As we approach the halfway point in the MLB season, the brightest stars continue to stand out. San Francisco Giants left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodón and Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner, both Pack9 legends, have proven themselves as some of the best at what they do in the first half of 2022.
The 2022 MLB All-Star Game was held Tuesday, July 19 in Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and saw both Pack Pros in action. This was the second year in a row that both made it to the coveted game as they teamed up last year in Coors Field in Denver.
Carlos Rodón, left-handed pitcher, San Francisco Giants
Since the previous Pack Pros article, Rodón has been mostly efficient. He has put together some solid starts, such as his performance against the Detroit Tigers on June 28. Through six innings, he allowed only one walk and one run on seven hits. In the end, he tallied four strikeouts and got the win.
On July 9, Rodón put on the performance of a lifetime, pitching all nine innings against the San Diego Padres. He only gave up one run on three hits and two walks. The strikeout machine tallied a staggering 12 of them. This amazing performance also led to another win on his record.
Shortly after, Rodón performed well against the Milwaukee Brewers on July 14. Even though he gave up eight hits and walked three, he only allowed one run to cross the plate. He continued to add to his strikeout total with seven on the night.
On the other hand, Rodón has produced some average results in two games in this timespan. He allowed four runs on four hits to the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 4, and he allowed six hits which turned into five runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 21. Even though these results proved disappointing, he was able to tally seven strikeouts each game.
After his mostly impressive performances in the past month, Rodón was named to the All-Star game after Brewers reliever Josh Hader skipped the midsummer classic to go witness the birth of his son. Unfortunately, Rodón was unable to play due to a blister and a broken fingernail, both on his pitching hand. Despite this, Rodón has much to be proud of so far in his first season in the City by the Bay as his 138 total strikeouts rank fifth in all of baseball.
Trea Turner, shortstop, Los Angeles Dodgers
Turner has shown he is one of the best hitters in the game this season. He has a .306 batting average. Since June 26, he has continued to put up solid stats as he has a .265 average, five homers, 17 RBIs and three stolen bases. He also has put forth a solid OPS of .781.
One of the best games of Turner’s season came on July 16 against the Los Angeles Angels. The 7-1 Dodgers win saw Turner belt two homers which turned into three RBIs.
When the All-Star game roster was released, Turner was listed as the starting shortstop for the National League. In the star-studded contest, Turner was able to get one hit in his two at-bats as the American League squeezed out the win.
Andrew Knizner, catcher, St. Louis Cardinals
Much as seen earlier in the season, Knizner has not been able to find much success in the past month. In this span, he has only played 14 games in which he has put up a .265 average. He only has been able to muster nine hits, five RBIs and no homers. He also has posted a .618 OPS. Even though his batting average and OPS are not terrible, his performance on the year so far has been underwhelming.
He has been the go-to catcher for the Cardinals ever since veteran Yadier Molina suffered inflammation in his right knee. However, Molina could make a return in the next few weeks and that would result in a reduction in Knizner’s plate appearances.
