The St. Louis Cardinals had a lot of injuries, but Adam Wainwright was dominant throughout the season, and they also received strong play from Alex Reyes in the first half of the year. While Reyes started to falter from after that point, the other pitchers managed to pick up the slack, and the Cardinals made the most out of a makeshift collection of pitchers that they managed to find along the way.
Starters:
Adam Wainwright
2021 (STL): 17-7, 3.05 ERA, 206.1 IP, 7.3 H9, 0.9 HR9, 2.2 BB9, 7.6 K9, 3.66 FIP, 3.8 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): 0-0, 1.69 ERA, 5.1 IP, 6.8 H9, 1.7 HR9, 3.4 BB9, 8.4 K9
Adam Wainwright had a terrific season, as he had a rejuvenation year by managing to get 17 wins, and he had a very impressive Cy Young-caliber season at age 40.
2021 Grade: A
2022 Rating: 4 stars
2022 Expectations: Starting pitcher and ace of the St. Louis Cardinals
Jack Flaherty
2021 (STL): 9-2, 3.22 ERA, 78.1 IP, 6.5 H9, 1.4 HR9, 3 BB9, 9.8 K9, 4.22 FIP, 0.9 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
Jack Flaherty pitched fairly well when he was healthy, and he did a very good job of striking hitters out. However, he was quite injury prone this year, and he didn’t seem to be fully healthy as he tried to come back late in the season. He also allowed the long ball at a fairly alarming rate this season.
2021 Grade: B-
2022 Rating: 3 stars
2022 Expectations: Starting pitcher of the St. Louis Cardinals
Kwang Hyun Kim
2021 (STL): 7-7, 3.46 ERA, 106.2 IP, 8.3 H9, 1 HR9, 3.3 BB9, 6.8 K9, 4.34 FIP, 1.2 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
Kwang Hyun Kim did a decent job as a starting pitcher this season. He was a pitch-to-contact pitcher, and he had pretty good command of his pitches when he was healthy this year.
2021 Grade: C+
2022 Rating: 2.5 stars
2022 Expectations: Starting pitcher of the St. Louis Cardinals
Dakota Hudson
2021 (STL): 1-0, 2.08 ERA, 8.2 IP, 7.3 H9, 0 HR9, 1 BB9, 6.2 K9, 2.48 FIP, 0.3 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
Dakota Hudson missed most of the season due to injury, but he showed great command in the brief time he was out on the mound this year.
2021 Grade: B
2022 Rating: 2.5 stars
2022 Expectations: Starting pitcher of the St. Louis Cardinals
Miles Mikolas
2021 (STL): 2-3, 4.23 ERA, 44.2 IP, 8.7 H9, 1.2 HR9, 2.2 BB9, 6.2 K9, 4.40 FIP, 0.5 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
Miles Mikolas has had trouble staying healthy over the years, but he’s shown solid control of his pitches when healthy. He’s had some trouble keeping the ball in the ball park, but he’s proven that he can be a solid starting pitcher when healthy.
2021 Grade: C
2022 Rating: 2 stars
2022 Expectations: Starting pitcher in the majors
J.A. Happ
2021 (STL): 5-2, 4.00 ERA, 54 IP, 8.7 H9, 1.5 HR9, 2.8 BB9, 7.5 K9, 4.61 FIP, 0.4 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
J.A. Happ also showed decent enough control and command to help the Cardinals go on a massive winning streak in the second half of the season. He struggled to keep the ball in the ball park, but he did other things pretty well, and he had an underrated presence on the mound.
2021 Grade: C+
2022 Rating: 2 stars
2022 Expectations: Starting pitcher somewhere in the majors
Jake Woodford
2021 (STL): 3-4, 3.99 ERA, 67.2 IP, 8.8 H9, 0.9 HR9, 3.3 BB9, 6.7 K9, 4.50 FIP, 0.3 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
Woodford showed decent command of his pitches and versatility by being able to start and come out of the bullpen this year. He wasn’t an outstanding pitcher, but he pitched well enough to be counted on for net season.
2021 Grade: C+
2022 Rating: 1.5 stars (2.5 stars potential)
2022 Expectations: Spot starter or long reliever in the majors
Johan Oviedo
2021 (STL): 0-5, 4.91 ERA, 62.1 IP, 8.8 H9, 1.2 HR9, 5.3 BB9, 7.4 K9, 5.27 FIP, -0.1 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
After he was called up last year and held his own in the majors, it was perhaps expected for Oviedo to take on a greater role and get an extended stay in the big leagues this time.
