
Jose Osuna needs to play every day
Jose Osuna is starting to look like a potential every day player, and the Pittsburgh Pirates need to find out if he is or not. Osuna was in the starting lineup both Friday and Saturday night this past weekend, and entered Sunday’s game at first base when the score was out of hand.
Friday night Osuna was 2-for-3 and he drove in a run. On Saturday, he was 0-for-1 with a pair of walks and one of these walks came with the bases loaded. After entering the game Sunday, Osuna was 2-for-2 including a solo home run.
On the season Osuna is now slashing .316/.369/.653 with a 162 wRC+ in 104 plate appearances. His 8 home runs are already a new career high, and his extra base hit rate is a staggering 16.9%. His .337 ISO is also off the charts.
The rest of the 2019 season needs to be about figuring out what the team will have to work with in 2020. Part of this is figuring out if Osuna is best suited as a bench player, or if he can be an every day player for the Pirates. With at bats to be had in right field, and at third base against left-handed pitching, there is no reason for Osuna to not be playing every day the rest of the season. It’s time to find out what kind of role the 26-year-old INF/OF can play for the Pirates.