2019 Grades For The St. Louis Cardinals’ Pitchers, Pitching Coach, Manager, Front Office, and Overall Season

The St. Louis Cardinals had a good season, overall.  Sure, they didn’t win the title or the whole thing in 2019, but plenty of doubters had them missing the playoffs, but the Cardinals were able to get to the postseason this year.  Jack Flaherty pitched very well, and he showed off second half dominance on the mound.  The Cardinals had a surprisingly good bullpen that still had some hiccups.  Though they had some trouble closing out games in the NLDS, they had some solid relievers that could be relied upon in critical situations.  Andrew Miller had a down season overall, but he pitched very well in the playoffs.  If only if the pitchers could’ve gotten some help from the offense in the NLCS, the Cardinals’ season could have been even better, but they ran out of gas when they squared off against the Washington Nationals in the postseason.

Jack Flaherty had a stellar 2019 season, as he was absolutely dominant
in the second half, the only down note was
that he was overworked a bit in the playoffs.
(Photo: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports via Minor League Ball)

SP – Jack Flaherty – A-

2019 (MLB): 11-8, 2.75 ERA, 196.1 IP, 231 K, 6.2 H9, 1.1 HR9, 2.5 BB9, 10.6 K9, 3.46 FIP, 4.7 WAR

2019 (Postseason): 1-2, 4.24 ERA, 17 IP, 22 K, 9 H9, 1.1 HR9, 2.1 BB9, 11.6 K9

Jack Flaherty had a very good second season with the Cardinals, as he struck out 231 batters in the regular season, was dominant in the second half of the year, and he was consistently the best pitcher on the team all year long.  The Cards seemed to have overworked him a bit in the playoffs as there were times where he would falter late in games, but Flaherty is a terrific talent that could be the ace of the staff for years to come if managed properly.

2020 Expectations: #1 starter, ace of the staff

2020 Player Rating: 4 stars

Miles Mikolas had a down 2019 season, but he was still
very reliable as a starter in the playoffs.
(Photo courtesy of Joe Robbins of Getty Images via Redbird Rants)

SP – Miles Mikolas – C+

2019 (MLB): 9-14, 4.16 ERA,184 IP, 144 K, 9.4 H9, 1.3 HR9, 1.6 BB9, 7.0 K9, 4.27 FIP, 2.5 WAR

2019 (Postseason): 1-1, 1.50 ERA, 12 IP, 9 K, 7.5 H9, 0 HR9, 2.5 BB9, 5/6 K9

Miles Mikolas had a relatively down season from last year, as his opponents hit him more so than last year, but he still showed solid command, and he pitched well in the playoffs.  He’s a steady, reliable veteran pitcher that can consistently get outs.  His regular season wasn’t quite as hoped, but he was there in the postseason when the team needed him.

2020 Expectations: Middle of the rotation starter

2020 Player Rating: 3 stars

Adam Wainwright had a very good 2019 season capped off
by a very good playoffs showing from him.
(Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images via Viva El Birdos)

SP – Adam Wainwright - B

2019 (MLB): 14-10, 4.19 ERA, 171.2 IP, 153 K, 9.5 H9, 1.2 HR9, 3.4 BB9, 8 K9, 4.36 FIP, 2.2 WAR

2019 (Postseason): 0-1, 1.62 ERA, 16.2 IP, 19 K, 7 H9, 0.5 HR9, 1.6 BB9, 10.3 K9

Adam Wainwright had a good season, as he showed good command, even in old age.  He pitched very well in the playoffs, but he was overworked as he faltered a bit late down the stretch after throwing so many pitches.  Wainwright had a good season, and he can still produce at a high level in the majors.

2020 Expectations: 4^th or 5^th starter

2020 Player Rating: 2.5 stars

Dakota Hudson won 16 games as a rookie, but advanced metrics didn't seem to
favor nearly as much as they suggested that he received plenty of help on defense,
and he had a rough first postseason in the majors.
(Photo: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports via Viva El Birdos)

SP – Dakota Hudson – C+

2019 (MLB): 16-7, 3.35 ERA, 174.2 IP, 136 K, 8.2 H9, 1.1 HR9, 4.4 BB9, 7 K9, 4.93 FIP, 1.0 WAR

2019 (Postseason): 0-1, 9 ERA, 5 IP, 2 K, 18 H9, 1.8 HR9, 5.4 BB9, 3.6 K9

On the surface, it seemed that Dakota Hudson had a fantastic season.  He recorded 16 wins in his rookie year, had a 3.35 ERA in the regular season, and he also started in the playoffs.

