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Cincinnati Reds lefty Josh Osich hopes improved velocity helps him return to form

GOODYEAR, Arizona – Josh Osich spent a large chunk of the offseason focused on increasing his fastball velocity.

His fastball dipped to 92 mph last season, according to Statcast, a notable drop after he was throwing 94 mph in 2019 and 96 mph in 2016.

So, when he saw the radar gun during his first spring training outing, it was encouraging news. His fastball was sitting 93-95 mph. He struck out two batters on called third strikes, freezing a hitter with a 93-mph fastball.

“I wasn’t too happy about throwing 92 last year,” he said. “It’s coming back a little bit.