New Record Holder In Toronto
On Wednesday, August 17, 2016, something incredibly special happened in New York. A 21-year-old pitcher from Mexico broke a MLB record that has stood since the early ‘70s. Roberto Osuna, the young closer for the Toronto Blue Jays, entered Wednesday’s game against the Yankees in the bottom of the eighth to record the third out, and then returned to retire the side 1-2-3 in the ninth inning. He recorded his 27th save of the season and 47th of his career. The young man’s 47 career saves are now the most of any reliever under 22 years old. The record was previously held by Terry Forster with the White Sox.
Roberto Osuna Breaks Saves Record
Osuna has been absolutely astounding since earning a spot on the Blue Jays big league squad last year. In 2015 he recorded his first 20 saves with a sparkling 2.58 ERA. His 75 strikeouts in 69.2 innings pitched helped pave the way for his dominant 2016. This season, Osuna has been lights out from the beginning. He sports a 1.89 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 66/11 K/BB ratio, according to RotoWorld, and has already surpassed last year’s saves mark with plenty of games left to go in the year.
A Future Star
Despite his age and inexperience, Osuna has established himself as one of the league’s top Closers. He currently sits on a streak of 14 saves in a row and doesn’t intend to slow down any time soon. Roberto doesn’t turn 22 until next February, so he’s more than likely going to set the bar much higher than just 47 saves for the next young man that wishes to challenge the record. Forster’s 46 saves now sit at second, and Huston Street’s 27 are a distant third.
As one of Toronto’s prized young players, Osuna has become a clear cornerstone for the franchise. Once thought of as a future starter, the team decided to move him into a relief role and both the Blue Jays and Roberto have reaped the benefits. His fastball is an electric offering and is wonderfully complimented by his devastating changeup. Include his effective slider and sneaky cutter, and Osuna may turn out to be one of the best Closers in Toronto history. Only time will tell, so watch for Osuna’s record to grow for the rest of the season, and his impact to grow over his career.
