Garrett Cooper Stats: Expect Cooper to Land With Another Team Next Year
The Right-Handed First Baseman Will Likely Test Market in 2024
Garrett Cooper began his career with the New York Yankees in 2017. But he was quickly traded from the Yankees to the Marlins in November 2017. The Yankees picked up RHP Michael King, and Cooper was sent to Miami after hitting .326 in 13 games for the Yankees.
Cooper didn’t earn his first career home run until 2019. In that 2019 season, Cooper was finally given an extensive look and played over 100 games that season.
He’s been a consistent bat ever since starting for the Marlins. However, the Marlins eventually traded Cooper to the Padres at the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline for LHP Ryan Weathers.
Cooper was brought in to help the Padres reach the postseason this year. At this point, it’s unlikely that the Padres will make the playoffs.
However, in 18 games, Cooper has hit a .327 average with 16 hits in 49 at-bats. He hasn’t played much since his trade to the Padres and has only had one home run with 5 RBIs.
When Cooper has played, he’s had good results. He hasn’t produced much power despite having a .400 OBP with the Padres.
Let’s take a look at Garrett Cooper stats to see if he’ll be able to maintain his high average with the Padres this season.
The 2023 Deadline Trade
The Padres are expected to be in contention in 2023.
San Diego added Xander Bogaerts on an 11-year deal after adding Juan Soto in the 2022 MLB Trade Deadline. San Diego added a lot of exciting pitchers, including relief pitchers Robert Suarez and Nick Martinez, to multi-year deals.
The Padres also gave Michael Wacha a four-year deal and added another starter, Seth Lugo, a two-year contract.
On top of that, the Padres added Matt Carpenter for two years, brought in Nelson Cruz for a year, and expected to be at the top of the NL West.
That hasn’t been the case this year. The Padres have a losing record. But at the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline, despite the inconsistent play, San Diego decided to add more to the team.
That includes Garrett Cooper from the Marlins. Cooper was traded for LHP Ryan Weathers in a straight swap between the Marlins and Padres.
Cooper played 82 games for the Marlins this season, hitting over .250 with 13 home runs in 305 games. The Padres needed another right-handed bat because Nelson Cruz wasn’t planning out. Therefore, the Padres added Cooper to the team.
Since he came over, he’s only had 49 at-bats. He’s scored six times, has one home run, and has struck out 13 times while only walking five times.
Sure, his OBP is .400 with the Padres. But he hasn’t produced many runs. He’s got 16 hits, with only five of them being for extra bases.
Garrett Cooper Player Profile & Stats
Cooper is only on a 4.2 million-dollar one-year deal with the Padres. He’ll be a free agent after this season, which is one of the reasons why the Padres added Cooper to their roster at the MLB Trade Deadline.
Cooper is in the last year of arbitration and can finally test free agency when he’s 33. It’s unlikely that the Padres bring Cooper back.
Against lefties, the right-hander has hit a .139 ISO and wOBA of .382. However, he’s struck out 30.6% of the time this season against lefties while only walking 5.9%.
Meanwhile, with the Padres, Cooper rarely faces righties. But he’s hit a .178 ISO with a wOBA of .303 against them this season. Still, his strikeout rate is at 28.7% against righties this season.
Garrett Cooper Career Stats
Garrett Cooper stats are usually complex. He’s had good career numbers as a reliable bat for any team. But his strikeout rate typically ruins his value.
Cooper has struck out 462 times in his career and only walked 141 times. He’s also had just one season with at least 15 home runs. He’s not a big power bat but isn’t fantastic at making contact. Cooper won’t be in any MLB leaders 2023 rankings. Those are some MLB predictions that I’m confident in.
| Garrett Cooper | Stats |
|---|---|
| GP | 458 |
| AB | 1560 |
| R | 178 |
| H | 425 |
| HR | 53 |
| RBI | 146 |
| AVG | .272 |
| OBP | .340 |
| OPS | .779 |
Despite hitting just one home run with San Diego, the right-hander has exceeded his career numbers with the Padres.
| Garrett Cooper | 2023 Stats (with Padres) |
|---|---|
| GP | 18 |
| AB | 49 |
| R | 6 |
| H | 16 |
| HR | 1 |
| RBI | 5 |
| AVG | .327 |
| OBP | .400 |
| SLG | .869 |
Auditioning For a New Team
Every night, the Padres continue to look defeated. The baseball scores tell it all. The Padres are no longer in contention for a playoff spot in the National League. When writing this, the Padres are seven games out of the NL Wild Card and behind six teams for three playoff spots in the Wild Card.
Cooper is finally healthy and playing against left-handed starters moving forward. He’ll likely want an everyday role with a new team next year.
With his contract expiring after the 2023 season, Cooper will be a free agent in 2024. He’ll get to decide where he plays, and he’ll look for the team that fits him the best.
If there’s a team that needs a right-handed hitter in their everyday lineup, Cooper could be an intriguing option. He regularly batted at the top of the lineup for the Marlins over the last couple of years before his trade to the Padres.
Cooper has hit over 28% of fly balls and line drives against lefties throughout the season. He’s also hit over 47% of hard contact with a .490 BABIP against lefties. That BABIP is why Cooper has an IBP of .400 with the Padres in just 49 at-bats. That ultimately won’t last. But because he’s limited ground balls and continues to hit line drives and fly balls against lefties, he’s getting on base and making things happen.
Even against righties, Cooper has smacked 47.9% of hard contact and has a .290 BABIP. Cooper isn’t nearly as good against right-handed pitchers, but he’s still hit over 25% of line drives and fly balls against them this season.
These Garrett Cooper stats are average. But he still belongs in the league, even if he’ll be 33 next season. It’s unclear if he’ll get a multi-year deal, but Cooper should have no problem finding a new home next year if he’s got a good agent.
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