2015 St. Louis Cardinals Pitchers To Watch

The St. Louis Cardinals have the best pitching depth in the entire league have for some time now. The depth can be seen from top to bottom. Currently there are 7 starters vying for five spots on the opening day roster and much more in the system waiting their turn. As I have already previewed the top position players here are the Cardinals’ pitchers to watch this season.

Mar 20, 2015; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; A general view of an official baseball as St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher

(52) warms up against the New York Mets at Tradition Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

1. Michael Wacha

I am really excited about the possibilities with Wacha this year. Last year was a rough year with the shoulder injury and the rough ending in the postseason that he shouldn’t have had to go through. This year however, is a new year for Wacha and I really think he is going to have a really stellar year. It will hopefully be his first full season pitching for the Cardinals. Dan Szymbroski’s predictions for Wacha are 8-5 with a 3.27 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 8.28 K/9 (2nd Highest on the staff), and a higher 2.65 BB/9. I understand the modest projections with uncertainty regarding health and maturity on the mound, but i really feel like he has the potential to be much better. Especially considering how this offense might take off and give him and the rest of the staff good run support throughout the season. I know last year was a bit of a lost year developmentally for him but if he can mix his pitches and still feature that nasty change and the curve he featured a bit it will be a fine season for Wacha.

Feb 21, 2015; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher

(31) throws during practice drills at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

2. Lance Lynn

Lynn had statistically his best season of his career last year finishing 15-10 with an ERA of 2.74. However, beyond the statistics Lynn was consistent and effective throughout the season and into the playoffs. He finally turned the corner in that regard and was just what the Cardinals needed in a jumbled and injury filled year for the Cardinals’ rotation. Lynn was rewarded for his strong year with a contract extension in the off-season.

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The reason why i am including Lynn on my list on players to watch is because Lynn is poised and ready to be even better this season. Lynn has been toying around with a new version of his changeup in spring training a pitch that according to

Fangraphs

he threw 2.4% of the time last season. Lynn is obviously a fastball pitcher as he threw his two fastballs for a combined 79% of the time so adding an effective changeup that will keep hitters off the fastball will make Lynn a force to be reckoned with this season.

Mar 9, 2015; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher

(37) throws against the Boston Red Sox during a spring training baseball game at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

3. Matt Belisle

Now to talk about one of the most underrated members of this team. Belisle was picked up in the off-season as a FA and not much has been said or made of him. I would imagine a lot of Cardinals fans are a little concerned with Belisle’s numbers from last season and for your casual fan that is understood. Belisle in 66 appearances last season Belisle finished with an ERA 4.87 and the season before that in 72 appearances he finished an ERA of 4.32. However, it is important to look at two things here one of those is his FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) ERA, in 2013 and 2014 Belisle’s FIP was 3.03 and 3.74 respectively. That’s over a full run of difference in 2013 and in 2014. In comparison with Pat Neshek whose FIP was about half a run better than his ERA of 1.87, which means that his defense made him better than he was by himself.

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Another thing to take into consideration with Belisle is getting away from a hitters park in Colorado and coming to a pitcher friendly Busch Stadium. His ERA at home last year was a bad 5.40 but his ERA on the road was much better at 4.25. So, considering those two things and considering that Belisle will be pitching for a winning team look for him to have a solid season for the Cardinals.

Mar 11, 2014; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher

(66) delivers a pitch against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium. The Mets defeated the Cardinals 9-8. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

4. Tim Cooney

Cooney is an interesting pitcher. He is probably a bit of an unknown among casual Cardinals fans. He has flown under the radar in the Cardinals’ system not having the Shelby Miller, Carlos Martinez, or even Marco Gonzales type stuff. Cooney was drafted in the third round in the 2012 MLB draft so he has moved pretty quickly throughout the system. Having his best year of his career this past season with AAA Memphis tallying a 14-6 record and an ERA of 3.47. Many people believe that if he was in a different organization he could be starting in the big leagues this year. In his article he wrote on Tim back in December, Rant Sports writer Drew Jenkins had this to say: 

Cooney may not have the most impressive stuff, but he makes up for it with great command and control that make it play up. That gives him a fairly high floor as a No. 5 starter, and if he can develop his breaking stuff and become a little more effective against same-handed hitters, then he could become a No. 4. That is solid enough for a guy who gets little to no attention in a stacked Cardinals system.

It would likely take a miracle for Cooney to make it into the rotation this season and for a guy with 4-5 spot potential it will be hard to see him making this rotation ever with guys like Rob Kaminsky, Alex Reyes, and Luke Weaver that have much more high end talent than Cooney on their way to the big leagues in the next few years. However, this does not mean Cooney isn’t a player to watch this season. With the Jaime Garcia news and Sam Freeman trade look for Cooney to be an option to add the bullpen should Kevin Siegrist or Randy Choate struggle or come down with an injury. He could also be a potential option for a trade as he simply is not likely to start in this organization anytime soon.