However, most of his success came defense-aided as he still had trouble limiting walks or homers, and he really had trouble getting outs in the postseason.  Hudson had trouble missing bats, and he really came unglued when he didn’t have the defense to bail him out.  He was awful in Game 4 of the NLCS, but so was the defense.  But that shouldn’t overshadow his still good rookie season, but it may also mean that Hudson might not have as much upside as people think he may have.

2020 Expectations: 4^th or 5^th starter

2020 Player Rating: 2.5 stars

SP – Michael Wacha - D

2019 (MLB): 6-7, 4.76 ERA, 126.2 IP, 104 K, 10.2 H9, 1.8 HR9, 3.9 BB9, 7.4 K9, 5.61 FIP, -0.2 WAR

Michael Wacha had a disappointing, yet another injury plagued season, and it’s clear that another “Wacha-mania” is probably never coming back.  That’s a shame, because Wacha used to be so good.  Emphasis on “used to be,” that is.

2020 Expectations: Back end starter/Long reliever in the majors

2020 Player Rating: 2 stars

Carlos Martinez filled in as the closer when Jordan Hicks ended up missing
the rest of the season due to injury.
He did a decent job in the regular season, but his inability to close
out games in the playoffs really raise questions if he can be relied upon in big games.
(Photo: Jamie Squire of Getty Images via For The Win.)

CL – Carlos Martinez – C+

2019 (MLB): 4-2, 3.17 ERA, 48.1 IP, 24 SV, 53 K, 7.3 H9, 0.4 HR9, 3.4 BB9, 9.9 K9, 2.86 FIP, 1.2 WAR

2019 (Postseason): 1-1, 14.73 ERA, 3.2 IP, 5 K, 14.7 H9, 4.9 HR9, 9.8 BB9, 12.3 K9

When Jordan Hicks went down to injury, Carlos Martinez filled in nicely in the closer role in the regular season.  However, Martinez still had many adventurous saves in which he would almost blow them, and then he really had trouble getting clean innings in the playoffs.  His lackluster postseason nearly cost the Cards in the NLDS, and it also probably prevented him from logging more innings in the NLCS.

Martinez is a talented pitcher that can strike hitters out, but he also would struggle with his command.  But when he’s on his game, he can be a lights out pitcher regardless of the role he’s asked to be in. 

2020 Expectations: Multi-inning reliever in the majors or set-up man

2020 Player Rating: 3 stars

 

Andrew Miller made up for an inconsistent season by
absolutely dominating hitters in the 2019 playoffs.
(Photo: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images via The Athletic.)

RP – Andrew Miller – C+

2019 (MLB): 5-6, 4.45 ERA, 54.2 IP, 70 K, 7.4 H9, 1.8 HR9, 4.4 BB9, 11.5 K9, 5.19 FIP, -0.4 WAR

2019 (Postseason): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 IP, 6 K, 1.8 H9, 0 HR9, 3.6 BB9, 10.8 K9

Andrew Miller was seen as a big get this year, but for most of the season, he disappointed, as he had regularly struggled to keep the ball in the ball park as well as to keep himself from walking batters.

But he flipped the switched and put the gear on high, as he was lights out as a reliever in postseason.  He turned into the Andrew Miller of old, as he would bail out his teammates and find a way to get out of jams.  Miller’s one of the older players on this team, but if he can pitch as well as he did in the playoffs, he could have a productive 2020 season.

2020 Expectations: Set up man

2020 Player Rating: 2.5 stars

RP – Giovanny Gallegos – A-

2019 (MLB): 3-2, 2.31 ERA, 74 IP, 93 K, 5.4 H9, 1.1 HR9, 1.9 BB9, 11.3 K9, 3.05 FIP, 1.6 WAR

2019 (Postseason): 0-0, 2.08 ERA, 4.1 IP, 6 K, 6.2 H9, 0 HR9, 6.2 BB9, 12.5 K9

Giovanny Gallegos had a great rookie season.  He was asked to pitch in high leverage situations, and he usually came through, as he is a hard-throwing reliever that can control his pitches and strike hitters out.  Gallegos pitched very well this year, and he could be ready for a bigger role next season.

