Cardinals getting crushed by Jacob Misiorowski reminded them of major roster flaw

The St. Louis Cardinals could do nothing but watch in awe Monday afternoon as Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski twirled seven innings of one-run ball. He struck out 12 Cardinals hitters while walking only one batter and giving up only two hits. He displayed ace-level production in his start against the Cardinals.

Watching Misiorowski deal against the Cardinals reminded both the team and its fans what they've been missing for the last seven or more years: a true ace.

The Cardinals came close to having an in-house ace with Sonny Gray in 2024, but he couldn't replicate his 2023 success he had with the Minnesota Twins. Adam Wainwright posted a 3.7-bWAR season in 2021, but he didn't have the overpowering stuff and supreme strikeout ability that aces today possess. Jack Flaherty in 2019 was the last true dominant starting pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Matthew Liberatore showed signs of being a leader in a rotation on Monday afternoon, but his inability to limit runs has been a continued issue for him. While he did strike out a career-high 10 batters, he allowed three runs in only five innings pitched. In order for Libby to ascend to "ace" status, he needs to allow fewer runs and pitch deeper into games.

Jacob Misiorowski's start against the St. Louis Cardinals reminded them that they are missing a true ace of the staff.

Misiorowski has a 5-2 record and a 1.83 ERA on the year. He leads all pitchers in strikeouts (100) by a long stretch; Dylan Cease trails by eight punchouts on the year despite having pitched only two fewer innings. In just his second professional season, The Miz has already established himself as one of baseball's elite starting pitchers.

It seemed like the Cardinals never stood a chance against Misiorowski on Monday, as his fastball averaged 101.1 MPH. He threw 57 four-seamers at 100 MPH or above, nine of which clocked in at 103 MPH or faster. He hasn't yet broken the 105 MPH threshold, but he's inching closer and closer to it.

The Cardinals don't currently have a starting pitcher on their roster who measures up to Jacob Misiorowski. They also don't have a starter to contend against some of the other great pitchers in the National League Central including Paul Skenes, Cade Horton, and Chase Burns. The question that logically follows would be who the Cardinals' next ace could be.

Last year, most followers of the Cardinals would have said Tekoah Roby. However, Roby had Tommy John Surgery in July of 2025, and he won't be back until at least the end of this year if not early next year.

Liam Doyle, the hard-throwing righty whom the Cardinals drafted fifth overall last year, has one of the best fastballs in the minors. He's been battling some control issues at Double-A Springfield, and he has a 6.44 ERA, so he still needs time to develop in the minors.

Perhaps the Cardinals could trade from their deep farm system to acquire a starter, but Chaim Bloom's comments thus far indicate an unwillingness to trade prospect depth for immediate production.

Signing an ace could be in the cards, but that's a costly, oftentimes risky, venture. Outside of Tarik Skubal and Michael King, the list of upcoming free agent aces is short. Signing either feels like a long shot by the recently tight-fisted ownership group of Bill DeWitt Jr.

It was difficult to watch Jacob Misiorowski show St. Louis Cardinals fans what it means to be an ace starting pitcher. There isn't much hope in the near future for the Cardinals to have an ace of their own, but fans can hope that Liam Doyle, Tanner Franklin, or Tekoah Roby can develop into a more potent starting pitcher.

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