‘Cold-blooded’ Osuna mowing down the field again
BALTIMORE When his lethal bullpen ace is in full assassin mode, Toronto Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker sometimes forgets how young Roberto Osuna is.
On an ascent to becoming one of the most feared closers in the game, Osuna has a cool demeanour and delivery well beyond his 23 years.
“You take it for granted sometimes how really inexperienced he is at the major-league level a few years in,” Walker said. “It’s remarkable what he has done in a short amount of time and the composure, the confidence sets him apart from other pitchers.”
When Osuna pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save of the season Tuesday, he became the youngest reliever to reach 100 big-league saves. Besides putting Osuna in historic territory, the century club status means he has recorded the most saves in the American League since he debuted in the majors in 2015.
So what makes Osuna tick besides the lethal four-seam fastball and a nice mix of supplementary material? Ask the man who has been there for the vast majority of those saves and has seen him develop from a raw rookie to a clutch closer.
“He’s just fearless,” says Jays catcher Russell Martin. “He’s just never intimidated, never scared. He has never shown me any jitters, even when he was 19 or 20 or whatever.
“He’s cold-blooded like an assassin. He’s just not afraid of anything.”
While 2017 was an up and down season for Osuna — he was named to the all-star game and had an excellent first half — he blew 10 of his 49 save opportunities, many of those in spectacular fashion.
To help counter those struggles, Osuna put on 11 pounds of mostly muscle in the winter, changes he hopes will make him stronger as the season rolls on.
“I’m definitely feeling much better than last year,” Osuna said. “Pete Walker and ( bullpen coach) Dane Johnson are doing an unbelievable job with me. They ’ve been telling me to keep it up and do the stuff I need to do to keep my (velocity) high and getting better.”
Recognizing it’s still early in the season, Walker has been impressed with the returns so far. Osuna hasn’t blinked in any of his five save situations this year and hasn’t allowed a run in his last 11 appearances overall. It remains highly possible the native of Mexico still has some upside in his career arc.
“I just think he looks stronger,” Walker said. “He might be carrying a few more pounds, but it’s good weight. He just looks very strong and composed and confident on the mound.”
CATCHING ON
A big part of the Jays’ game plan this season was regular rest days for Martin. To make it a sound strategy, however, the team needs production from backup Luke Maile.
So far, so good for the towering backstop, who is making the most of the opportunity.
Maile had a pair of singles in Wednesday ’s 5-3 loss to the Orioles and has hit safely in all four games he has spelled Martin this season.