Riding impressive quality start streak, Bailey Ober is becoming an ace for the Twins

Ober is the first Twins pitcher in a decade with eight consecutive quality starts.

Jul 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Bailey Ober (17) delivers a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning at Target Field. / Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Bailey Ober's seven innings of two-run ball in the Twins' win over the White Sox on Saturday night marked his eighth consecutive quality start (defined as an outing of at least 6 innings pitched with 3 or fewer earned runs allowed). He's Minnesota's first pitcher to do that since Phil Hughes in 2014. If Ober can extend the streak to nine in a critical series opener against the Guardians on Friday, he'll be the first Twins pitcher since Nick Blackburn in 2009 to reach that number.

The last time Ober didn't record a quality start came back on June 9 in Pittsburgh. Because of an ugly season debut (1.1 IP, 8 ER against the Royals) and a poor stretch from mid-May to early June, his ERA sat at 5.13 after that game against the Pirates. Since then, he's posted a 1.95 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, and 63 strikeouts in 55.1 innings over his last eight games. Opponents are hitting .158 against him in that span.

— June 16 vs. OAK: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
— June 22 at OAK: 9.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K
— June 28 at SEA: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
— July 4 vs. DET: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
— July 10 at CHW: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
— July 22 vs. PHI: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
— July 28 at DET: 8.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K
— August 3 vs. CHW: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Ober's season ERA is down to 3.69, which isn't far off from the 3.43 number he posted last season. The 29-year-old has been extremely consistent for the Twins over the past few years, but this recent stretch has seen him reach new heights. Although it's worth noting that the Phillies are the only good offense he's faced in this eight-start stretch, that shouldn't take away from how effective he's been.

"(Ober) just always executes,” manager Rocco Baldelli said on Saturday, via MLB.com. "It feels like he's just always executing in the sixth inning, the seventh inning in these games, as well as he is in the second and the third. That's not typical. That's not what most guys do. That's what the good pitchers do and the guys that have sustained success for a long time."

Twins pitcher Bailey Ober is on a roll right now. / MLB Network

Originally a 12th-round pick out of College of Charleston in 2017, Ober's development into ace-level pitcher has been remarkable. His strong box score stats are marred by a couple rough outings against the Royals; he has a 19.89 ERA against Kansas City and a 2.80 ERA against everyone else. Ober also has very strong expected stats despite a fastball that averages just 91.9 miles per hour. One of the biggest players in the league at 6'9" and 260 pounds, he has elite extension and complements his fastball with one of the best changeups in baseball. He also works in a cutter and a slider to miss bats.

"He's been dominant," MLB Network's Mark DeRosa said in a recent segment. "No one's talking about him at all. He's got a dirty changeup, he's got the ability to drive 92, 93 (mph) past you, top of the zone. He obviously creates a tough angle and some deception there."

The Twins are going to continue to lean on Ober, Pablo Lopez, and Joe Ryan as the anchors of their rotation as they pursue a playoff spot in the American League. If he keeps this up, Ober could even potentially be in the mix to take the ball for game one of a postseason series in October.