The San Francisco Giants have become, in the last couple of years, a factory that takes damaged or flawed hurlers and turns them into really, really good pitchers.
They are apparently capable of taking really, really good pitchers and turning them into stars.
That’s exactly what they have done with left-hander Carlos Rodon.
If some untimely injuries hadn’t gotten in his way, Rodon could have been a Cy Young candidate last year with the Chicago White Sox: he finished with a strong 2.37 ERA in 132.2 frames, in which he struck out 185 hitters.
Yet, injury questions about his left arms resulted in the Giants having a chance to get him on a discount, and he signed a two-year, $44 million pact to pitch in San Francisco.
A Dominating Force
All he has done since is dominate.
“In each of his 4 starts in 2022, Carlos Rodón of the @SFGiants has: -struck out 8 or more -allowed no more than 3 hits -allowed no more than 1 run. The only other pitcher in the modern era to do that in 4 straight starts at any point in a single season was Jacob deGrom last year,” Stats by STATS tweeted.
In each of his 4 starts in 2022, Carlos Rodón of the @SFGiants has:
-struck out 8 or more
-allowed no more than 3 hits
-allowed no more than 1 runThe only other pitcher in the modern era to do that in 4 straight starts at any point in a single season was Jacob deGrom last year
— Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) April 27, 2022
Anytime your name is mentioned in the same sentence as deGrom, you know you are doing a good job.
Rodon has been extremely impressive.
For the season, he has a microscopic 1.17 ERA in four starts and 23 innings, with a 43.2% strikeout rate.
If he keeps that up, and remains relatively healthy for the rest of the season, the NL Cy Young will be his to lose.
No starter in the National League has shown the kind of dominance Rodon has.
It has been yet another great signing by the savvy Giants, who are looking to win their first World Series since 2014.
