COMMENTARY: Despite hectic 2020 season, MLB Pack Pros have bright futures ahead

In a 2020 MLB season that was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, only one Pack Pro made a postseason appearance. However, the three Pack Pros in the MLB each have a future to analyze in 2021 and beyond.

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Carlos Rodón, the only Pack Pro whose team made the MLB postseason, threw just 14 pitches in one appearance. This outing consisted of Rodón surrendering two total walks (one unintentional and one intentional) and a double without recording a single out.

This poor showing was the culmination of an injury-riddled season for Rodón. The southpaw remained on the injury list for most of the 2020 season due to soreness in his throwing shoulder, only making two starts in the 2020 regular season. This all came after Rodón had been recovering from Tommy John surgery since May 18, 2019.

It’s not all doom and gloom for Rodón and the White Sox, though. The expanded 2020 season saw the White Sox make their first postseason berth since 2008 and finish above .500 for the first time since 2012. With a roster starring three 2020 Silver Slugger Award winners, including American League MVP finalist José Abreu, and led by new manager Tony La Russa, Chicago’s south side team will be looking to improve upon its resurgent 2020 season. And with ample time to fully recover during the 2020 offseason, Rodón should be a part of that continued resurgence.

Another MLB Pack Pro with a bright future is Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner. Despite the Nationals finishing last in the National League East, Turner finished the season with a career-high OPS of .982 and a career-low strikeout rate of 13.9%. 

Additionally, the Nationals’ last-place finish in their division is a bit misleading. The Nats posted a run differential of -8, good enough of third in the NL East. As run differential is regarded as a good indicator of team performance, the Nats’ run differential contrasts greatly with that of the Miami Marlins. Despite making the postseason as a wild card team, the Marlins were outscored by a total of 41 runs over the course of the season.

In other words, Turner and the Nationals performed significantly worse than their run differential would indicate, an abnormality that would probably even out over a 162-game season. With the return of starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg from surgery on his right hand and a 2021 lineup including Turner, as well as outfielder and 2020 Silver Slugger Juan Soto, Turner and the Nats will attempt to return to their 2019 success, which saw them win the World Series.

Not to be discounted is St. Louis Cardinals catcher Andrew Knizner, who could see a significant increase in playing time. After making six of his eight appearances in 2020, when usual Cardinals backstop Yadier Molina was placed on the injury list for a positive COVID-19 test, Knizner saw little time on the field before being optioned to an alternate training site, effectively ending his season.

But with Molina now a free agent, Knizner could move to a starting role in 2021. Molina has stated that he wishes to re-sign with St. Louis, but with the 38-year-old seeking a two-year deal, and with Molina attracting interest from other franchises, the Cardinals may elect to make Knizner the new primary catcher going forward.

If this does come to fruition, the 25-year-old Knizner will have the opportunity to make himself a Cardinals stalwart for the foreseeable future. And with St. Louis powered by up-and-coming players like second baseman Tommy Edman, as well as Knizner, the Cardinals will be trying to pull ahead in a tight NL Central division that had only a 10-game separation between first and last place.

With Knizner looking for a starting role with the Cardinals, Turner seeking to bring the Nationals back to the promised land and Rodón going for a comeback season with the White Sox, the MLB Pack Pros all have something to prove in 2021. If they can manage to make things happen next season, these MLB Pack Pros will be worth watching for years to come.