2020 Expectations: Middle reliever

2020 Player Rating: 3 stars

Jordan Hicks pitched very well as the closer before going down to an elbow injury,
and the Cards could've really used him in the 2019 playoffs.
(Photo: Mark Brown/Getty Images via Deadspin)

 CL – Jordan Hicks - B

2019 (MLB): 2-2, 3.14 ERA, 28.2 IP, 14 SV, 31 K, 5.0 H9, 0.6 HR9, 3.5 BB9, 9.7 K9, 3.21 FIP, 0.5 WAR

Jordan Hicks is the hardest thrower on the team, as he can throw 105 MPH when healthy.  He did a good job of closing out games and striking hitters out, as he showed significant growth prior to going down with a season-ending injury.  It’ll be interesting to see if he can regain the skills he had in 2019 and return to form, as people will be looking to see if there will be a drop off in his velocity when he comes back.  If his velocity doesn’t come all the way back, Hicks may return as a diminished version in 2020, but if he can regain that 105 MPH fastball, Hicks can return to being a promising, electric reliever that was building on his 2019 success.

2020 Expectations: Closer

2020 Player Rating: 2.5 stars (4 star potential)

RP – John Brebbia - B

2019 (MLB): 3-4, 3.59 ERA, 72.2 IP, 87 K, 7.3 H9, 0.7 HR9, 3.3 BB9, 10.8 K9, 3.13 FIP, 1.3 WAR

2019 (Postseason): 0-0, 6 ERA, 3 IP, 3 K, 21 H9, 3 HR9, 3 BB9, 9 K9

John Brebbia had a good season as he excelled in his role in the regular season, but he stumbled noticeably in the playoffs.  Brebbia had plenty of good moments, but he just wasn’t able to come through in the NLCS.

2020 Expectations: Middle reliever

2020 Player Rating: 2.5 stars

RP – Ryan Helsley – B

2019 (MLB): 2-0, 2.95 ERA, 36.2 IP, 32 K, 8.3 H9, 1.2 HR9, 2.9 BB9, 7.9 K9, 4.22 FIP, 0.1 WAR

2019 (Postseason): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.1 IP, 8 K, 1.7 H9, 0 HR9, 1.7 BB9, 13.5 K9

Helsley is a flamethrower that has an electric fastball.  He had some bumps in the regular season, but he really got into a groove and found his stride in the postseason.  Cardinal fans certainly have to be excited for what he can bring to the team in the future, and his stellar postseason play could be a very good sign of things to come.

2020 Expectations: Middle reliever

2020 Player Rating: 2.5 stars (3 star potential)

RP – Daniel Ponce de Leon – C+

2019 (MLB): 1-2, 3.70 ERA, 48.2 IP, 52 K, 6.7 H9, 1.1 HR9, 4.8 BB9, 9.6 K9, 4.41 FIP, 0.6 WAR

2019 (Postseason): 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 2 IP, 4 K, 9 H9, 0 HR9, 4.5 BB9, 18 K9

Ponce de Leon had his ups and downs, but some things are certain: he can go multiple innings, and he has an electric fastball.  He’s a hard thrower that can certainly get tough outs, but he had some command issues this season.  Still, he’s definitely a good reliever for a major league team to have in their bullpen.

2020 Expectations: Middle reliever

2020 Player Rating: 2.5 stars

RP – Genesis Cabrera – C+

2019 (MLB): 0-2, 4.87 ERA, 20.1 IP, 19 K, 10.2 H9, 0.9 HR9, 4.9 BB9, 8.4 K9, 4.54 FIP, 0.1 WAR

2019 (Postseason): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 1 K, 5.4 H9, 0 HR9, 0 BB9, 5.4 K9

Genesis Cabrera also is a young fireballer that has a very good fastball, and he is a lefty that could be one of the go-to left-handers out of the bullpen in the future.  He had some command issues in the regular season, but he got outs when he needed to in the playoffs, and he may likely be a solid bullpen arm next year.

2020 Expectations: Middle reliever

2020 Player Rating: 2.5 stars

RP – Tyler Webb - C

2019 (MLB): 2-1, 3.76 ERA, 55 IP, 48 K, 5.4 H9, 1.1 HR9, 4.8 BB9, 9.6 K9, 4.41 FIP, 0.1 WAR

2019 (Postseason): 0-0, 5.40 ERA, 3.1 IP, 5 K, 10.8 H9, 0 HR9, 2.7 BB9, 13.5 K9

Webb is a left-hander that was relied upon to get other lefties out, and he may have had his best season yet.  He had some command issues, but he also did a very good job of striking hitters out.  He may be a limited use, bullpen arm, but he’s still useful for a major league team to fill out the back end of a bullpen.

