Lance Lynn evolves as a pitcher for St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Joe Strauss writes that St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn has changed his approach.

Over the last two seasons, there’s no joke that we’ve seen two different versions of Lynn as a pitcher since he stepped into the rotation in 2012 with the absence of Chris Carpenter.

First Half:
2012: 11-4, 3.41 ERA in 17 starts
2013: 11-4, 4.00 ERA in 19 starts
2014: 7-4, 3.16 ERA in 14 starts

Second Half:
2012: 7-3, 4.32 ERA in 18 games (12 starts)
2013: 4-6, 3.93 ERA in 14 starts

For what it is worth, Lynn’s 2012 season was interesting. It was really the months of June and August that did him in.

As for the 2013 season, Lynn didn’t have the best of time sin July or August. Despite a 3-1 record during June 2013, Lynn had an ERA that closed in on 5.

As for the 2014 season, it’s going to ultimately depend on whether this new version of Lynn can stick around. He’s had some Lynnings, sure, but he can still be a leader from the mound.

Strauss writes that both Carpenter and Adam Wainwright have had an influence on the Indiana native. I hope so. Carpenter’s teachings would go back a far way. In Rob Goldman’s recent biography of Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens was quoted as saying that he took what Nolan taught him about pitching and passed it down to Toronto Blue Jays pitchers such as Carpenter and Roy Halladay. This certainly explains the mentality that the two pitchers displayed on the mound.

The Cardinals will certainly benefit from Lynn if this new version starts to really be on display for the rest of the season.

Lynn’s future with the Cardinals remains up in the air with Carlos Martinez likely to convert to a starter and Marco Gonzales climbing through the system. As we all know by now, the Cardinals are stocked with arms in their farm system.