Unfortunately, he didn’t pitch too well in the majors. He showed flashes of his potential at times, as he does have strike out stuff, but he also had control and command issues, and he was somehow even worse in AAA when he was demoted. Right now, it’s unclear if he’ll pitch much in the majors next season, as he’ll need to get his game back on track.
2021 Grade: D
2022 Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)
2022 Expectations: AAA starter in the minors, emergency spot starter or long reliever in the majors
Jon Lester
2021 (STL): 4-1, 4.36 ERA, 66 IP, 9.3 H9, 1.5 HR9, 3.5 BB9, 5.5 K9, 5.40 FIP, 0 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
Jon Lester was acquired in a midseason trade, and he was lucky enough to help the team win a handful of games when he was on the mound. It seemed that he was definitely helped out by good defense and run support this year. He didn’t do any one thing particularly well this year, except show enough command, have a calming veteran presence, and be a good luck charm for the Cardinals.
2021 Grade: C
2022 Rating: 1.5 stars
2022 Expectations: Starting pitcher somewhere in the majors
Wade LeBlanc
2021 (STL): 0-1, 3.61 ERA, 42.1 IP, 9.6 H9, 1.5 HR9, 3.4 BB9, 4.9 K9, 5.58 FIP, 0 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
LeBlanc was helped out considerably by good defense, but he struggled to keep the ball in the ball park, and he was not a threat at all to strike hitters out. He wasn’t a great starting pitcher by any means, but he wasn’t terrible either, as he was decent enough of a starter to let the bullpen help decide the outcome of games when he was out there.
2021 Grade: C
2022 Rating: 1.5 stars
2022 Expectations: Spot starter or long reliever somewhere in the majors
Carlos Martinez
2021 (STL): 4-9, 6.23 ERA, 82.1 IP, 8.4 H9, 0.9 HR9, 3.9 BB9, 6.2 K9, 4.76 FIP, 0.6 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
Carlos Martinez really struggled as a starter once again this season, and he just had trouble with his command or to consistently make quality pitches this year. In addition, he’s been hurt by injuries over the years, and his velocity has dipped drastically since he’s first been called up to the majors. This season was technically an improvement for him compared to 2020, but it was still not a great year for him by any means or stretch of the imagination.
2021 Grade: D-
2022 Rating: 1.5 stars
2022 Expectations: Spot starter/long man in the majors
Relievers:
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Giovanny Gallegos
2021 (STL): 6-5, 3.02 ERA, 80.1 IP, 14 SV, 5.7 H9, 0.7 HR9, 2.2 BB9, 10.6 K9, 2.75 FIP, 2.2 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP, 9 H9, 0 HR9, 0 BB9, 18 K9
Gallegos turned out to be the best reliever on the Cardinals’ team by far, and he was the most dependable bullpen pitcher on this team. He pitched very well down the stretch and in the playoffs.
There were reports that he couldn’t grip his slider pitch prior to the start of the 9th inning, which was reportedly why he was taken out of the game. Still, he had a very good season for the Cards this year.
2021 Grade: A-
2022 Rating: 3.5 stars
2022 Expectations: Set up man or closer on the St. Louis Cardinals
Alex Reyes
2021 (STL): 10-8, 3.24 ERA, 72.1 IP, 29 SV, 5.7 H9, 1.1 HR9, 6.5 BB9, 11.8 K9, 4.40 FIP, 0.2 WAR, made the 2021 NL All-Star Team
2021 (Playoffs): 0-0, inf, 0 IP, inf H9, inf HR9
Reyes was lights out as a closer in the first half, and he is a fireballer that could consistently throw in the triple digits to strike hitters out. He also was very wild and often had control issues, so much of the first half of Reyes racking up saves was me wondering if he was defying analytics and was getting saves due to his extremely good stuff, or if he was extremely lucky. Either way, he surpassed expectations by a long shot in the first half, and he was contending with Wainwright, O’Neill and others to be the Cardinals’ team MVP at that point.
Turns out, the answer to that question was a little bit of both, that he was getting outs due to his very good stuff but he was also very lucky too. However, his wildness caught up to him in the second half and later on in the season. When other teams caught wind that he was a talented pitcher that could close games, they got the book on him and studied him, and Reyes had trouble adjusting to them late in the season. He started blowing leads and saves, and he lost his closer job late in the year. He was entrusted to come in the game in the 9th inning against the Dodgers, but ended up allowing a heartbreaking walk-off homer that ended the Cards’ season.