2020 Expectations: Middle reliever

2020 Player Rating: 2 stars

RP – John Gant – C+

2019 (MLB): 11-1, 3.66 ERA, 66.1 IP, 60 K, 6.9 H9, 0.5 HR9, 4.6 BB9, 8.1 K9, 3.73 FIP, 0.9 WAR

John Gant was the vulture of this team, as he earned a lot of wins in relief, as he was especially useful early in the season.  However, he had trouble with his command, as he walked too many batters, and he had trouble getting outs in high leverage situations.  He really faltered down the stretch, so much so that he was left off of the postseason roster.  If Gant can get things under control, he could be the long man once again for the Cards in 2020.

2020 Expectations: Multi-inning reliever/Long man in the majors

2020 Player Rating: 2 stars

RP – Junior Fernandez - C

2019 (MLB): 0-1, 5.40 ERA, 11.2 IP, 16 K, 6.9 H9, 1.5 HR9, 4.6 BB9, 12.3 K9, 5.27 FIP, -0.1 WAR

2019 (AAA): 2-1, 1.48 ERA, 24.1 IP, 6.3 H9, 0 HR9, 4.1 BB9, 10 K9

2019 (AA): 1-1, 1.55 ERA, 29 IP, 5.6 IP, 0.0 HR9, 3.4 BB9, 13.0 K9

Fernandez is a hard thrower that zoomed up the minors to get a call up to the majors, and he excelled at getting outs out of the bullpen in both AA and AAA.  In the big leagues though, he often struggled with his command, as he had trouble getting outs in critical situations.  He’ll need to control his pitches better, but Fernandez has the stuff to be in  a major league bullpen.

2020 Expectations: Middle reliever

2020 Player Rating: 2 stars (2.5 star potential)

Oh, Alex Reyes....your season was just terrible, and....
why did you break your pitching hand by punching that wall?  WHY???
(Photo: Jeff Curry of USA Today Sports)

This was basically how Alex Reyes' 2019 season went in a nutshell.
(Photo courtesy of GIPHY.)

RP Alex Reyes - F 

2019 (MLB): 0-1, 15.00 ERA, 3 IP, 2 K, 6 H9, 3 HR9, 18 BB9, 3 K9, 12.88 FIP , -0.3 WAR

2019 (AAA): 1-3, 7.39 ERA, 28 IP, 8.7 IP, 1.6 HR9, 7.7 BB9, 12.2 K9
2019 (A+): 0-1, 1.93 ERA, 9.1 IP, 8.7 H9, 0 HR9, 2.9 BB9, 10.6 K9

The former prized pitching prospect had a rough 2019 season after returning from an oblique injury.  Reyes had a frustrating season overall as he was abysmal in his short stint in the majors as well as in AAA, and then he ended his season abruptly by foolishly punching a wall in frustration. 

The once highly touted prospect that appeared to be the next Felix Hernandez did not pitch well at all in 2019, and one thing now seems certain: Reyes is no longer the ace of the future, and he may need to find a way to reliably get back to the majors as he may be wasting his potential away.  Nowadays, any means to salvage his future would be a plus for the Cardinals at this point, or if they can trade him for something of value, that also could be the next move for the Cards in dealing with him in 2020.

2020 Expectations: AAA starter, maybe come up as a September call-up in the majors

2020 Player Rating: 1.5 stars (2.5 star potential)

RP – Dominic Leone - D

2019 (MLB): 1-0, 5.53 ERA, 40.2 IP, 46 K, 8.6 H9, 2.0 HR9, 4.9 BB9, 10.2 K9, 5.45 FIP, -0.3 WAR

Leone did not have a great season, as he really struggled with his command in 2019.  He did strike hitters out at a solid rate, but for a veteran bullpen pitcher, he did not pitch nearly as well as he should have this past season, and he was left off the postseason roster.

2020 Expectations: Middle reliever

2020 Player Rating: 1.5 stars

RP – Mike Mayers – D-

2019 (MLB): 0-1, 6.63 ERA, 19 IP,16 K, 9.9 H9, 1.4 HR9, 5.2 BB9, 7.6 K9, 5.48 FIP, -0.1 WAR

Like Leone, Mayers also did not have a great season, as he really struggled with his command in 2019.  For a veteran bullpen pitcher, he did not pitch nearly as well as he should have this past season, and he was left off the postseason roster.  On the other hand, he was injured for a good portion of this season, but he still pitched poorly this year.

