The St. Louis Cardinals are coming off a rough week, going 2-4. They lost two of three to the Arizona Diamondbacks (the fourth game of the series was rained out, to the displeasure of Paul Sewald), then lost two of three to the Miami Marlins. The offense scored just 13 runs, while the pitching did not fare much better, allowing 25 runs.
As a result, this week’s Cardinals’ standouts installment might include a little less-than-stellar performances. It is the nature of the sometimes cruel game of baseball.
Cardinals’ Standouts of the Week
Kyle Leahy
We are starting things with a positive from the Cardinals’ pitching staff. Kyle Leahy is in his first season in the rotation. If there was one thing that was concerning, it was how deep he could get into games. Prior to his first start this week, Leahy had only pitched five innings once in three starts.
Leahy started two games this week. His first start came on Tuesday, and he was fantastic. He pitched 6.1 innings, allowing no runs on three hits. It was his longest start of the season and the least amount of hits given up since May 10th.
His second start came on Sunday, when he did not go deep into the game but did display resilience and effectiveness. He had a long first inning, but managed to keep the Marlins off the scoreboard. Leahy then pitched three more scoreless and quicker innings before running into more trouble in the fifth. After back-to-back doubles, Leahy settled down again and got out of trouble, keeping his team ahead in a game they eventually won.
For reasons we will get into later, Leahy’s ability to get deep into a game and overcome a long inning will be important as the season continues. The Cardinals were certainly hoping to see progression from the right-hander as the season has gone on. This week was a big step.
Blaze Jordan
Blaze Jordan is batting .250 since joining the Major Leagues earlier this month. He has provided some needed stability near the bottom of the order. Furthermore, he has looked good defensively. He has played both third and first base effectively.
This week, Jordan has had some good moments with the bat, driving in five runs within three games against the Diamondbacks. He had a three RBI game on Wednesday in the team’s 9-4 loss. Of the 13 runs the Cardinals scored this week, Jordan drove in 38% of them.
Jordan was having a great season in the minor leagues. It is nice seeing him continue to drive in runs. It was not a perfect week by any means, with only three hits, but the fact that he was still able to drive in runs is another sign of his talents at the plate. It is said that a ball in play is never a bad thing. Jordan may not have gotten the hits, but he made the most of his at-bats with men in scoring position.
Matthew Liberatore
Remember those “reasons we will get into later” that were mentioned at the end of the Leahy bit? Well, here are those reasons.
Unfortunately, we have to give the top spot to this week’s Cardinals’ standouts installment to someone who stood out for the wrong reasons: Matthew Liberatore.
Liberatore’s only start this week was not a good one. He gave up six runs in 5.1 innings on Wednesday. All six runs came in the fourth inning. He had pitched effectively through three innings, but the wheels fell off the wagon in the fourth inning. It is impressive that he still managed to pitch into the sixth inning.
Liberatore went into this season as the Cardinals’ “ace,” and yes, we are using that term loosely. Still, he was the second-most experienced pitcher on the roster and earned the start on Opening Day. However, he has not pitched well. His ERA stands at 5.56. Furthermore, like Leahy, he has struggled pitching deep into games. He has only pitched six full innings twice this season. Most of the time, he pitches into the fifth inning, but sometimes he cannot even make it out of that inning.
Liberatore’s place atop this Cardinals’ standouts list is in question because his latest poor start raises this question. Should he go back into the bullpen? When he was in the bullpen in 2024, he was effective. He can be an asset in the bullpen. If he is not going deep into games, why not put him in a situation where he has to pitch only a few innings at most? It is not as simple as that, of course. If Liberatore leaves the rotation, someone will have to replace him in it. Quinn Mathews is certainly an interesting name to consider, but is it the correct time to call up the youngster?
Regardless of who may replace Liberatore in the rotation, it is apparent his days in the starter’s role could be numbered.
The Week Ahead
The Cardinals will hit the road this week to try to bounce back. They will not have an easy task ahead of them. They face the Atlanta Braves before playing the Chicago Cubs over Fourth of July Weekend. A tough six games await. Are the Cardinals up for the challenge?
Check in next Sunday for the next list of Cardinals’ standouts! Who are we going to be talking about next week?
Main Photo: Jeff Curry- Imagn Images
