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STAT LINE: 12 G, 12 IP, 8.25 ERA, 2.25 WHIP, 20 H/11 ER/7 BB/10 SO
Josh Osich is a hard throwing lefty reliever that has generated high hopes since his debut in 2015. These hopes were warranted in 2015! But he hasn’t been anywhere near that good since.
He showed promise in spring training this year, however, going 11 innings without allowing a run, with three runs and 16 strike outs. This earned him a spot on the opening day roster. This did not last long.
After being sent down at the end of April, we wondered if we would see Osich again this year. And we did! In one unmemorable appearance against the Astros in which he gave up two runs in a blowout. The team ultimately optioned him back to Triple-A on May 25th and he was not seen again this year.
ROLE ON THE 2018 TEAM: Brief and unmemorable. His most impressive appearance was his first, against the Dodgers in the first game of the season where the Giants held the Dodgers scoreless in a 1-0 win. He walked one and struck out two, but didn’t allow a hit or a run.
It was all downhill from there. In 12 appearances, he had three decisions. Two holds and a blown save. He would have only one other appearance where he didn’t give up a hit, and that appearance included a walk and no strike outs. His final four appearances with the team this season came in blowouts, which really tells you all you need to know about the organization’s faith in him.
ROLE ON THE 2019 TEAM: It is saying something, considering how many injuries this team dealt with, that Osich didn’t even get a September call-up. I think it most likely that the Giants will opt to designate him to make room on the 40-man roster. It is fair to say that the Josh Osich experiment in San Francisco has not been successful, with four years of data to back up this claim.
GRADE: D
It seems almost unfair to grade Osich on 12 appearances, but that’s what we have to work with. I wavered on giving him an F, but I’m a kind person and I’d like to believe that he’s not completely without hope for improvement. Perhaps a change of scenery and a different organization and coaching staff can help him start to miss some bats and throw pitches in the strike zone. A novel endeavor, and one I wish him nothing but success in.