1 Flaw That Could Hinder Minnesota Twins' Bailey Ober

TL;DR

Bailey Ober of the Minnesota Twins achieved a complete-game shutout against the Miami Marlins, improving his record to 4-2 with a 3.46 ERA. However, concerns arise over his low fastball velocity, averaging 88.6 mph compared to the MLB average of 95.1 mph.

Key points

Bailey Ober pitched a complete-game shutout against the Miami Marlins.
He has a record of 4-2 and a 3.46 ERA over nine starts.
Ober's fastball velocity is 88.6 mph, below the MLB average of 95.1 mph.

Minnesota TwinsMiami MarlinsBailey Ober

1 Flaw That Could Hinder Minnesota Twins' Bailey Ober

The Minnesota Twins didn't just beat the Miami Marlins 3-0 on Tuesday; they did so in exciting fashion. Specifically, starting pitcher Bailey Ober built on a solid 2026 campaign with a complete-game shutout, logging seven strikeouts against no walks with two hits allowed.

The 30-year-old is now 4-2 with a 3.46 ERA over nine starts after going 6-9 with a 5.10 ERA over 27 starts last year. While he has bounced back thus far, it's fair to wonder how long it'll last given his lack of velocity.

Ober's four-seam fastball is averaging a velocity of 88.6 miles per hour, while the MLB average for right-handers this year is 95.1, via Baseball Savant. The 6-foot-9, 260-pounder explained how he has succeeded despite that disparity, via The Athletic's Dan Hayes.

“It’s just pitching,” Ober said. “The lost art of pitching. People are trying to throw as hard as they can all the time. Right now, I don’t have my best velo. But being able to mix off-speed and get it to my locations that I want to throw it to, getting the changeup down, and when needed, throw some fastballs up and in, and try to get guys off balance, that’s the name of the game. Especially if you look over the last 20 years.”