2021 Grade: B
2022 Rating: 2.5 stars
2022 Expectations: Set up man or closer on the St. Louis Cardinals
Génesis Cabrera
2021 (STL): 4-5, 3.73 ERA, 70 IP, 6.7 H9, 0.4 HR9, 4.6 BB9, 9.9 K9, 3.28 FIP, 1.1 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
He’s a left-handed, hard thrower that had a very good season, as he did a great job of keeping the ball in the ballpark, and he struck a lot of hitters out. He had some control issues, but he proved to be one of the more reliable relievers on this team.
2021 Grade: B
2022 Rating: 2.5 stars
2022 Expectations: Relief pitcher on the St. LouiS Cardinals
Jordan Hicks
2021 (STL): 0-0, 5.40 ERA, 10 IP, 4.5 H9, 0 HR9, 9 BB9, 9 K9, 4.17 FIP, 0 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
Hicks is the team’s former closer that once threw 105 MPH, as he had a blistering fastball that would absolutely punish and devastate hitters. He’s been oft-injured since, and he’s had trouble staying healthy. He also has a tendency to overthrow and walk batters. He was briefly up but continued to run into injuries, and he was disastrous in three starts in AAA.
2021 Grade: D+
2022 Rating: 2 stars (3 stars potential)
2022 Expectations: Relief pitcher in the majors
Kodi Whitley
2021 (STL): 0-0, 2.49 ERA, 25.1 IP, 5.3 H9, 0.4 HR9, 4.3 BB9, 9.6 K9, 2.97 FIP, 0.4 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
Kodi Whitley is a hard-throwing relief pitcher that did a good job of striking hitters out and keeping balls in the ballpark, but he did have some control issues. Still, he had a pretty good season this year.
2021 Grade: B
2022 Rating: 2 stars (2.5 stars potential)
2022 Expectations: Relief pitcher in the majors
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Luis García
2021 (STL): 1-1, 3.24 ERA, 33.1 IP, 6.8 H9, 0.5 HR9, 2.2 BB9, 9.2 K9, 2.72 FIP, 0.7 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 5.4 H9, 0 HR9, 5.4 BB9, 0 K9
Garcia had a rejuvenation year, as he was plucked off the scrap heap, and managed to turn in a great season. The hard-throwing reliever pitched very well in relief for the Cards this year.
He showed a good fastball and slider, and he was one of the most dependable bullpen arms for the Cardinals this season. He didn’t have control issues this year. He also pitched well in the playoffs, though a couple of balls were hit hard and he was saved by the great defense of his team. Either way, Garcia still had a very good year in 2021.
2021 Grade: A
2022 Rating: 2 stars
2022 Expectations: Middle reliever or set up man for the St. Louis Cardinals
Ryan Helsley
2021 (STL): 6-4, 4.56 ERA, 47.1 IP, 1 SV, 7.6 H9, 0.8 HR9, 5.1 BB9, 8.9 K9, 3.99 FIP, 0.3 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
Helsley is a hard-thrower that was able to strike plenty of hitters out, but he also ran into some control issues this season.
2021 Grade: C
2022 Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)
2022 Expectations: Relief pitcher in the majors
Seth Elledge
2021 (STL): 0-0, 4.63 ERA, 11.2 IP, 10 H9, 0.8 HR9, 5.4 BB9, 8.5 K9, 4.46 FIP, 0 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
He showed that he can strike hitters out, but he also had control issues throughout the season.
2021 Grade: D
2022 Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)
2022 Expectations: AAA reliever in the minors, emergency spot starter or long reliever in the majors
T.J. McFarland
2021 (STL): 4-1, 2.56 ERA, 38.2 IP, 7.4 H9, 0.7 HR9, 2.1 BB9, 4.9 K9, 3.79 FIP, 0.3 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): 0-1, 13.50 ERA, 0.2 IP, 0 H9, 0 HR9, 13.5 BB9, o K9
McFarland was another relief pitcher that was plucked right off the scrap heap, and managed to turn in a good season this year with the St. Louis Cardinals. He did a great job of locating and commanding his pitches. He almost was able to make it through the 9th inning in the Wildcard game, but he walked in the eventual go-ahead run, and was taken out in the loss.
2021 Grade: B+
2022 Rating: 1.5 stars
2022 Expectations: Relief pitcher in the majors
Andrew Miller
2021 (STL): 0-0, 4.75 ERA, 36 IP, 10.3 H9, 1.3 HR9, 4 BB9, 10 K9, 4.50 FIP, -0.1 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
The left-handed, Andrew Miller struggled more with his command this year, as he didn’t do a great job of keeping the ball in the ballpark or locating his pitches this season. On the other hand, he still did a good job of striking hitters out. He’s historically been a very good bullpen pitcher, but this wasn’t his season in 2021.
