Prospect Spotlight: Seth Rosin

Rosin, Seth

Let me start off by saying I was wrong about Rosin.  I thought that he was a bullpen piece all the way and so far he has gone a long way to proving other wise.

How We Got Here:

Rosin was a 2010 4th round pick by the San Francisco Giants out of the University of Minnesota.  In college his fastball worked 91-92 touching 94, though the summer before he touched 96 on the Cape.  His secondary offering were fringy and most scouts thought he belonged in the bullpen possibly in a high leverage role.  The Giants moved him to the bullpen part time after drafting him, but after acquiring him in the Hunter Pence trade the Phillies moved him back to the rotation.

The Profile:

The fastball usually sits 90-91 but he gotten stronger deeper into games sitting more around 93 in later innings (at times touching as high as 95).  The slider has progressed to at least an average pitch and the changeup might eventually reach average.  The raw stuff plays up because Rosin can consistently throw it for strikes and from his large frame he can get good plane on his pitches.  Rosin has a large frame that suggests he can be a workhorse out of the rotation and he has started to prove that not only can he keep velocity but he can add some too over a game.

Rosin is not over powering but he will strikeout his share of batters.  The biggest thing is that he does not walk very many batters.  If you take away his start on May 15 when he walked 5 batters Rosin has walked 6 batters over 47.1 IP good for a 1.14 BB/9.

Where does it go from here:

If Rosin can just keep the velocity up and the walks down he is a back of the rotation starter.  He lacks a true overpowering pitch to make the profile better and at 24 years old most of the projection is gone.  But if Rosin can be a #4 starter that is a great return for the third man in the Hunter Pence trade.  If the changeup cannot continue to trend upwards then Rosin could end up back in the bullpen where the fastball slider combination could make him an above average reliever.

Rosin will need to be protected after this year which makes him an interesting starting candidate for the big league club if Morgan, Martin, Cloyd, and Biddle continue to struggle with injuries and inconsistencies.

About Matt Winkelman

Matt is originally from Mt. Holly, NJ, but after a 4 year side track to Cleveland for college he now resides in Madison, WI. His work has previously appeared on Phuture Phillies and The Good Phight. You can read his work at Phillies Minor Thoughts

16 thoughts on “Prospect Spotlight: Seth Rosin”

    1. Yes, if you’ve seen him in person, it is breathtaking. He is ENORMOUS. We were debating whether he looked more like a defensive tackle or a defensive end, but he’s roughly the size of Frank Thomas (tight end, anyone?). He and Cameron Rupp (another really big, but much shorter, guy), should start their own rugby league.

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  3. I happened to go to the Reading game last night and was lucky enough to see Rosin pitch. Besides getting to watch him perform, I also learned how to pronounce his name (Ro-Ceen). He was strong throughout his outing. I sat in the 4th row behind home plate and was close to the guys charting pitches and using the gun. He was consistently in the 90-92 range on the fastball, kept the ball down and enticed a lot of ground balls. At least a few of the K’s were on swings and misses. As mentioned above, he had great control for a big guy and was able to repeat delivery. The game moved along nicely and was well played for the most part. Reading is always a nice relaxed place to catch a game and enjoy an old school baseball experience.

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    2. His name is pronounced “RO-Zeen”. He is an absolute professional about his prep work. The guys in Clearwater were saying he has a 33 or 34 inch vertical and is way faster than you would think.

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      1. The athleticism shows in the delivery and ability to pick up velocity over a game. Big guys don’t usually have quite the body command this early in their careers.

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      2. I guess the PA announcer at Reading was mispronouncing his name as “Ro-Ceen.” I am going to file a complaint. I want my $11 back. : )

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  4. I think he will continue to progress quickly now that the Phillies have seen him and realize that he can be a #3 or #4. He will have a nice career and I still think he will be the best asset of the Pence trade over the long haul.

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      1. I’m entitled to an opinion. I think both will have nice MLB careers but I think Rosin can have an impact over a longer period. That’s all.

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  7. Phils let this guy go, take a Rule 5 pitcher with lesser numbers and sign a No. 5 reliever who’s a has-been, and except for one year was never really much. I’m bafled.

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