MLB Playoffs: Cardinals’ postseason X-Factors

Lance Lynn

A couple weeks ago, I spoke on Lance Lynn’s struggles and his chances to make the postseason rotation. Well unfortunately, Carlos Martinez went down with the shoulder injury and the postseason rotation was immediately set in stone. Fortunately, Lynn has picked up his performance in his last three starts allowing just one run and only walking four in 16 total innings pitched. More importantly for Lynn and the Cardinals, his pitch value on each pitch (via Fangraphs) has been up in at least two of the last three starts with yesterday’s stats not up yet.

Save for a couple rough starts in 2012/2013 Lynn has been pretty effective in the postseason. Last season, in two starts Lynn went 11.2 innings and allowed just four runs and striking out 11. The Cardinals’ don’t have your typical “ace” this year, instead they have four pretty good starters-despite the recent struggles of Michael Wacha. If Lynn can anchor this staff as a “de-facto” ace with good pitching, then it will bode well for the rest of the rotation and for the team as a whole in the postseason.