4 surprising players who are off to strong starts for the St. Louis Cardinals

Right-handed reliever Phil Maton

It took the Cardinals 134 days to sign their first (and only) major-league free agent. When they signed right-handed reliever Phil Maton to a one-year deal worth $2 million, Cardinal fans across the country celebrated the meager move. Maton hadn't pitched in Spring Training, but he was training on his own to stay ready for the season.

Maton pitched for the New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays in 2024, and he threw 64 innings between the two teams. He finished the year with a 3.66 ERA and 60 strikeouts. He also logged a career-high 18 holds, and he was excellent for the playoff-bound Mets, posting a 2.51 ERA with 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings after the trade deadline.

Maton has made seven appearances for the Cardinals this year, and he's thrown 6.1 innings without allowing a run to score. He's struck out nine and has yet to walk a batter. Maton's 0.632 WHIP is sterling, too.

Oli Marmol has opted to use Maton strictly in late-game situations so far. He's pitched twice in the seventh inning, three times in the eighth, and twice in the ninth inning. Maton appears to be primed for the club's set-up man role this year. Marmol used Maton in the eighth inning Friday night against the Philadelphia Phillies with a two-run lead. This was his third hold of the year.

Phil Maton has been a strong reliever for his entire career, but his signing was met with some skepticism because the player and club agreed to a deal so late in the year. He's all but proven the skeptics wrong so far.

With the departure of Andrew Kittredge during the offseason and the early struggles of Ryan Fernandez to start the year, finding a reliable right-handed reliever who can handle high-leverage situations was imperative for John Mozeliak and the club. They have that in Phil Maton.