One of Rick Hahn’s big offseason acquisitions ahead of the 2022 campaign was Kendall Graveman. The Chicago White Sox inked Graveman to a three-year, $24 million dollar contract on Nov. 23, 2021. The Sox expected Graveman to be a setup option for closer Liam Hendriks, and the veteran righty did exactly that in 2022.
Kendall Graveman's 2022 Season
The injury bug greatly impacted the 2022 White Sox, but Graveman was one of the exceptions. The former Houston Astro posted a 3.18 ERA with 66 strikeouts across 65 innings.
A deeper dive into his numbers reveals some fascinating things. Graveman posted a better ERA against teams above .500 than below that mark. He even had more success with runners on base than not. Furthermore, his splits on days of rest provide a great deal of insight into his puzzling usage.
The White Sox mostly deployed Graveman on one or more days of rest. Forty-three of his 65 appearances came after one, two, or three days of rest. The results speak for themselves as he pitched to a 2.03 ERA in those appearances. It should go without saying, but the results otherwise were atrocious on back-to-back days or longer than three days rest. He posted an ERA of 5.66 in those situations.
Overall, Graveman had a solid year and filled the role that he was acquired for. He produced good results in seventh- and eighth-inning high-leverage situations.
Final Grade: B-
What's On Tap Next?
Going forward, it will be a balancing act for Pedro Grifol and his staff to avoid using Kendall Graveman on back-to-back days when possible. But if he can replicate or improve upon his 2022 results, Graveman should continue to thrive in his second season on the South Side.
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