Evaluating Nabil Crismatt’s 2021 season

Nabil Crismatt barely made the San Diego Padres opening day roster. In fact, he was the second to last reliever to make the roster. Nobody had really ever heard of him or knew where he came from. The only way he was identified was because some fans thought he looked like Jesus.

Fans soon would learn that Crismatt came from St. Louis and was here to stay. He isn’t going to be one of the first names fans think of when they bring up the 2021 Padres but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a valuable arm to the club.

Crismatt was called up five separate times this season but he didn’t complain and he just did his job in whatever role the coaching staff put him in. Crismatt finished 14 games, pitching to a 3.76 ERA with a WHIP south of 1.5.

Players, such as Joe Musgrove, realized how important Crismatt was to the health of the rest of the pitching staff. “I wanted to give a shoutout to one player that I feel like doesn’t get enough credit and it’s Nabil Crismatt,” Musgrove told the media after his final start of the season. “Coming from St. Louis and not knowing what his role was going to be and making the team, going up and down [to the minor leagues]. Then finishing at the very top I think behind only Stammen in innings pitched...I don’t think he got enough credit for the innings that he ate. Or when it was ten-run deficits for us and he pitched five or six innings and threw 80+ pitches out of the bullpen and covered our [butt].”

Musgrove is right. Crismatt ate a lot of innings for the Padres and was impressive on the road. In 25 games away from Petco Park, the 26-year-old owned a sub 3 ERA in 43.2 innings.

As for next year, one would think he’s going to be in the bullpen or at least be one of the top options waiting in Triple-A in case an injury occurs. One thing we do know is Crismatt earned a lot of his teammates respect in 2021.