Josh Osich, LHP. DOB: 9/3/1988. 6'2", 230 lb.
AA: 0-1, 1.59, 34 IP, 9.00 K/9, 2.65 BB/9, 19 Saves.
AAA: 0-0, 0.00, 7 IP, 14.14 K/9, 2.57 BB/9, 2 Saves.
MLB: 2-0, 2.20, 28.2 IP, 8.48 K/9, 2.51 BB/9, GB/FB= 1.17.
I am not absolutely sure Josh Osich is still a prospect. He definitely meets 2 of the criteria which is at least 50 IP and 130 AB's. The other is less than 45 days on the active 25 man MLB roster not counting expanded rosters in September. Not sure about that one. By my count he has 43 days of non-September service time which puts him just under the wire. BA lists him in their top Giants prospects list, so I decided to include him too.
Osich has always had good stuff. In 2015, he finally got his walk rates under control and fast-tracked up from AA with a brief stopover in Sacramento. He stepped right into the Jeremy Affeldt role of the lefty specialist who could go more than 1 inning if necessary. In 35 appearances, he faced 1 batter 7 times and went more than 1 inning 6 times. He features a hard FB that averages 95.7 MPH and tops out at 98, a cutter that goes 90-91 MPH and an excellent changeup that can be a wipeout pitch when it's working right. The cutter and changeup enable him to attack RH batters as well as lefties. He was actually slightly more effective against RH batters than lefties in his 2015 MLB stint.
Barring injury, which has been a problem for him in the past, Osich has a long future as a Jeremy Affeldt type reliever. A bullpen spot with the Giants is his to lose in 2016.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Osich on Doc's Top 50:
ReplyDelete2012: 19th
2013: 26th
2014: 26th
2015: ----
2016: 8th
Given his MLB production, Osich could easily be my #1.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love the stuff Osich brings. Hard FB, cutter and killer change, and yes, the ability to drop the hammer on both RH and LH batters. Younger and better than Affeldt. Was surprised when the Giants fast-tracked him into the Majors, but damn another bullpen stud on the raise. Way to groom 'em up Giants. And given Affeldt's odd injury history, really Osich has about the same injury risk.
Looking forward to a Strickland/Osich/Kontos/Black/Gardeck/Okert/Hall/Law/Smith pen...
Everything I've ever read on Osich is that he's incredibly talented and has one of the best FBs in the system when fully healthy. I've also read that as a starter at Oregon State he was considered a 1st round talent until TJ surgery and his other issues derailed that.
ReplyDeleteSo I think it is amazing is how well he's started pitching in 2015 despite being plagued by the injury bug that had been derailing his career and (probably) development:
“Ulnar-nerve surgery, 2009, 2010 Tommy John (surgery), 2011 tore sub-scap(ula) muscle in shoulder, 2012 impingement, 2013 I had a radial-nerve injury, 2014 another impingement.”
To fight through six years of setbacks and come out of that throwing like he did last year... It sure as hell surprised me. And a lot of others without a doubt. He wasn't even in the Top-20 prospects on most lists I read last year and Steve Okert was the 'big name lefty reliever of the future' on those lists. Heck, he didn't even get on Sickles 'others' for 2015... And, if Mojo is right, you left him off too.
Of course, this is what makes prospect watching both fun and exasperating. You watch tools guys like Gary Brown & Kyle Crick flail about while Matt Duffy, Josh Osich and Kelby Tomlinson (none of them rated higher than C+, if at all, as a prospect) exceed expectations. Look at poor Matt Duffy:
"13) Matt Duffy, INF, Grade C+: Age 23, backup infielder from Plato’s World of Forms, hit .332/.398/.444 in Double-A and had some good moments in the majors. Speedy, solid steady glove, could be a taller version of David Eckstein if given a chance to play regularly."
Doomed to a life of powerless utility infielder... Only he isn't. And while he's not a 30HR guy, he's got a nice pop in his bat for a 175 lber. And he's already a good fielding 3B despite a tremendous lack of experience at the position.
Anyway, I hope he can stay healthy and even improve on last year's performance. It's always nice to see a guy left for dead make it in the big leagues.