Now that the 2021 MLB season has wrapped up, it’s time to look at how the MLB Pack Pros have fared these past few months. It’s been an exciting year full of trades, injuries and impressive performances, including the NL batting title for Trea Turner and a career year for Carlos Rodón.
Trea Turner, shortstop/second baseman, Los Angeles Dodgers
It’s been another incredible and award-worthy season for Turner who started the year with the Washington Nationals but was traded to Los Angeles at the trade deadline. Totaling 195 hits for the most in the league along with 28 homers, 32 stolen bases and 107 runs scored throughout the season, he earned a nomination as one of this year’s NL Silver Slugger Finalists.
Ending the regular season with two grand slams in 48 hours, Turner finished with a .328 batting average to take the NL batting title over former teammate Juan Soto, the first Dodgers player to do so since Tommy Davis in 1962 and 1963.
Despite not making it past the National League Championship Series, Turner was an imperative part of this Dodgers lineup and didn’t skip a beat moving from coast to coast and switching to second base rather than shortstop with teammate Corey Seager already filling up the other position in the middle infield.
Back in June, Turner also grabbed his third career cycle, tying him for the most of anyone currently playing in the majors.
With numerous highlight reel plays and slides including this one, Turner has been one exciting Pack Pro to follow for baseball fans this season.
Carlos Rodón, left-handed pitcher, Chicago White Sox
After battling numerous injuries in his first few years in the majors, 2021 was a season full of questions for Rodón regarding his future in baseball.
Those were mainly answered though with Rodón’s breakout year in Chicago with a 13-5 record and 2.37 ERA over 24 starts. He allowed just 91 hits all year while striking out 185 and letting up just 36 walks.
Most notably, Rodón pitched a no-hitter back in mid-April against the Cleveland Indians, coming only two outs away from a perfect game.
Rodón did run into some shoulder trouble in the second half but was still effective towards the end of the season. Time will only tell if this is lingering from past injuries and a previous Tommy John surgery, or if this was due to his jump in production from the previous two years.
Even with these numbers, the White Sox chose not to extend him a qualifying offer, and Rodón will hit the market as a free agent this offseason.
Andrew Knizner, catcher, St. Louis Cardinals
With news breaking in August that Cardinals current star backstop Yadier Molina is set to retire after 2022, this past season became even more important for Knizner to prove his worth in this lineup.
Finishing this season slashing .174/.281/.236 Knizner’s numbers weren’t that impressive with limited appearances, but he did prove in the second half he can make big impacts in important situations.
He grabbed his first home run of the season on Aug. 5, putting the Cardinals on the board against the Atlanta Braves in the midst of St. Louis’ race to the postseason.
He also was able to add to the Cardinals rally in a big extra-innings game against the New York Mets in mid-September.
Going 9 for 13 in late-July during a string of back-to-back appearances due to a Molina injury, Knizner has shown he can make a dent in this lineup, but it will take more than a few sporadic appearances to make his bat heard.
