As the postseason reaches its peak, another season of MLB Pack Pros is in the books. From San Francisco and Los Angeles then eastward to St. Louis, let’s look at how the league’s three MLB Pack Pros performed this year.
Carlos Rodón, left-handed pitcher, San Francisco Giants
Rodón bet on himself and won in 2022.
The southpaw finished fifth in 2021 AL Cy Young voting with the Chicago White Sox but made the trip out west to join the Giants in free agency once they gave him the multi-year contract the White Sox weren’t willing to offer. In year one of a two-year $44 million deal, Rodón proved his breakout 2021 season was no fluke.
The 29-year-old led the entire MLB in FIP and K/9 in a record-setting 2022 campaign. Rodón mowed down 12 Miami Marlins in his first outing with the Giants, tying the franchise for most strikeouts in a debut since the team moved to San Francisco in 1958.
Fast forward to September and Rodón set a couple more franchise records. In an 11-strikeout showing against the Chicago Cubs Sept. 9, the lefty surpassed 2004 Jason Schmidt and 2009 Tim Lincecum for most double-digit strikeout games in a Giants season. Rodón also set the new franchise record for strikeouts in a debut season since the team moved to San Francisco, previously held by Sam Jones’ 1959 campaign.
The left-hander finished in the top 10 in the National League in many other statistical categories, including fourth in hits per nine innings and home runs per nine innings, fifth in strikeout-to-walk ratio, sixth in ERA and ERA+, ninth in WHIP and 10th in games started. That last one carries a lot of weight for a pitcher with an extensive injury history. Rodón missed his last start of the year to manage his workload, but the Giants’ elimination from the postseason race factored into that decision more than anything else.
With a full healthy season under his belt with stellar stats to boot, the southpaw is expected to opt-out of the second year of his contract in San Francisco, but may return to the Bay with a new deal.
Trea Turner, shortstop, Los Angeles Dodgers
Turner’s production dropped off a bit in his first full year as a Dodger, but that is practically inevitable when you’re the 2021 National League batting champ.
The 29-year-old speedster took over as the Dodger’s primary leadoff hitter in 2022, leading the NL in at-bats and plate appearances as a result. Turner made good on his chances as well, posting a .298/.343/.466 triple slash and registering his first 100-RBI season.
Turner’s combination of power and speed made him one of the most productive hitters in the show. In the batter’s box, he knocked 21 home runs, four triples and a career-high 39 doubles across 160 games. On the basepaths, he finished fourth in the NL in stolen bases and fifth in stolen base percentage — maintaining his status as one of the fastest players in baseball.
While he finished fifth in Statcast sprint speed, three of the top five players are under 25, while Turner is the only one born prior to the release of “Forrest Gump.” Even while pushing 30, Turner asserted himself as one of the league’s most electric baserunners.
Turner enters the offseason as one of the premier free agents on the market. As one of the best players in MLB at a premium position like shortstop, Turner is bound to make a boatload of cash in his next deal. Some of his likely landing spots include the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and a possible return to the Dodgers.
Andrew Knizner, catcher, St. Louis Cardinals
As the catching stopgap for a banged-up Yadier Molina, Knizner made a career-high 293 plate appearances but didn’t do much with them. The 27-year-old slashed .215/.301/.300 all improvements from 2021 but nowhere near starter-level production.
With Molina’s illustrious career now at an end, Knizner will look to improve enough to take over as St. Louis’ primary catcher in 2023. However, with little to show in four major league seasons, and the offseason just around the corner, the Cardinals will likely pursue other options in free agency.
