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St. Louis Cardinals: Assessing the Value of Recently Appointed Closer Seung-Hwan Oh

By Joseph Schneider

Aug 3, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Seung Hwan Oh throws against the Cincinnati Reds during the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. The Cardinals won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 3, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Seung Hwan Oh throws against the Cincinnati Reds during the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. The Cardinals won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /
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Only 28 games have passed since Seung-Hwan Oh retired three straight Brewers hitters to preserve a home shutout and record his first Major League save with the St. Louis Cardinals.

However, the 34 year-old rookie has made the most of his opportunities within that span, converting 8 of 10 save opportunities alongside a 3.45 ERA and 18 strikeouts. Oh’s efforts have propelled the St. Louis Cardinals to a 17-13 record and seven one-run victories since the start of July.

Coined with nicknames “The Final Boss” and “Stone Buddha”, Seung-Hwan Oh initially became a ninth-inning option by committee to replace struggling closer Trevor Rosenthal. The St. Louis Cardinals’ single-season saves leader was roughed up for three blown saves and a pair of losses in June, which eventually led to his current stint on the disabled list with rotator cuff inflammation.

Similar to many closers, Oh’s transition has came with a few speed bumps and learning curves, most recently noticed after he served a walkoff home run to Cincinnati’s Scott Schebler on Tuesday. But the South Korea native rebounded when thrusted into back-to-back games on Wednesday, retiring three of four Reds hitters to help the St. Louis Cardinals to its first win of August.

Adjustments have been a major part of Oh’s experience since moving overseas to pitch in his third professional baseball league. The former Asia Series champion has proved dominant in many unforeseen ways during his recent run as the St. Louis Cardinals’ closer.

Pitch efficiency has been crucial in contests that Oh recently closed, having averaged 14.125 pitches per save. In perspective, Rosenthal only converted six saves with fewer pitches than Oh’s rate before being removed as the team’s closer. This factor alone has helped Oh stay fresh for four instances of back-to-back game action since July 2.

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As a byproduct, Oh leads the team with 31 hitless appearances. He has also not worked shorter than an inning in 19 of his last 20 games. Roughly 60 percent of Oh’s appearances have came in Cardinals victories, a testament to his frequent exposure in high-leverage situations.

  • Strikeouts have been crucial to Oh’s presence in save situations, during which he has posted a 9.90 K/9 IP rate. Only Kenley Jansen (11.54) and A.J. Ramos (11.48) have a better overall strikeout clip among NL relief pitchers this season, giving Oh a strong chance to become the first St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher with 100 punch outs in a season since 2013.
  • With only 14 walks on the year, Oh’s control has improved without an increase in walk totals in three of his first four full months. Having issued only three free passes in save situations, Oh carries a lower 0.88 WHIP that is lower than every MLB relief pitcher with at least 50 innings besides Pedro Baez (0.81), Joe Blanton (0.873) and Addison Reed (0.874).

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    Opponents may not be familiar with Seung-Hwan Oh’s repertoire, but he continues to make a name for himself by limiting damage in high-leverage situations. The Final Boss’s contributions, possibly more than any other St. Louis Cardinals pitcher, will play significant role in determining St. Louis’ odds of clinching a postseason birth for the sixth consecutive year.

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