2022 Padres Player Review: Jorge Alfaro

2022 Regular Season Statistics

0.5 fWAR, 82 G, .246 AVG, .285 OBP, .383 SLG, 94 OPS+, 25 R, 40 RBI, 7 HR

Positives From This Season

It pretty much starts and ends with the walk-offs right? When we think back to Jorge Alfaro’s 2022 season, we’re going to think about the five walk-offs that he had. The Mother’s Day home run likely is the first one that will come to mind because there’s nothing bigger than a walk-off home run but I liked how he wasn’t trying to swing for the fences all of the time in every situation where he could’ve won the game. There were a couple walk-off singles and even a walk-off walk against the Dodgers.

Alfaro averaged one RBI about once every two games he played in and his slugging percentage increased from .342 in 2021 to .383 this season.

Negatives From This Season

Alfaro’s strikeout rate increased by 4% this season and he must have been doing something wrong because it was reported in the postseason by Kevin Acee that he appeared “to have fallen out of favor with some in the front office.”

Perhaps part of the reason he’s fallen out of favor with some in the organization is because he wasn’t able to stay on the field. He was put on the IL in late August with right knee inflammation before coming back in early September. Then when he returned it was clear the Padres didn’t want him behind the plate as the season was winding down (probably due to that right knee) so something was definitely wrong there.

I’m very interested to see if the Padres try to trade Alfaro this offseason to try to get an arm or bat back in return. Luis Campusano, 24, seems to be getting more comfortable in the majors and there has to be a time where San Diego finally allows him to stay on the big league club permanently.

If you wish to listen or watch me talk more about [Player Name]’s season on the Talking Friars Podcast/YouTube show, click here!