2021 Grade: D
2022 Rating: 1.5 stars
2022 Expectations: Relief pitcher in the majors
Justin Miller
2021 (STL): 1-0, 4.50 ERA, 16 IP, 8.4 H9, 1.1 HR9, 2.8 BB9, 5.1 K9, 4.98 FIP, -0.1 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
Miller showed good control of his pitches, but he had trouble keeping the ball in the ballpark, and rarely struck hitters out, either.
2021 Grade: C
2022 Rating: 1.5 stars
2022 Expectations: Relief pitcher in the majors
Junior Fernandez
2021 (STL): 1-0, 5.66 ERA, 20.2 IP, 10.9 H9, 0.9 HR9, 6.5 BB9, 6.5 K9, 5.15 FIP, -0.1 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
Fernandez spent another season up in the majors, but he didn’t seem to do any one thing particularly well in the bullpen, and he was extremely walk prone this year.
2021 Grade: D-
2022 Rating: 1 star (2 stars potential)
2022 Expectations: AAA reliever in the minors, emergency spot starter or long reliever in the majors
Tyler Webb
2021 (STL): 0-0, 13.22 ERA, 16.1 IP, 12.1 H9, 0.6 HR9, 10.5 BB9, 7.7 K9, 5.74 FIP, -0.1 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
The left-handed reliever, Webb was just terrible this season, and he was extremely walk prone this year.
2021 Grade: F
2022 Rating: 1 star
2022 Expectations: AAA reliever in the minors, emergency spot starter or long reliever in the majors
Designated For Assignment:
Daniel Ponce de Leon
2021 (STL): 1-1, 6.21 ERA, 33.1 IP, 8.6 H9, 1.4 HR9, 5.9 BB9, 6.5 K9, 6.11 FIP, -0.5 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
Ponce de Leon was bad from the get go, and he was later DFAed by the Cardinals.
2021 Grade: F
2022 Rating: 1 star
2022 Expectations: AAA reliever in the minors, emergency spot starter or long reliever in the majors
Traded Away:
John Gant
2021 (STL): 4-6, 3.42 ERA, 76.1 IP, 7.5 H9, 0.7 HR9, 6.6 BB9, 6.6 K9, 5.12 FIP, 0.5 WAR
2021 (Playoffs): N/A
John Gant was traded away to the Minnesota Twins this year. He was a pitch-to-contact pitcher that could start or come out of the bullpen, but he also walked hitters at a very alarming rate this year.
2021 Grade: C (C w/STL and C w/MIN)
2022 Rating: 1.5 stars
2022 Expectations: Long reliever in the majors
Pitching Coach – Mike Maddux
2021 (STL): 90-72, 3.98 ERA, 7.8 H9, 1 HR9, 3.9 BB9, 7.8 K9, 4.30 FIP
2021 (Postseason): 0-1, 3.12 ERA, 7.3 H9, 2.1 HR9, 4.2 BB9, 7.3 BB9
Maddux had a solid season as the pitching coach for the Cardinals. Wainwright had a rejuvenation year, and Wainwright dominated, especially in the second half of the season. Maddux also helped aging veterans, John Lester, J.A. Happ, and Wade LeBlanc pitch well in the starting rotation for the Cards this year.
The most impressive aspect of his coaching this year was that he made the most of a makeshift bullpen that was pretty much mostly plucked off the scrap heap, and he helped turn this team into a playoff baseball team. Even though the Cardinals faltered in the Wildcard game, this was a good coaching job by Maddox this year.
2021 Grade: A
2022 Rating: 3 stars
2022 Expectations: Pitching coach of the St. Louis Cardinals
Conclusion:
Overall, plenty of pitchers on the St. Louis Cardinals ended up missing considerable time due to injuries, but the Cardinals made the most out of the group they were able to work with this season. Adam Wainwright had a terrific season, as he had 17 wins, and was one of the best pitchers in baseball this year. The Cardinals plucked plenty of pitchers off of the waiver wire and through trades, and found a way to make it all work to get to the postseason.
The Cardinals' pitching was a key component in helping the Cards go on a 17-game winning streak en route to reaching the postseason. It was tough to see the Cardinals lose in a heartbreaker in the Wildcard game to the Dodgers, but the Cardinals had a good season overall, and their solid pitching throughout the year was a key component in helping them have a good year in 2021.
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