Cardinals: How St. Louis should structure their roster for playoffs

The St. Louis Postseason rotation

#1 – Adam Wainwright

#2 – Jordan Montgomery

#3 – Miles Mikolas

#4 – Jack Flaherty 

It is crazy to think that in 2022, Adam Wainwright would be considered the ace of the Cardinals rotation. But there really is no other answer to who should receive the start in Game 1 of whatever series the Cardinals are in.

Wainwright just had his 41st birthday but is pitching like he is in his prime, posting a 3.09 ERA in 163 innings so far in 2022. His wealth of experience and maturity on the mound makes him the kind of guy you want with the ball in big moments.

Since being acquired by St. Louis at the deadline, Montgomery has been practically lights out, posting a 1.76 ERA in 30.2 innings of work, including an epic shutout against the Chicago Cubs and clutch start versus his former team, the New York Yankees, in his debut for the club. Mikolas has had some hiccups as of late but is still reliable in most starts, posting a 3.48 ERA in 168.1 innings of work.

The wild card here is Jack Flaherty. The right-hander is set to make his return to the club next week, and has looked strong in his recent rehab starts. If the right hander finds his form down the stretch, he could end up being the best starter in this rotation. There is an argument for having Flaherty come out of the bullpen to provide another elite option, but if he is ready and pitching like his old self, he needs to be in the rotation.