Roy Oswalt

Former Astros ace and 2005 NLCS MVP.

Roy Edward Oswalt (born August 29, 1977) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Oswalt played for the majority of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Houston Astros. He also played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, and Colorado Rockies.

Quick Facts

Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right
Born: 29 August 1977
Birthplace: Weir, Mississippi, U.S.
Debut league: MLB
Debut date: May 6
Debut year: 2001
Debut team: Houston Astros

Lore & Background

Oswalt was selected by the Astros in the 1996 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with Houston in 2001, finishing his rookie season with a win–loss record of 14–3. Oswalt was a back-to-back 20-game winner in 2004 and 2005. He helped lead the Astros to their first World Series appearance in 2005, and was named Most Valuable Player of the 2005 National League Championship Series. When Oswalt left the Astros in 2010, both his wins (143) and strikeouts totals (1,593) ranked second in franchise history to Joe Niekro (144) and Nolan Ryan (1,866), respectively. Oswalt was a three-time All-Star, selected from 2005 to 2007.

Reader's Guide

Oswalt was born and raised in Weir, Mississippi. He attended Holmes Community College and was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 23rd round of the 1996 MLB draft. He signed with the club on May 18, 1997, for a $500,000 signing bonus. Oswalt played minor league baseball for the Gulf Coast Astros, Auburn Doubledays, Michigan Battle Cats, Kissimmee Cobras, and Round Rock Express. He also played for the U.S. Olympic baseball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics, winning a gold medal. Oswalt made his MLB debut on May 6, 2001, and pitched for the Astros through 2010.

Did You Know?

Oswalt was the latest-drafted player to lead his draft class in career Baseball-Reference Wins Above Replacement.
He once received an electric shock from his truck that he claimed cured his shoulder pain.
Oswalt struck out 15 batters in his first start with the Round Rock Express, prompting manager Jackie Moore to tear up his round-trip ticket.
He finished second in voting for National League Rookie of the Year in 2001, losing unanimously to Albert Pujols.