Maturity on the mound is key to anyone’s development because it allows them to not get too complacent in tough times.
Ober has played himself into the Twins starting rotation plans next season. A lot of what the rotation looks like hinders on his development and Minnesota’s aggressiveness in the offseason. For now, the Twins have a rookie pitcher who will be a part of the long-term plan for many years to come.
