Christopher Joseph Paddack (pronounced pad-ICK)...Instagram: @paddack29...Padres fans began calling Paddack “the Sheriff” in Spring Training 2019 as an ode to his Texas roots and the cowboy hat and boots he wears on start days...The nickname took off when the Austin, Texas, native made his debut with the Padres by starting the fourth game of the 2019 season...Padres fans began wearing cowboy hats to his starts and badges with “Paddack’s Posse” inscribed on them...Had 40-plus family members and friends in attendance for his Major League debut, and they too donned cowboy hats and boots in lieu of Paddack jerseys, which weren’t yet available...Has the word “Relentless” stitched on his glove...In an article in 2019, Paddack said, “For me, it’s just a reminder—what I’m doing, why I’m doing what I’m doing. If I catch myself with a lack of focus, that’s just a focal point for me.”...Paddack got a lion with blue eyes and the outline of the state of Texas tattooed on his left forearm following the 2019 season, and also has the number “236” tattooed on his right ribcage, referencing the number the Marlins selected him overall in the 2015 First-Year Player Draft...It serves as a reminder of how many players were taken before him...His pregame rituals include eating an entire pizza the night before his start...Is a fan of Texas A&M athletics...Participated in 2023 TwinsFest at Target Field.
2024
Made Twins Opening Day roster and was club's number five starter to begin season, making first start on April 3 at Milwaukee and allowing two runs on six hits in 4.0 innings pitched...Did not factor into the decision of the Twins' 7-3 victory...Marked his first start since May 8, 2022, a span of 695 days between Major League starts, after missing most of 2022 and 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery on right elbow...Tied career highs with nine runs allowed and 12 hits allowed on April 16 at Baltimore...Bounced back in next start to strike out 10 batters in seven scoreless innings pitched on April 22 vs. Chicago-AL...Marked fourth career double-digit strikeout total...Struck out 10 batters again three starts later on May 8 vs. Seattle, allowing one run on eight hits in 5.1 innings pitched...Tied career-long winning streak, earning wins in four consecutive starts from April 22-May 8, posting a 1.93 ERA (23.1 IP, five ER) with just three walks and 28 strikeouts in that span...Set career high with 8.0 innings pitched on May 19 at Cleveland...Allowed two runs on three hits, with no walks and six strikeouts but did not factor into the decision in a Twins 5-2 defeat...Placed on 15-day injured list on June 25 with right arm fatigue; reinstated on July 8...Made two more starts upon return to the rotation, pitching 5.0 innings apiece on July 8 at Chicago-AL and July 14 at San Francisco, before being placed back on the 15-day IL on July 20 with right forearm strain...Finished season on 15-day IL while rehabbing back at Target Field...Went 4-1, 3.61 ERA (47.1 IP, 19 ER) with nine walks and 48 strikeouts in nine home starts, compared to 1-2, 6.59 ERA (41.0 IP, 30 ER) with 12 walks and 31 strikeouts in eight road starts...Held right-handed hitters to a .264 average with a .732 OPS, compared to left-handed hitters batting .303 with an .802 OPS.
2023
Signed three-year contract extension on Jan. 18...Placed on 60-day injured list on Feb. 23, recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow...Appeared in three games on rehab assignment during most of Sept., going 0-1, 3.72 ERA (9.2 IP, 4 ER) with three walks and 15 strikeouts between Low-A Fort Myers, Double-A Wichita and Triple-A St. Paul; reinstated on Sept. 24...Made return on Sept. 24 vs. Los Angeles-AL...Exited the bullpen and as he was approaching the infield dirt, the umpires called for the tarp and a 50-minute rain delay transpired...Paddack went straight to the dugout and did not pitch in the game but was officially in the boxscore...Made "official" return to Major League mound on Sept. 25 vs. Oakland, pitching 2.0 innings of relief, allowing three runs on four hits, with one walks and four strikeouts, marking his first Major League appearance in 507 days...Threw fastest pitch of career, a 99 mph four-seam fastball to Zack Gelof in the top of the sixth inning...Earned first and only win of season in final appearance on Sept. 30 at Colorado...Entered after Emilio Pagán in bullpen day for Twins, pitching 3.0 shutout innings, with two hits allowed, no walks and four strikeouts...Made two appearances during ALDS vs. Houston, pitching in Games 1 and 4, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings of relief with one hit allowed, no walks and six strikeouts...Pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in decisive Game 4 at Target Field, fanning four of his seven batters faced... Averaged 96.6 mph on fastball during postseason.
