MLB: The Best Young Closers to Watch in 2017
By Tim Boyle
It’s hard to believe that the 2017 season will already mark Roberto Osuna’s third year in the big leagues. He will pitch this upcoming year for the Toronto Blue Jays as a fresh 22-year-old. As he does, we should expect much of the same.
Similar to Diaz, Osuna got his chance to earn the closer’s job in Toronto because of need. Brett Cecil wasn’t cutting it so the Blue Jays decided to give the kid a chance. He was amazing as the closer with a 2.58 ERA and 20 saves to show for it throughout 2015.
Osuna proved his rookie campaign was more than a fluke. He got to stick as the Blue Jays’ closer for all of 2016 where he, again, pitched incredibly well. Osuna finished his sophomore season with a 2.68 ERA and 36 saves for the Blue Jays.
Maybe the most exciting aspect of Osuna is his postseason performance. Thus far in his young career, Osuna has been very good when pitching in the playoffs. He has a 1.04 ERA in his 17.1 innings. His two saves are more due to the circumstances in which he pitched. Surely, with more opportunities in the next few years, Osuna has more playoff success ahead of him.