Ever since Roy Oswalt came off the DL there has been a lot of talk about whether he is still our number four, whether he deserves a spot in the rotation in the playoffs, if he could move to the bullpen and most importantly if he would ever be the old Roy Oswalt again.
Most fans, myself included, felt pretty sure that we knew the answers. Oswalt's starts after the DL stint were certainly not what was expected. His sore back still seemed to hamper him and his fastball velocity had dipped so much so that opposing hitters were smashing the ball around with almost ease. Immediately people began to panic and that is when a wave of Worley supporters arose. With the season winding down and Oswalt still struggling, people started to think realistically about the Phillies best chance in the playoffs and for most it wasn't Oswalt.
Oswalt was not making his case to be the fourth starter but conversely Worley was doing everything he could to prove to the Phils he is deserving of it. Worley, who has been solid all year, has been in his past few starts very good. He continues to pick up wins, strike outs and quality starts, all of which are important in the playoffs. Worley has even managed to avoid landing on the DL himself despite being hit both on the mound and in the dug out by baseballs. He is younger and therefore a little more durable than Oswalt.
For most Philly fans, Worley is a reminder of Kyle Kendrick who had a phenomenal rookie campaign only to struggle in the years since. He is also a reminder of J.A. Happ who if not for Mike Stanton would have won the rookie of the year award in 2009. Happ's fate with the Phillies also did not have a happy ending as he was traded to help acquire the pitcher who this blog is about, Roy Oswalt.
Now Phillies fans are hoping that Worley does not suffer fates similar to Kendrick or Happ but it is clear that as a rookie he has a lot to prove. He has performed better than expected for a Phillies team that has the best starting pitching staff in all of baseball. When given the chance to start he came in, unphased and acted like he wasn't a rookie among greats but rather that he was starting in a rotation where he believed he belonged. It wasn't soon before long that he earned that spot and the respect of the Phillies team and organization. They loved him so much that although his name came up in August trade rumors, he stayed put and stayed as the fifth starter.
Worley is a big part of why the Phillies have 91 wins. The team is 16-2 in his 18 starts and Worley himself is 11-1 and pushing for the NL Rookie of the Year. Despite all this however, I still think the Phillies would be wise to give the fourth starting nod to veteran, Roy Oswalt.
Although Oswalt has struggled since coming off of the DL he is getting better start by start. When everyone was saying Worley deserved the postseason nod, Oswalt stepped it up and pitched seven innings of 2 hit, 2 run ball. It wasn't those numbers however that are a good sign for Oswalt but rather his pitch location and speed. Tonight he was able to throw all of his pitches well and locate them to keep the Braves from hitting them. Most importantly however, his fastball velocity was between 91-94 all night. For Oswalt this is a very good speed.
Oswalt also has one thing that Worley doesn't and that is postseason experience. Now experience isn't everything but when it is coming from a former World Series MVP it is good to have. Oswalt seems to turn on a new gear in September and October. He has the best winning percentage of current pitchers in these months being a little above 64% and is 5-1 in his postseason starts.
After tonight's good start by Oswalt I have to give him the nod. Although Worley would be able to give more innings, Oswalt has the experience and veteran guile to win games and to keep the Phillies competitive throughout the playoffs. He can also play left field in a pinch. (Of course I had to put that in there!) Because of the injury he does not have as many innings pitched so he will be pretty fresh going into the playoffs and he is finally pitching up to par now that the injury appears to be totally behind him. Following Halladay, Lee and Hamels, Oswalt makes perfect sense as number four and I believe he deserves and has earned the job.
With Oswalt joining the three headed monster that is Halladay, Lee and Hamels, the Phillies four aces are back in business. As the season began this was the marquee and with the playoffs coming and all of the aces healthy it could be the story of a postseason that Phillies fans may never forget.
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