Chris Paddack has overcome not one but two Tommy John surgeries en route to finding his place in the major leagues

One of baseball's many paradoxes is the significance of the individual contest within the context of an elongated season. From the first pitch of Opening Day, teams strive for daily success while knowing that there are 162 chances to win before the season is over. It can seem like a simple balance to maintain - do your best to win every day while knowing when to move forward and focus on tomorrow. Yet in a marathon-like season, the unexpected - a trade, an injury, a slump - always finds a way to happen and test a player's grit.

For Chris Paddack, both life and baseball have forced him to learn on the fly. Through clubhouse changes and multiple career-threatening injuries, he has had to constantly adapt both his physical and mental approach to the game. Even a decade after being drafted, Paddack remains relentless in his quest for the balance between chasing his lifelong dream and making it happen each day.

The Sheriff's Hometown

Nicknamed "the Sheriff" by the San Diego Padres fanbase, the Austin, Texas native wears his roots on his sleeve. Since his debut with San Diego in 2019, Paddack has donned a cowboy hat and boots to the ballpark on each of his start days. The attire is more than a fashion statement, though. It's proof of his pride in where he came from and the people who have made his journey possible.

Raised by a single mother who worked 16-hour shifts at a beauty salon, Paddack learned the value of hard work and community from a young age. He, his two older brothers and his mom moved frequently around the Austin area and had to lean on each other for stability. As he got older, baseball not only bonded him with his brothers and teammates, but it became a way for him to give back to his family, friends and mentors. Paddack later recalled, "When I was a young kid, I dreamed of having millions of dollars one day to support my family, to give them something that we never experienced throughout life." His natural athletic talent was clear, but his desire to make his hometown proud was just as prevalent in Paddack's commitment to winning.

Long Way To The Top

At 19 years old, Paddack was selected by the Miami Marlins in the eighth round of the 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. As the 236th overall pick, he wasn't statistically bound for the major leagues, but he used his late selection as motivation anyway. Tattooed on the side of his ribs is the number '236', an homage to how his career began, to the number of times he was passed over and a reminder to pursue greatness regardless.

In 2015, Paddack went 4-3 with a 2.18 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 11 Gulf Coast (Rookie) League appearances. It wasn't long, though, before he faced his next challenge. In June of 2016, the Marlins traded Paddack to the Padres. To him, it felt like a step backwards, as if the team that initially took a chance on him had decided he wasn't worth it anymore. To make matters worse, in August, after three starts in San Diego's farm system, Paddack blew out his elbow. He underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entirety of the 2017 season. "It's like the world stopped," he said. "Like I missed a heartbeat. This was not supposed to happen to me."

It didn't take long for Paddack to be met with negative, helpless thoughts. It was his older brother, Michael, who forced Chris to realize the need for a mental switch. He reminded Chris to stay focused. Otherwise, he'd become "another rehab player" who let injury get in the way of his dream. In conjunction with Tim Grover's motivational book "Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable", Michael's words reframed Chris's outlook on his injury and the path to recovery.

In April 2018, after 22 months of grueling rehabilitation work, Paddack returned to the mound. He split the season with the Padres' High-A and Double-A affiliates, going 7-3 with a 2.10 ERA in 17 starts and 90.0 innings. He struck out 120 batters while walking just eight and, entering 2019, was ranked the No. 4 prospect in the Padres system by ESPN.com. Ever since, he's etched the word 'relentless' on his gloves, a reminder that the daily choice to fight through unpredictability is the best path towards sustained progess.

The Big Leagues

On March 25, 2019, in the third inning of Paddack's final spring traning start, Padres manager Andy Green made an unprompted mound visit. Paddack was confused; he'd been rolling smoothly in the game so far. But once the infield was huddled around him on the mound, the life-changing news that sparked the visit was shared - Paddack had made his first Opening Day roster and was set to start in less than a week.

Nearly 50 friends and family piled into Petco Park on March 31, most of whom wore cowboy hats and boots akin to the debutant's pregame attire - sunglasses, a suit, a cowboy hat and a pink tie. He allowed a run to the visiting San Francisco Giants in the fifth inning, but not before a 1-2-3 first inning and three consecutive strikeouts in the second. When the game was over - and "the Sheriff's" 5.0 innings of two-hit, one-run ball had helped the Padres to a 3-1 win - Paddack's hometown posse, including his brother Michael, gathered on the field to celebrate with him.

Overall, Paddack's first major league campaign had incredible highs and typical lows for a rookie pitcher. In his first seven starts, he posted a 1.55 ERA with 10 walks, 46 strikeouts and a .130 opponent batting average. By the end of August, however, his ERA was up to 3.69, peaking at 3.84, and he'd allowed a home run in all but five of his last 19 starts of the season. Regardless, he'd gotten exposure at the highest level and made a strong case for his big-league potential.

