Craig Stammen has been on the pitching mound for the San Diego Padres since 2017 and enters this season after a couple of rollercoaster years. He has certainly been reliable for the the team, and that is why at 38 years old, they are still keeping him as a priority.
His skill and durability was present since game one with the Friars, suiting up for about 300 games and recording a 3.32 ERA. Stammen was thrown into various situations as a relief pitcher and improved his ERA to an even better 3.06 last season. Unfortunately, he has also been on the wrong side of the history books in San Diego, as he is the franchise's only pitcher to allow four straight home runs.
The Friars have been willing to take Stammen's flaws along with his upsides and it has paid off thus far. He has continued impressive play in Peoria and has notched three scoreless innings. In an interview provided by '97.3 The Fan', Stammen discussed his current role within San Diego's franchise.
"This team's got a chance to win the World Series and at this point in my career, that's what I'm chasing," said Stammen. "I've got to be my best this Spring Training and prove that I'm good enough to be on a championship caliber team."
With a strong start before the season even kicks off, Stammen already looks to be on the team's good side. With some injuries hitting the squad and some rotations needed to be moved around, Stammen could find himself with an even bigger role this season.
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