The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen was the most valuable unit in the first half of the season. If the team is going to make the playoffs, it needs an encore performance in the second half.
Cardinals Need Bullpen To Continue Success in Second Half
“You can’t say enough about what our pen has done. We play a close game every night,” said Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol after a 3-2 win over the Pittsburg Pirates on July 4. “They’ve been called on quite a bit and have done their job.”
One Of The Strongest Bullpens In MLB
The Cardinals bullpen stacks up well with others in MLB. They have the seventh-best ERA in baseball at 3.50. They have the most saves at 35 and the third most hold with 74 in the league.
“Our bullpen does a really nice job of just keeping you there so the offense feels like they always have a shot to come back and tie it up or take the lead,” Marmol said on July 5 after a 7-6 win over the Washington Nationals.
The unit gets batters to hit the ball into the ground. They have the second-highest ground-out-to-air-out ratio in baseball, behind only the Giant’s bullpen. In all, the bullpen has induced 31 ground-out double plays, the seventh most in Baseball.
While the Cardinals’ bullpen has the fifth-lowest strikeout rate in the League, it doesn’t allow many free passes. The unit has surrendered only 113 walks, the fourth-lowest in Baseball.
“We continue to see different guys step up in that pen regardless of leverage. They’re just doing the job. So, a ton of credit to that group,” Marmol said on July 4.
Standouts From The bullpen
The success of the Cardinals closer has been well documented through his All-Star campaign. Ryal Helsley leads the league in saves at 32. He also has a 2.36 ERA on the season.
“It’s fun to be a part of a bullpen where you get it to the ninth with a lead, and it’s about a sure of thing as there is in baseball right now,” said Cardinals reliever Andrew Kittredge on July 6.
Kittredge is one of two Cardinals relievers in the top three of Major League Baseball for holds. He has 25 and is third, while JoJo Romero has one more with 26 — tied for the league lead with the Washington National’s Hunter Harvey.
Rule Five selection Ryan Fernandez has the best ERA in the Cardinals bullpen at 2.08. That is the 25th-best of any MLB bullpen pitcher who has appeared in at least 30 games. Marmol’s only challenge in managing this bullpen is keeping his key pitchers fresh.
“That’s been the biggest thing for us this year is balancing knowing how good that pen is and not overusing them so that they’re as effective in the second half,” Marmol said. “Those guys have done a really good job of keeping their bodies ready to go and being really good for us.”
The Cardinals bullpen has been called upon an average amount for the league, pitching the 16th most total innings at 345.
Despite Success, The Organization Is Looking For More Arms
With the trade deadline approaching later this month, the Cardinals could add another weapon to their bullpen. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has maintained his desire to add a bullpen arm over the past few weeks.
“Anytime you get into August, September, you always feel like you could use an extra arm or two in the bullpen,” Mozeliak said on July 13. “I think any team trying to get to October is going to say something similar.”
Trade or not, the Cardinals bullpen will have to continue its success to grab a playoff spot and even compete for their division in the second half.
“Consistency is what we’re all striving for,” Kittredge said. “We want to be the best version of ourselves as often as we can.”
Main Photo Credits: Jeff Le-USA TODAY Sports
