Toronto Blue Jays: Osuna youngest to record 30 save season
For Toronto Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna, becoming the youngest closer to 100 career saves should now be a realistic goal.
Ice water in his veins. Cool as a cucumber. Or cool, calm and collected — these are just a few idioms you’ll hear to describe a professional athlete who composes themselves well in high pressure situations.
For baseball players, scenarios like this come about most often when a closer steps foot on the mound in a tight game. For 21-year-old Toronto Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna, a demeanor on the mound years ahead of his age has given him the distinction of being the youngest pitcher in MLB history to record 30 saves in a single season.
He has some pretty good stuff, too.
The Sinaloa, Mexico native emerged for the first time in his present role early in the 2015 season after names like Miguel Castro (now in Colorado) and Brett Cecil faltered before him. At only 20, Osuna was thrust into the high profile role because of his filthy slider and a four-seam fastball that has been known to touch 99 mph.
While he’s paving out a pretty nice career early on as a lights out closer, there’s no guarantee his role is set in stone moving forward. Given his age and the fact Osuna also throws a pretty good changeup as well as a cut fastball and two-seam fastball, he could be groomed into a front end rotation arm somewhere down the line.
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But for now, Toronto has to be pretty happy with what they have. Having reached the 30 saves in a season, Osuna likely would have more if it weren’t for the Blue Jays monitoring their young arms closely. Five other Jays pitchers have combined to record seven more saves this year not to Osuna’s credit. His 20 from last year and 30 this season give him 50 total for his career.
The youngest pitcher ever to 100 career saves was Francisco Rodriguez, who completed the feat after his 24th birthday while with the Angels. K-Rod recorded his 41st save of the 2006 season almost a decade ago (Sept. 10) against, ironically, the Blue Jays, giving him 100 collectively at the time.
If Osuna remains the Jays’ closer, he should surpass that mark easily, as he won’t celebrate his 24th birthday until close to spring training of the 2019 season. Toronto has him under contract through the 2020 season, so it will be interesting to see what they do with their young superstar.
On the season now, Osuna owns a 2.44 ERA and has converted 30 saves in 33 opportunities. He could approach 40 by the time October rolls around with his ball club being involved in a pretty heated AL East pennant race for the time being.
As well, all the other numbers line up well for Osuna with regards to his advanced composure. His 11.1 K/9 and 6.64 K:BB ratios are both improvements from last season’s numbers and this year he’s holding opponents to a .161 BAA when there are two outs and RISP.
The Toronto Blue Jays have been back and forth with Boston the last couple days for top spot in the AL East. Assuming they win a second straight division title or claim a wild card spot, the club can rest easy knowing Roberto Osuna is their ninth inning guy.
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In the 2015 postseason, a then 20-year-old Osuna produced a 2.16 ERA in seven appearances and 8.1 innings pitched. Not bad numbers at all for a kid who could otherwise be entering his senior year of university.