St. Louis Cardinals: Early Spring Returns on Pitching

ST LOUIS, MO - AUGUST 21: Junior Fernandez #44 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches during the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium on August 21, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jeff Curry/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO - AUGUST 21: Junior Fernandez #44 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches during the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium on August 21, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jeff Curry/Getty Images)
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA – SEPTEMBER 25: Junior Fernandez #44 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch in the sixth inning of the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on September 25, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Arizona Diamondbacks won 9 to 7. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – SEPTEMBER 25: Junior Fernandez #44 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch in the sixth inning of the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on September 25, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Arizona Diamondbacks won 9 to 7. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)

Junior Fernandez

Fernandez signed with the Cardinals as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2014, for $400,000. Originally brought in as a starter, Fernandez transitioned to the bullpen before the 2019 season to help prevent injuries and maximize his effectiveness.

Fernandez broke out in a big way after his bullpen transition. Overall, he had a 1.52 ERA in 65 innings across three minor league levels. He also struck out 80 and allowed only a .185 BAA. The most eye-popping part of his 2019 was that his best numbers came in AAA Memphis, which is in the notoriously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Fernandez made his Major League debut at the tail end of 2019. While he walked 6 batters in 11.2 innings, he also only gave up 9 hits which amounted to a 1.26 ERA. His only mistakes were allowing two home runs, which ballooned his Major League ERA to 5.40.

This spring, however, Fernandez has looked sharp and has pitched quite well in his four innings. He has also struck out 8 and not allowed a run. What a way to start the spring for the big league roster hopeful.

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