WHAT WILL 2019 HOLD FOR JOSE OSUNA?

What could 2019 have in store for Jose Osuna?

A week from Saturday the Pittsburgh Pirates will hold their first full squad workout at Bradenton. With this workout, Spring Training will be underway for the 2019 edition of the Pittsburgh Baseball Club.

Each of the past two seasons INF/OF Jose Osuna has been the star of Spring Training for the Pirates. Despite his strong performance in the spring, Osuna started the 2017 season at Triple-A Indianapolis. In 2018, he seemed ready to crack the Opening Day roster. But, when the team decided to carry an extra pitcher to start the season he found himself back at Indy once again.

Osuna’s calling card in the minor leagues was his ability to hit with power. This power is also what caught the attention of the team and fans alike each of the last two years in Bradenton. However, this power has yet to translate to the MLB level.

In 338 plate appearances the past two seasons Osuna’s slugging percentage is just .417. He’s gotten on base at just a .263 clip, and his wRC+ is just 77.

It would not be fair to examine Osuna’s numbers without pointing out his .255 batting average on balls in play. When a hitter has a BAbip that is that far below average (.300) then, odds are, they have been victims of bad luck.

Osuna’s 30.3% hard contact rate and 89.0 miles per hour exit rate are both above league average. His .187 ISO is encouraging, too.

Another issue for Osuna has been the inability to get at bats on a daily basis at the MLB level. Osuna can play the corner outfield spots, but there has not been room in the Pirate outfield for him at any point the past two seasons. His defense in the outfield is porous as well.

The 26-year-old can also play first base, but he is blocked there by Josh Bell. In the last year Osuna has worked to learn third base, but the Pirates seem committed to Colin Moran or a bounce back from Jung Ho Kang.

So, what might 2019 have in store for Osuna?

The opportunity to make the Opening Day roster out of Spring Training appears to be there. Elias Diaz and whoever is not starting at third base will take two of the team’s five bench spots. After that, things are pretty wide open.

With another good showing in Bradenton it would not be a surprise to see Osuna finally crack an Opening Day roster. An important role of being a bench player in the NL is pinch hitting. If Osuna makes the team’s roster as a bench player, he needs to improve as a pinch hitter.

Osuna owns just a .147/.169/.253 slash line in his career as a pinch hitter. Also, his 22.1% strikeout rate as a pinch hitter is too high. This is an area where Osuna must improve if he is going to make an impact for the Pirates in 2019.