2022
Began season in Minnesota's starting rotation after being acquired the day before Opening Day, April 7, from San Diego in a trade, along with right-handed pitcher Emilio Pagán, in exchange for left-handed pitcher Taylor Rogers and outfielder Brent Rooker...Was the club's No. 6 starter as the Twins began the season with a six-man rotation...made first start on April 13 vs. Los Angeles-NL, allowing three runs on six hits in 4.0 innings pitched, with no walks and three strikeouts and was dealt the loss...Set season-high in strikeouts (6) and innings pitched (5.2) in a start April 26 vs. Detroit...Made five starts for the Twins before being placed on 10-day Injured List May 10 with right elbow inflammation...Soon after it was diagnosed that he needed Tommy John surgery on right elbow...underwent surgery May 18, ending season...marked his second Tommy John surgery after having the procedure performed in 2016 with San Diego...Signed three-year contract extension Jan.18, 2023, keeping him with the Twins through 2025.
2021
Made 23 appearances (22 starts) for SD, going 7-7 with a 5.07 ERA (61 ER, 108.1 IP) and a staff-leading 1.83 BB/9 IP ratio that also ranked T-9th in the majors (min. 100.0 IP) and T-4th in the NL... Did not allow a HR in his first three starts (April 4-15), tying his career-high, and posted another homerless three-start stretch from July 21-Aug. 30…it was his first three-start stretch without allowing a HR since he did so during his rookie 2019 season when he began his ML career without allowing a HR in his 1st three starts and then did so again in his 5th through 7th career starts... His lone 3-BB outing came in his season debut on April 4 vs. ARI…went on to allow 1 BB-or-fewer in 17 of his 22 GS... Was the only SD starter to receive double-digit runs of support, getting 12 runs on May 21 vs. SEA and a franchise-high 19 runs on July 16 @ WSH in SD’s record-setting 24-8 victory…it passed three others who received 17 runs (Bruce Hurst in '89, Sean Bergman in '96 and Jake Peavy in '02)…it was the 2nd-most runs any hurler received in the majors in ’21, behind only TOR Steven Matz’s 22 on Sept. 12 @ BAL... Among all ML hurlers who tossed at least 100.0 IP, his 7.89 run support average ranked 1st in the NL and 2nd in the majors behind only Steven Matz’s 7.94 RSA... Struck out a career-high-tying 11 of the 22 batters he faced on June 18 vs. CIN in 5.0 IP and 87 pitches... Snapped a streak of 54 consecutive starts to begin his ML career, making his 1st relief app. in the 1st half finale on July 11 vs. COL due to Ryan Weathers' injury...he tossed 2.0 innings of 1-run ball behind four hits and four SO... Earned the win in three consecutive outings from July 16-27, tying a career-high from his rookie 2019 season (April 24- May 6, 2019; the 5th-7th starts of his career)... Tossed a career-high 102 pitches across 6.0 IP on July 27 vs. OAK in SD’s 7-4 victory in 6.0 IP…he tossed 5.0+ IP in 13 of his 22 starts... Was placed on the 10-day IL on July 30 (retro: July 28) with a left oblique strain suffered in a bullpen session, one of his three IL stints in ’21…he missed the club’s next 25 games before being reinstated on Aug. 30... Did not factor into SD's 4-3 victory in his penultimate start of the season on Sept. 5 vs. HOU, recording his 7th quality start behind 6.0 innings of three-run ball...it was just the 2nd start of his career in which he did not record a strikeout.
2020
Made his 1st career Opening Day start on July 24 at vs. ARI, tossing 6.0-shutout innings of 4-hit ball in SD's 7-2 victory... With former SD rookie Eric Lauer getting the Opening Day nod in '19, it became just the 2nd time in 100 years a team started either a rookie or a 2nd-year pitcher on Opening Day in back-to-back seasons (also: '96-'97 Royals with Catfish Hunter in '96 & Jim Nash in '97)... From his debut season in 2019 through 2020, he posted a 69.8 1st pitch strike percentage, which led the majors (min. 700 batters faced)...it raned ahead of Madison Bumgarner (69.2%), Max Scherzer (68.9%) and Clayton Kershaw (67.8%)... Posted 58 strikeouts to 12 walks for a 4.83 SO/BB ratio... among all ML pitchers who made at least 12 starts, his 4.83 SO/BB ratio ranked 10th in the majors and 5th in the National League... 4 of his 12 free passes came vs. right-handed batters, tied for the 5th-fewest in the majors (min. 100 RHH batters faced)... Began the season 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA through his 1st 4 starts...went 2-4 with a 5.70 ERA through his final 8 starts... With no runners on base, opponents hit .296 (40-135)... when runners did get on base, he limited the opposition to a .213 clip (20-94)... Allowed 14 home runs, T-3rd most in the majors...3 came on the 1st pitch and 4 came with 2 strikes... Paddack made his 35th career start on Sept. 5 vs. OAK... with 201 career strikeouts through his first 35 starts, Paddack became the 7th Padre in club history to record 200+ strikeouts through his first 35 career starts.
POSTSEASON: Made his 1st career postseason start and appearance in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series vs. STL, allowing 6 runs and 8 hits in 2.1 IP in SD's 7-4 defeat.
2016
Acquired by SD from MIA in exchange for Fernando Rodney, June 30.
2015
Signed by MIA as an eighth-round selection in the First-Year Player Draft, June 10.
