Bailey Ober's Fastball Velocity Trending Down in Spring Training

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Minnesota Twins pitcher Bailey Ober has seen his average fastball velocity decrease in each of his last two spring training starts. After sitting around 90 mph in his first outing, Ober's fastball has averaged just 88.8 mph and 88.2 mph in his last two appearances, raising concerns about his ability to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 season.

Why it matters

With the Twins already dealing with the loss of starter Pablo Lopez for the season, the team needs Ober to regain his pre-2025 form when he averaged 91-92 mph on his fastball. The drop in velocity could make it difficult for Ober to be effective against regular season MLB lineups.

The details

In his first spring training start, Ober's average fastball velocity was just under 90 mph. However, in his next two outings, the velocity has steadily declined, sitting at 88.8 mph and then 88.2 mph. Ober has struggled to generate swings and misses, recording only three whiffs in his latest start, and he failed to strike out a single batter. His control has also been an issue, as he has as many walks (3) as strikeouts so far this spring.

• On March 6, Ober made his 2026 Grapefruit League debut, throwing 25 pitches over two perfect innings with an average fastball velocity just under 90 mph.
• On March 9, Ober's average fastball velocity dipped to 88.8 mph as he allowed a run on five hits and a walk over 2.2 innings.
• On March 17, Ober's average fastball velocity dropped further to 88.2 mph as he gave up one run on two hits and two walks over four innings, failing to record a strikeout.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Ober is scheduled to make one more spring training start, likely on Sunday or early next week, where the Twins will be hoping to see his fastball velocity tick back up towards his career norms.