Rookie righties square off as Padres face Cards

Two of the top rookie pitchers in the National League will be paired Saturday night at Petco Park in San Diego.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Dakota Hudson (6-3, 3.36 ERA) will be matched against San Diego Padres right-hander Chris Paddack (4-4, 3.18).

The pair rank among the top five rookie starting pitchers (minimum 60 innings) in every statistical category and among the top three in most. The only rookie starting pitcher higher on most charts is Mike Soroka of the Atlanta Braves.

Paddack ranks second among National League rookie starters in ERA while Hudson is third. Paddack is first in opponents' batting average with a .205 mark. Hudson is third in wins.

A key difference Saturday night, though, is that Hudson will be facing the Padres for the first time while Paddack pitched at St. Louis on April 6. Paddack limited the Cardinals to one unearned run on a hit and four walks with four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.

The Cardinals selected Hudson as the 34th overall pick in the 2016 draft out of Mississippi State. Hudson, 24, is 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds.

Paddack, 23, was acquired by the Padres in a trade with Miami on June 30, 2016, in exchange for closer Fernando Rodney. He was the Marlins' eighth-round pick in the 2015 draft. He is 6-4, 195 pounds.

Both Hudson and Paddack have earned praise from their managers.

"Dakota has been out most consistent starter," Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. "He uses a proven recipe ... sinker, slider, keep the ball down, control counts, get grounders and work efficiently. He's been a competitor since his first day in the organization."

Paddack's forte is a mix led by a fastball/changeup mix. Like Hudson, Paddack's competitive (and fiery) nature matches his repertoire.

"Chris is all in every time he takes the mound," Padres manager Andy Green has said. "The ball moves. His stuff is alive. And he wants to get better, he strives to be the best."

While Hudson came to the major leagues last summer, Paddack spent the 2018 season on limited duty with 17 minor league starts while rehabbing from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery in the summer of 2016. The Padres are still limiting Paddack's innings, and he recently returned from a 10-day trip to the minors during which he didn't appear in a game.

This will be Paddack's second start since his return to the Padres. He allowed two runs on five hits and three walks in five inning during a no-decision on June 22 in Pittsburgh.

After his first nine starts, Paddack had a 1.93 ERA. He has given up 15 runs (14 earned) on 25 hits and five walks with 17 strikeouts over 19 1/3 innings in his four most recent starts for a 6.52 ERA.

Hudson matched his career high of seven innings in his last outing on June 22 while throwing a career-high 112 pitches. He held the Los Angeles Angels to one run on five hits and a walk with six strikeouts to earn a 4-2 win.

--Field Level Media