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: Gordon Graceffo
Stats: 0-1, 2 G, 7.2 IP, 7 H, 1 HR, 2 BB, 6 K, 4.70 ERA, 4.08 FIP, 1.174 WHIP, 0.0 bWAR
Statcast: 13.0% barrel, 30.4% sweet spot, 109.1 max exit velocity, .329 wOBA, .355 xwOBA, 19.4 K%, 6.5 BB%
Grade: C
I’m still not really sure what to make of Graceffo. In 2021 and 2022 he was the hot prospect, rising up the ranks with his eye on St. Louis. In 2023, I was able to watch some Memphis starts and it seemed like every time I did, he’d get beat around the bush. It wasn’t just my imagination or selection bias either as he had an ERA approaching five in an injury-plagued year. So it felt like ’24 was going to be a year he needed to reestablish himself as a big deal and, honestly, I don’t think he did. He did get a chance to make two appearances in the big leagues, which is pretty big, and he held his own in that limited time. So that’s definitely a plus.
His work in Memphis was uneven, though. For instance, his August he threw six scoreless innings, allowed six runs in 3.1, came back with six scoreless, then three straight starts where he allowed five or more runs. Kyle Reis can give you more information than the box scores give me, but it just doesn’t scream a guy that is ready to take a spot in a major league rotation. That said, he’ll be 25 next March so he’s still got plenty of time to figure out how to get everything to click.
What’s in store for 2025: Graceffo could be one that really benefits from the club’s new focus on development. You could see a path where he is able to tinker and become that effective starter that everyone has been expecting. I think that he’ll have a chance to compete for a rotation spot in the spring but most likely he’ll start again at Memphis in 2025. He’ll put up more than eight big league innings, though, I have no doubt.
