GIFS: Roberto Osuna Baffles the A’s with His Slider

Roberto Osuna has a weapon … and he isn’t afraid to use it.

At least, he isn’t afraid to use this weapon with more frequency than he has in the past. It’s Osuna’s deadly slider, which was in full effect against the Oakland A’s last night.

The pitch that’s garnered a lot of attention as of late has been Osuna’s new cutter, but his slider has been un-hittable this season. FanGraphs has Osuna’s slider ranked as the best weapon in his arsenal. Overall, opponents are swinging at 43.9% of his pitches outside the strike zone.

The Athletics had no answer for Osuna’s slider as he struck out the side on 13 pitches – carving up Rajai Davis, Marcus Semien and Ryon Healy. Blue Jays fans are all too familiar with this swing by Rajai Davis, but watch the bottom completely fall out of Osuna’s slider as it crosses the plate.

Roberto Osuna's slider … *drools* pic.twitter.com/P5LEV9QA1P

— Ian Hunter (@BlueJayHunter) July 25, 2017

Two batters later, Healy found himself in a similar predicament, swinging at a pitch well below the strike zone. The best part of all? Healy’s “aww shucks” reaction after he missed the ball completely.

And another filthy slider from Osuna. The best part was Healy’s shrug after swinging and missing. pic.twitter.com/w5lXFpSl4I

— Ian Hunter (@BlueJayHunter) July 25, 2017

And that my friends, is how you make an opponent look completely silly. Filthy, nasty, devastating … whichever superlative you prefer, Osuna’s slider is all of the above.

Just for fun, here’s a look at all the swings and misses Roberto Osuna has induced on his slider this season (it’s 63 total for those who are counting).

If you’re a right-handed hitter facing Robert Osuna when he unleashes this pitch, good luck.