Risk vs. Reward

Between the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and 2021, Paddack made 34 starts in 35 games for the Padres. He posted a 4.95 ERA with 29 home runs allowed but had a 4.62 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 167.1 cumulative innings. He allowed six runs on eight hits in Game 1 of the 2020 National League Wild Card Series against the Cardinals, his first Postseason appearance. Ultimately, the dominance from the other arms in San Diego's rotation boxed Paddack out and, on the eve of Opening Day 2022, the Padres traded him to the Twins. The 26-year old had been on Minnesota's radar for years, and with a few mechanical tweaks, the Twins thought Paddack could return to his rookie-season form.

In his fifth career start with the Twins on May 8, 2022, Paddack was removed in the third inning with elbow inflammation, prompting his second Tommy John surgery. This time was different, though. Paddack was a more mature, focused athlete than in 2016. "I knew what to expect going into it," he said. "I wasn't searching for answers. I didn't let that doubt creep in." Over the next five months, Paddack rehabbed near Arlington, Texas and, in January 2023, the Twins signed him to a three-year contract extension. While he was grateful for the team's investment in him, the loyal Texan was even more relieved to have the security needed to support his family through baseball. "It's a blessing. There's a lot of weight lifted off of my shoulders."

As the 2023 season was reaching its final weeks, Paddack was antsy to rejoin his playoff-bound teammates. With the 'all clear' from the medical staff, he was activated from the Injured list and, on September 26 and 30, made two appearances from the Twins' bullpen - an experience that he said helped curb the pattern of overthinking on the mound that he developed as a starter. He was left off Minnesota's roster for the Wild Card Series against the Toronto Blue Jays but was added for the American League Division Series against the Houston Astros. In Game 1, in his home state, Paddack worked 1.1 perfect innings of relief (2 K), followed by a scoreless 2.1 innings out of the bullpen in Game 4 at Target Field (with just 1 hit allowed and 4 more strikeouts). He left Houston's hitters and coaches astounded by his electric performance and proved to his team that he was ready to pitch again.

New Beginnings

As in his final seasons with San Diego, Paddack was good but not great in 2024. He struck out 10 batters on April 22 vs. the Chicago White Sox and May 8 vs. the Seattle Mariners, then gave up five-or-more runs four times by the end of June. In total, he made 15 starts before landing back on the IL on June 25 with right arm fatigue. After making two more 5.0-inning starts in July, he returned to the IL with a right forearm strain, where he'd spend the rest of the season. With his injuries and baseball's shortened/delayed seasons, 2024 marked Paddack's fifth-consecutive abbreviated year in the big leagues.

More than ever, the season felt like a wake-up call for Paddack to change his routine. Trying to stay healthy was one thing, but to compete at an elite level and avoid a mid-season burnout was another. Each year prior, Paddack had set lofty goals for himself that just left him frustrated when they weren't achieved. In 2024, despite coming off his second Tommy John surgery, he set out to pitch 140 innings with 170 strikeouts. By the time his season ended in July, he had 88.1 innings and 79 strikeouts - a solid showing that was overshadowed by the failure of his goals. In the offseason before 2025, Paddack ditched the benchmarks and instead focused more on the short term. "Being present in the moment is a goal of mine this year," he said. "I have to start at zero. Let's get that first start. Control what I can, the pitch at hand, being a good teammate. Then let's see where we're at in September."

So far in 2025, the new approach has paid off for Paddack. His first two starts were a wash, allowing 13 runs on 13 hits, with three home runs and six walks against just four strikeouts over a combined 7.1 innings. But while every player has hiccups, few can recover the way Paddack did. Between April 12-June 7, he made 11 starts and posted a 2.25 ERA, the eighth best in the American League in that span. In each of the 11 starts, he allowed three-or-fewer runs, a career-high streak, and pitched 5.0-or-more innings. Additionally, he had 6.75 strikeouts-per-9.0 innings and a .197 opponent batting average. If nothing else, that stretch showed all that Chris Paddack is capable of every time he takes the mound.

Regardless of the Twins' record or their ability to produce offensively in Paddack's outings this season, the 29-year old continues to impress. It's no doubt that his unwavering stubbornness to be successful earlier in his career propelled him to a position in which Minnesota was willing to take a risk on him. His continued commitment to proving the naysayers wrong is what sets him apart. However, if the first few months of 2025 have demonstrated anything, it's that Paddack's new balance between striving for long-term success and taking his game day by day has maximized his talent in a new way. He's still relentless, but his newfound maturity and patience for the ebbs and flows of baseball has renewed his aptitude for greatness.