2020 Expectations: Middle reliever or AAA pitcher

2020 Player Rating: 1.5 stars

RP – Luke Gregerson – D-

2019 (MLB): 0-0, 7.94 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 K, 17.5 H9, 1.6 BB9, 3.2 K9, 3.04 FIP, 0.1 WAR

Gregerson did not have a great year, as he allowed a lot of hits when he was in the majors, and he had an injury-plagued 2019 season.

2020 Expectations: Middle reliever or AAA pitcher

2020 Player Rating: 1.5 stars

RP – Chasen Shreve – D-

2019 (MLB): 1-0, 9 ERA, 2 IP, 2 K, 9 H9, 4.5 BB9, 9 K9, 4.21 FIP, 0 WAR

Like Leone, Shreve also did not have a great season, as he really struggled with his command in 2019.  For a veteran bullpen pitcher, he did not pitch nearly as well as he should have this past season, and he was designated for assignment after a short stint with the Cardinals.

2020 Expectations: AAA pitcher

2020 Player Rating: 1 star

RP – Adalberto Mejia - F

2019 (MLB): 0-0, 9 ERA, 3 IP, 2 K, 24 H9, 3 BB9, 6 K9, 2.88 FIP, 0 WAR

Like Leone, Mejia also did not have a great season, as he really struggled with his command in 2019.  For a veteran bullpen pitcher, he did not pitch nearly as well as he should have this past season, and he was designated for assignment after a short stint with the Cardinals.

2020 Expectations: AAA pitcher

2020 Player Rating: 1 star

Pitching Coach – Mike Maddox - B

2019 Team (MLB): 91-71, 3.80 ERA, 52 SV, 8/0 H9, 1.2 HR9, 3.4 BB9, 8.7 K9

2019 Team (Postseason): 3-6, 3.42 ERA, 0 SV, 8.5 H9, 0.8 HR9, 3.1 BB9, 10.3 K9

It seems that the pitching coach did a good job of getting the starters and bullpen ready for games, as the team excelled at striking hitters out and limiting hits.  They did have some command issues at times, but the pitchers stepped it up a notch in the postseason.  If only if they could’ve gotten some offense in the NLCS, maybe the Cardinals would be playing in the World Series right now.  But Maddox did a good job of managing and utilizing his pitchers.

2020 Expectations:  The starters and relievers will have a solid season in 2020, and they will get the Cardinals to another playoff berth.

Manager – Mike Shildt – C+

President of Baseball Operations – John Mozeliak – C+

Team MLB (2019): .245 AVG, 210 HR, 714 RBI, 116 SB, .322 OBP, .415 SLG, .737 OPS, 23.0 K%, 4.01 P/PA

Team MLB (Postseason): .201 AVG, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 4 SB, .266 OBP, .322 SLG, .588 OPS, 28.9 K%, 3.83 P/PA

2019 Team (MLB): 91-71, 3.80 ERA, 52 SV, 8/0 H9, 1.2 HR9, 3.4 BB9, 8.7 K9

2019 Team (Postseason): 3-6, 3.42 ERA, 0 SV, 8.5 H9, 0.8 HR9, 3.1 BB9, 10.3 K9

Shildt and Mozeliak were successful in getting the Cardinals to the 2019 postseason, but the team fell short as they were badly swept in the NLCS against the Washington Nationals.  The offense really faltered as they failed to string together many hits against them, and though they acquired some big pieces to improve their hitting, the team’s woeful hitting and abysmal hitting approach in the postseason will be significant sources of concerns.

The 2019 St. Louis Cardinals’ Overall Grade: B-

The Cardinals did find a way to make it to the playoffs, as they exceeded some people’s expectations, but they met mine.  However, they fell short as they were swept in the NLCS by the Washington Nationals, and the Cardinals had trouble scoring runs despite having a revamped offense that included Paul Goldschmidt.  Jeff Albert’s launch angle revolution approach yielded mixed results.  The Cards’ offense would have binges and droughts, but they produced very little in the NLCS.  The Cardinals didn’t win the title, and their postseason ended in a disappointing fashion, but the Cards did come away with being the NL Central Division champions, as well as a memorable Game 5 of the NLDS this year.

Recommendations:

The St. Louis Cardinals need another elite, high-end starting pitcher to add to their pitching staff in order to strengthen their rotation.  They may also need an elite, high-end outfielder that has a sound hitting approach, but also would be one that fields well.  In addition, the Cards will need a solid backup infielder that can come through on a regular basis.  Most of all, they may need to upgrade over their current hitting coach, which will be unlikely, so the Cardinals’ hitters will just need to improve their hitting approach and field better in the postseason.