Every year, or at least every year since 2012, we’ve taken some time after the season was over to look at the past 162 games through the lens of the players that played them (and the management that was in charge of them). Last year, the Exit Interview series spent less time digging into splits and finding numerical oddities and more time reflecting on the player and their season. It was a style that seemed to work so we’re going to bring it back again this year. The legendary cardinalsgifs is back to bring us excellent series art, so it’s all downhill after you see that!
Player: Dylan Carlson
Stats (w/Cards): 59 G, 138 PA, 7 R, 5 2B, 11 RBI, 1 CS, .198/.275/.240, -1.0 bWAR
Statcast (overall): 2.5% barrel, 30.1% sweet spot, 107.2 max exit velocity, .257 wOBA, .256 xwOBA, 28.3 K%, 8.3 BB%
Grade: D
The sad case of Dylan Carlson is going to be something debated in Cardinal fandom for quite some time. Was he mistreated by the club or did he just fizzle out? Was he overrated or could he have reached the potential he seemed to have? It’s hard to know. Seeing Tommy Edman play center instead of him in 2023 had to be a blow to his confidence. Somehow he got out of the favored graces of the front office and he never was able to get enough going to take his starting spot back. For a player that was third in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2021 to be given away for 12 innings of a low-leverage reliever is a fall from grace that is hard to stomach.
Eventually, though, the injuries probably are the things to blame. Things looked good for Carlson this year. Edman was out to start the year and center field was going to be his. He was going to get a long run until Edman came back (and that turned out to be quite a long time) and ideally would settle in and show some consistency. He had a strong spring (which is no guarantee, as his 2023 spring was very similar) until the next-to-last game, when he ran into a truck named Jordan Walker. By time he returned, Michael Siani had already started to get a toehold on center. Carlson might not have been completely ready to return, as he went 0-17 to start the season and was hitting just .132 after May. With Siani there, Edman (in theory) returning, and Victor Scott II already on the 40-man, Carlson’s days were numbered. He had a quick start with the Rays (and did hit three homers for them in two months) but overall struggled in Tampa Bay as well.
What’s in store for 2025: If anyone can fix Carlson, it’s probably Tampa Bay. I can imagine them giving him an offseason program and him showing up to…well, whether the Rays are going to play next year ready to go. The idea that he’s an All-Star may be out but I could see him being a productive member of the Rays for a couple years.
