Roberto Osuna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roberto Osuna |
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Osuna with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
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| Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – No. 54 | |||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: February 7, 1995 Juan José Ríos, Sinaloa, Mexico |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: April 8, 2015, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| NPB: June 24, 2022, for the Chiba Lotte Marines | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2020 season) |
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| Win–loss record | 14–18 | ||
| Earned run average | 2.74 | ||
| Strikeouts | 348 | ||
| Saves | 155 | ||
| NPB statistics (through 2024 season) |
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| Win–loss record | 7–6 | ||
| Earned run average | 1.85 | ||
| Strikeouts | 97 | ||
| Saves | 60 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Roberto Osuna Quintero Jr. (born February 7, 1995) is a professional baseball pitcher from Mexico. He currently plays for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Before that, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros.
Osuna joined the Blue Jays when he was just 16 years old. He made his MLB debut in 2015 at age 20. This made him the youngest pitcher ever to play for the Blue Jays. He was also the first MLB player born in 1995. In 2017, Osuna was chosen as an All-Star. In April 2018, he became the youngest pitcher in MLB history to get 100 saves. He was only 23 years and 62 days old.
Later in 2018, Osuna was suspended by MLB. During his suspension, the Astros traded for him. In 2019, he led the American League with 38 saves. In 2020, Osuna had an elbow injury. The Astros released him after that season. He has been playing baseball overseas since then.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Roberto Osuna was born in Juan José Ríos, Sinaloa, Mexico. When he was 11, he stopped going to school. He worked picking vegetables to help his family. When he was 16, the Toronto Blue Jays signed him. They gave him a $1.5 million bonus to join their team.
Professional Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Osuna began his professional baseball career in 2011. He played for the Diablos Rojos del México in the Mexican League. He pitched in 13 games that year.
In August 2011, the Blue Jays officially signed Osuna. He started the 2012 season with the Bluefield Blue Jays. He then moved up to the Vancouver Canadians. He had a great game on July 28, 2012. He struck out 13 batters, which was a team record. Overall in 2012, he had a 2–0 record and a 2.27 earned run average (ERA).
In 2013, Osuna was ranked among the top 100 prospects in MLB. He started the season with the Lansing Lugnuts. He later had an elbow injury. He tried to rest it, but eventually needed surgery. This type of surgery is called Tommy John surgery. After his surgery, he was still ranked as a top prospect.
Osuna returned to pitching in July 2014. He played for the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays. He then moved to the Dunedin Blue Jays. By 2015, he was ranked as the sixth-best prospect for the Blue Jays.
Playing for the Toronto Blue Jays
2015: A Big Debut Season
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Osuna was invited to spring training with the Blue Jays in 2015. He impressed everyone and made the main team. He became a reliever, which means he pitches later in games.
He made his Major League debut on April 8, 2015. He was only 20 years and 60 days old. This made him the youngest pitcher to play for Toronto. He quickly became a key player in the bullpen. On May 18, he earned his first career win. He was the youngest Blue Jays pitcher to do so. On June 22, he got his first career save.
Osuna finished the 2015 season with 20 saves. He had a 2.58 ERA. He was the youngest player in the American League. In the 2015 American League Division Series, he got a save in the final game. This made him the youngest pitcher in American League history to get a postseason save. He finished fourth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting.
2016: Becoming the Closer
Before the 2016 season, Osuna became the Blue Jays' main closer. A closer is a pitcher who finishes games to protect a lead. He earned his first save of the season on Opening Day, April 3. This made him the youngest pitcher in MLB history to get an Opening Day save.
On August 13, Osuna earned his 46th career save. This tied a record for saves before age 22. He broke the record a few days later. On September 4, he got his 30th save of the season. This also marked his 50th career save. He became the youngest pitcher in MLB history to reach 50 saves.
Osuna ended the 2016 season with 36 saves. He had a 2.68 ERA. He pitched well in the postseason too. He did not allow any runs in nine innings. He also got his first postseason win. In December 2016, Osuna decided to play for Team Mexico in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
2017: An All-Star Season
Osuna started the 2017 season with a minor injury. On June 24, it was shared that Osuna was dealing with anxiety. He returned to pitching the next day. By this point, he had 19 saves. He also became the youngest player in MLB history to reach 75 career saves.
On July 7, Osuna was chosen for the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He earned his 35th save of the season on August 31. This made him the first Blue Jays pitcher to have two seasons in a row with at least 35 saves. He finished the season with 39 saves.
2018: A Challenging Year
Osuna signed a one-year contract with the Blue Jays for 2018. On April 10, he recorded his 100th career save. This made him the youngest pitcher in MLB history to reach 100 saves.
On June 22, Osuna was suspended for 75 games. This was due to a violation of the league's policy.
Time with the Houston Astros
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On July 30, 2018, the Blue Jays traded Osuna to the Houston Astros. He returned to playing on August 5. In 2018, between both teams, he had 21 saves and a 2.37 ERA.
In 2019, Osuna led the American League with 38 saves. He also had a 2.63 ERA. He pitched 65 innings and struck out 73 batters. The Astros made it to the 2019 World Series but lost.
In August 2020, Osuna had an elbow injury. He only pitched in 4 games that season. On October 29, 2020, the Astros released him. He became a free agent.
Return to Mexican League and Move to Japan
On May 11, 2021, Osuna signed again with the Diablos Rojos del México in the Mexican League. He had a great season with a 1.09 ERA and 12 saves. In 2022, he continued to pitch well.
On June 9, 2022, Osuna signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. He had a strong 2022 season. He finished with a 0.91 ERA and 10 saves in 29 games.
Playing for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
On December 8, 2022, Osuna signed with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. In 2023, he pitched in 49 games. He had a 0.92 ERA and 26 saves. On November 11, 2023, Osuna re-signed with the Hawks for four years.
In 2024, Osuna had a 3.76 ERA and 24 saves. He continues to be a key pitcher for the Hawks.
Family and Personal Life
Roberto Osuna's father, also named Roberto, was a pitcher in the Mexican League for 22 seasons. He taught young Roberto how to pitch. Osuna's uncle, Antonio Osuna, also pitched in MLB for 11 seasons. Roberto's younger brother, Alejandro Osuna, plays for the Texas Rangers.
Roberto Osuna has a daughter, who was born in September 2017.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players from Mexico
