One last piece of content on this season before we wipe the slate clean and look forward to next season. In this post, I'm coming out of character to give a detailed review on each player that may be carrying over from this season, and giving them a report card-style grade for their performance (or lack thereof). New acquisitions will not be listed in this report, but they will be accounted for in the first post of the new season.
Let's get started. Enjoy!
STARTING PITCHING
Tom Seaver
13-8, 4.21 ERA
Seaver came in with high expectations, but despite a strong July and August, he failed to deliver on them, having particularly hard June and September starts. His May starts were deceptive, as he went 4-0, but pitched to a 4.02 ERA. For an ace, his 2022 season will not do.
Grade: C-
Rick Reed
14-9, 3.78 ERA
Reed was the steady hand the Patriots needed in the regular season, and despite falling apart in their wildcard loss to Wellington, he still had a fine season. His best months in particular were in April, June, and August, as he went 9-3 and had a solid ERA in the low-3's for those months combined. However, you cannot overlook his bad postseason start, and that'll be something Reed carries with him into next season.
Grade: B-
Burt Hooton
11-6, 3.17 ERA
Hooton joined the team in May, and while it took him some time to get stuck in, he would go on to pitch fairly well in the later months, including a 4-1 September with a 2.48 ERA. The knuckle-curve specialist gives off hope that he can be a solid piece of an improved Patriots rotation next season.
Grade: B
"BULLPEN"
Livan Hernandez
3-7, 4.39 ERA
Livan only made 11 starts, but he struggled. He did have his moments, but they were few and far between, and that resulted in his demotion to the bullpen for the 2023 season, where he is expected to be used as a workhorse reliever to give innings and take one for the team in blowouts, and if we're honest, that's probably his best role.
Grade: D
Terry Leach
3-4, 2.29 ERA, 5 saves
Leach surprised everyone by being this team's only All-Star representative. While he failed to get into the game itself, it was a huge accomplishment for Leach, who was expected to be nothing more than a seldom-used mopup guy. For most of the season, his ERA was in the low to mid 1's, performing far above his overall rating. He was the only person in the Patriots bullpen who had any trust, and although his brief stint as closer tarnished his season a tiny bit, it was still an excellent season for the hard-working right-hander from Selma, Alabama.
Grade: A+
Jeff Reardon
4-1, 3.50 ERA, 2 saves
"The Terminator" was not called upon to be the team's closer, but he still had a hand in terminating his fair share of opponent hopes as the team's setup man. Pitching to a respectable 3.50 ERA, another one of the few bright spots in the Patriots bullpen, and he is expected to play a big role in their promotion push in 2023.
Grade: B+
Bruce Sutter
3-1, 3.86 ERA
Sutter only made 12 appearances for the Patriots, but he was far better than those who came before him. However, considering those guys had ERA's in the 5's and 6's, that's not saying very much. Sutter will be looking for more work and better results next season, but he is definitely one of the guys who will be under pressure to perform straight out of the gate.
Grade: C+
Todd Worrell
0-1, 4.73 ERA, 1 save
Worrell was a bargain basement buy, and he pretty much performed like a bargain basement buy, struggling to keep up for the majority of his 27 appearances. He, like Sutter, will be under pressure to be a factor immediately with their bullpen spots under the most threat should an upgrade pop up.
Grade: D+
Kent Tekulve
2-2, 4.86 ERA, 13 saves
Tekulve was acquired in one of the better pack openings this team has seen, and despite his solid ratings, managed to underperform significantly. Tekulve enters 2023 as the closer by default, but if he struggles out of the gate, expect GM Magus to quickly seek other options and perhaps continue the "closer by committee" strategy he was trying down the stretch.
Grade: F
HITTERS
Gary Carter
.258, 16 HR, 41 RBI
Carter floundered bad in July and August, which led to him losing his starting catcher job to Mike Lieberthal. "Kid" looked every one of his 32 years down the stretch, and it doesn't look like he'll be getting the starting job back anytime soon.
