Over the past decade, the San Francisco Giants have been filled with pitching talent. Names like Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner have all flourished after moving through the system. Last year the team saw another talented arm shine after his promotion. In a year that was riddled with struggle and injury, Dereck Rodriguez was a giant bright spot in San Francisco.
While Johnny Cueto was lost for the year, Bumgarner was hurt for much of it, Rodriguez pitched like a seasoned veteran. He showed that he has talent to be a cornerstone in the team’s mini-rebuild and be an arm they can count on for years. After last season’s excellent start, Rodriguez showed he can be the Giants next pitching star.
A Look at the Giants Next Pitching Star Dereck Rodriguez
Rodriguez Path to the MLB
As the son of hall of famer, Ivan Rodriguez, Dereck has seen and known major league baseball for a long time. First drafted by the Twins in the 2011 draft as an outfielder, Rodriguez converted to a pitcher in 2013. In five minor league seasons with the Twins, Rodriguez went 23-25.
During his time with Minnesota, he never pitched in AAA and only made 15 appearances in AA. But with a steady ERA and a strong arm, the Giants saw enough to sign him to a minor league contract after the 2017 season.
Major League Success
Coming to the Giants, the 25-year-old Rodriguez was slotted right into AAA Sacramento. Pitching in AAA, he went 4-1 with 3.40 ERA in nine starts. These numbers, along with the injury troubles on the major league roster were enough to earn a promotion to the major league club by the end of May.
While his way to the major leagues differs slightly from the other talented Giant arms, Rodriguez’s numbers are right along with the others once he finally made his debut. With this opportunity, Rodriguez took full advantage of his chances.
After being brought up to the Giants on May 29th, Rodriguez became the team’s best arm. Appearing in 21 games (19 starts) Rodriguez finished the season with a 2.81 ERA, going 6-4. Even more impressive than these numbers was his 1.13 WHIP.
In his nine total starts in July and August, Rodriguez numbers are good enough to match some of the best in baseball. During that span, he went 3-1 in his nine starts allowing just six runs each month.
While run support was often an issue for the Giants issue, Rodriguez continually kept them in each game. Throughout his time in the Giants rotation he was extremely consistent. From mid-June until his final start of the year, he had quality starts in 12 of his 13 outings. He never allowed more than five runs in any outing and he allowed five runs twice in 21 appearances.
Next Great Arm?
Heading into his sophomore season, Rodriguez looks to take his game to a new level in 2019. Last year the Giants lacked depth both at the plate and in the rotation. With the additions of Drew Pomeranz and a healthy Bumgarner, Rodriguez can slot in the middle of the rotation as he looks to be the next great arm in the Bay Area.
Main Photo:
