4/03/2023

2022 Topps Chrome Sonic


2022 Topps Chrome Sonic is another product from the Topps Chrome set. This product was released in February 2023. In early March, I passed by a sports card shop and saw this product. It’s the first time that I saw this product and I decided to give it a try.

It’s extremely difficult to get an autograph card in this product, hence, I just want to see whether I could find something interesting. After opening a hobby pack of the 2022 Topps Chrome Sonic, I found an insert card, which is a George Kirby 1996 Youthquake card. While seeing this rookie card, I was thinking about the performances of the Mariners’ rookie pitchers.

Stats (Pitching, Mariners, Rookies, 2022)

Player

G

IP

W-L

SO

ERA

WHIP

Penn Murfee

64

69.1

4-0

76

2.99

0.95

Matt Brash

39

50.2

4-4

62

4.44

1.56

George Kirby

25

130.0

8-5

133

3.39

1.21

Brennan Bernardino

2

2.1

0-1

0

3.86

2.14

Danny Young

2

3.2

0-0

5

7.36

2.45

Riley O’Brien

1

1.0

0-0

1

0.00

2.00


To understand a little bit more, I went to check on the MLB website. Last season, 3 rookies from the Mariners each pitched 20+ games.

Firstly, Penn Murfee made his MLB debut on April 29, 2022. In total, he made 1 start and 63 relief appearances for the Mariners. Murfee owned a 2.99 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP in 69.1 innings. Moreover, opponents only batted .192 against Penn Murfee and he punched out 76 batters.

In addition, Matt Brash made it into the big leagues on April 12, 2022. In the first game of his career, he made a start against the White Sox. In the game, he tossed 5.1 innings and allowed 2 runs. In total, Brash made 5 starts and 34 relief appearances last year. He owned a 4.44 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP over 50.2 innings. As a reliever, Matt Brash posted a 2.35 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP in 30.2 innings. As a starter, Brash had an ERA over 7 and his WHIP was over 2. It seems that the Mariners made a good decision to move him to the bullpen.

Thirdly, George Kirby was selected by the Mariners in the first round of the 2019 draft. He was called up last May. In his MLB debut, he used 81 pitches to finish 6 innings against the Rays with 7 strikeouts. Most importantly, he didn’t allow a run. His MLB debut was surely memorable. In total, Kirby made 25 starts for the Mariners in 2022, posting a 3.39 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP over 130 innings. Moreover, he threw 133 strikeouts. Finally, three other rookie pitchers each tossed fewer than 5 innings for the Mariners last year. However, they each owned a WHIP of 2 or higher.
In 2022, George Kirby made his MLB debut and has become an important part of the Mariners rotation. Moreover, Penn Murfee made 63 relief appearances for the Mariners and he led the Marines relievers with 67.1 innings. Furthermore, Matt Brash began his career as a starter, nonetheless, he was moved to the bullpen and he did pitch well as a reliever. The 2023 season has just begun. By far this season, Brash and Murfee each made 2 relief appearances. And, George Kirby will make his first start of the 2023 season soon. Let’s see whether they will pitch even better than they did in the rookie season. 

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