Re: Oswalt's velo


Josh Norris: We got low-90s and touching higher at times.

(The games I saw he was consistently registering 92 on MiLB's gun so I'm not sure where the 87 reports are coming from.)

Skyler Kanfer Baseball Prospectus

RHP COREY OSWALT
In what is overall a rather boring Double-A rotation for the Rumble Ponies, Oswalt stuck out perhaps as someone at least worth not completely ignoring (*Editor’s note: Here at BP Mets, we like to hedge our bets). And while he has posted decent results so far at the level, he hasn’t shown much yet in the way of stuff to justify the $475,000 signing bonus he received from the Mets in 2012. The converted third baseman has an ideal pitcher’s frame (listed at 6’5, 245 lbs.) and has a relatively clean delivery. However, his staff has not yet developed to an encouraging enough level. Oswalt throws a heavy diet of fastballs, mostly clocking in between 87 and 91 mph, and topping out at 92 mph in his most recent start. While, as our own Jeffrey Paternostro mentioned recently, Oswalt has thrown a bit harder than that in previous starts where the weather wasn’t in the high 40s, he doesn’t have great life on the pitch, regardless of velocity. Neither of his breaking pitches, an 84-86 mph slider and 77-80 mph curveball, stick out as plus pitches, although the slider is around average or slightly better. Despite the great frame, it’s hard to see a hittable high 80s to low 90s fastball, decent slider, and below average curveball playing well at a higher level. While Oswalt is still just 23, it’s hard to keep talking about him as a legitimate prospect, barring a velocity spike or other significant change to his repertoire.

He ignored my Thompson part of the question

That might tell you all you need to know.

Randy Milligan
Lute Barnes
Jeff Bettendorf
Tom Thurberg
Jackson Todd
Richard Bengston
Al Shirley
Alan Zinter
Lee May Jr
Kirk Presley