Grade: D
Mike Lieberthal
.252, 8 HR, 47 RBI
Lieberthal took over starting catching duties in the middle of the season, and while being subpar with the bat, he tended to call a better game for the starters and provided better defense than Carter. Expect "Lieby" to be the incumbent starting catcher until someone with a better bat and close to equal defense/catcher ability comes along.
Grade: C-
Mark Grace
.322, 8 HR, 46 RBI
Grace came along mid-season, and immediately provided a jolt to the lineup. Remaining consistent for the rest of his season, once he got over .300 on July 20th, he stayed there. He'll easily be the starting first baseman for the club in 2023, and he'll have a big say in how the offense goes.
Grade: A+
Von Hayes
.259, 13 HR, 44 RBI
The good thing about Von Hayes is that he can play 1st and 3rd base effectively. The bad thing is that he tends to strike out often (85 K's in 321 at-bats). This caused him to lose his starting spot. However, he remains a key part of the Patriots plans as a platoon player and as a designated hitter.
Grade: C+
Jose Reyes
.335, 3 HR, 33 RBI
Reyes provided the big spark at the top of the lineup that the Patriots have been looking for. With a full season under his belt in 2023, he should be challenging for the batting title. He is also taking to a new position at 2nd base better than expected, and should be counted on to provide league average defense there. However, Reyes isn't in the lineup for defense. He's there to get on base and give the big bats RBI opportunities, and he's done that.
Grade: A
Granny Hamner
.274, 11 HR, 46 RBI
Hamner had a fine start to his Patriots tenure, but tailed off a little bit in the middle of the season before recovering down the stretch to put up respectable numbers. Hamner's transition to 3rd base has not gone as smoothly as he'd like, but he'll continue working while also being a part-time 1st baseman and DH. Hamner performed decently enough, and if expectations are tempered, he should do more of the same next season.
Grade: C
Ryan Zimmerman
.278, 19 HR, 64 RBI
I remember when Zimmerman was hitting .139 and was in real danger of being rage-quicksold. He picked it up near the end of May, getting his average up to .184, then he just kept hitting, coming through September with a .350 average. If this is the Zimmerman we see in 2023, then the heart of the Patriots lineup will be that much stronger for it.
Grade: B+
Luis Castillo
.276, 7 HR, 48 RBI
Castillo isn't really in the lineup for his bat so much as he's there for his now competent defense at shortstop (and improving). However, he proved he was very capable with the stick despite tailing off near the end of the season. Combine a decent bat with his great defensive capabilities, Castillo should be able to continue to positively contribute in this fashion.
Grade: B
Jeff Conine
.274, 27 HR, 95 RBI
Conine was the undisputed leader of the lineup this season. Given a high profile role in the team's offense, Conine delivered in a way nobody else on the team could. While his defense in left field is best left unmentioned, Conine's bat offsets that enough to where it is worth his liabilities with the glove to have a strong bat in the middle of the order.
Grade: A
Aaron Rowand
.273, 24 HR, 69 RBI
Another capable power bat, Rowand backed his power up with a surprising amount of contact. Notching 114 hits and 25 doubles, Rowand showed that he's got enough talent to stay in this lineup. However, Patriots officials have been concerned with his propencity to strike out (105 K's in 417 at-bats). If he can keep the strikeouts down in 2023, Rowand will be another potent threat for a Patriots offense that finished 3rd in conference batting average.
Grade: B+
Jason Heyward
.268, 12 HR, 48 RBI
Heyward was one of those guys brought in to be a backup player, but got thrust into a starting role. To a degree, he delivered. However, he too was a victim of a lot of strikeouts (107 in 351 at-bats). Another case of if Heyward can keep his strikeouts in check, he can be useful.
Grade: B-
Timo Perez
.268, 7 HR, 34 RBI
Timo is on the roster for his corner outfield defense, but at times he showed surprising competence with the bat. While he wasn't someone who would grind out a walk, he also didn't strike out very often either. His best role is as a 4th outfielder, but when used as a bottom of the lineup guy, he's not bad. Look for him to try and build off of this season in that same role in 2023.
Grade: C+