Houston Astros closer debate: Hector Rondon vs. Roberto Osuna
By Kyle Cardoza
Roberto Osuna
The All-Star pitcher is no slouch on the mound. Like Giles, Osuna turned into a phenom after just one year in the bigs.
And while fans expected his meteoric rise to continue, his off-the-field issues quickly halted that progression. The Astros claimed they want to provide him with another chance.
As some fans argue, it makes sense from a baseball standpoint.
Osuna collected 95 saves across his first three MLB seasons, which is a considerable amount. Even more impressive is that he averaged 9.7, 10, and 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings in those three years, respectively.
There is no doubt that Osuna is clutch. However, he has pitched in just 16 1/3 innings in 2018. Therefore, the question revolving around him is whether he can maintain his rhythm before the postseason begins.
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The 23-year-old has underperformed during the second half of each season. His career ERA during the first half of each season is 2.28. Opponents own a .198/.241/.304 slash against him in that span, per Fangraphs.
On the other hand, his ERA is a more inflated 3.64 despite a .202/.252/.355 slash by opposing hitters. And like Rondon’s previous years, several of those runs connect to the long ball.
The advantage Osuna has is his experience against American League sluggers in late-game situations. But it’s also essentially a disadvantage, as Osuna’s numbers spike considerably under high-leverage circumstances.
Yet, most of the damage in key situations doesn’t come via home runs. But the pressure may have an effect on the young reliever’s mentality.
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The Astros will test Osuna throughout the rest of the season. However, it seems unlikely that Hinch moves him into a larger role, even if his talent overshadows Rondon.
Yet, Rondon’s leash might not be as long now that Hinch knows he has a tested fireballer in his pen. Just don’t expect Rondon to be pushed out of his current role easily as in Chicago.