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Houston Astros closer debate: Hector Rondon vs. Roberto Osuna

By Kyle Cardoza

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 03: Hector Rondon #30 is congratulated by Martin Maldonado #15 of the Houston Astros after earning his 11th save of the season against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on August 3, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 03: Hector Rondon #30 is congratulated by Martin Maldonado #15 of the Houston Astros after earning his 11th save of the season against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on August 3, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – AUGUST 07: Hector Rondon #30 of the Houston Astros pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the ninth inning at AT&T Park on August 7, 2018 in San Francisco, California. Astros won the game 2-1. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Hector Rondon

When Houston signed the right-handed reliever to a two-year deal, it expected to get another solid setup man. The Astros got that – and more.

Giles was inconsistent even during his dominant stretches. Yet, Rondon provides more consistency, even if his repertoire is not as explosive.

Rondon has experience in the ninth. The 30-year-old has compiled 80 saves during the regular season throughout his career. He also has a few saves in the postseason.

Of course, he was essentially demoted twice with the Cubs to make way for more seasoned relievers. That doesn’t mean Rondon wasn’t trustworthy. And the Astros have found that out.

Thus far, Rondon is 13-16 in save opportunities, and he owns a solid 2.16 ERA with a WHIP just above 1.00. He also boosted his average strikeouts per nine innings to 11.4.

Most notably, the Venezuelan improved in essentially every single category since last year.

Opposing hitters shelled Rondon on the road last year. Now, he’s nearly unhittable outside of Houston. Left-handed hitters posted a strong .810 OPS against him in 2017. That number’s decreased to .586 this season.

Of course, Rondon isn’t flawless. Nor is he one of the premier closers across the league. If that were the case, another team would have paid him top dollar to shut teams down.

Much of his issues are under high-leverage circumstances, which is a major issue for any closer. Opposing batters own a .273 average and a .347 on-base percentage with runners in scoring position, per Fangraphs.

Even with a higher strikeout rate, his numbers don’t seem sustainable if he struggles with men on. However, at least the hits allowed are not long balls. That is one promising note.

Nevertheless, Hinch might keep Rondon in the ninth unless – or until – he unravels.

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