Cardinals' greatest strength in 2024 could be even better in 2025

The St. Louis Cardinals finished with 83 wins in 2024 not due to the efforts of two future Hall of Famers in Paul Goldschmidt and Arenado, not as a result of a stout veteran-laden rotation, and not on the backs of young players like Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman. Instead, it was the motley (makeshift) crew in the bullpen.

Thanks to the performances of players like Ryan Helsley, Andrew Kittredge, JoJo Romero, and Matthew Liberatore, the Cardinals were able to go 29-22 in one-run games, the fifth-best record in the league. Ryan Helsley led all of baseball with 49 saves, Andrew Kittredge was second in the league in holds with 37, and JoJo Romero was eighth in the league with 30 holds. Altogether, the Cardinals' "Big Three" in the seventh inning on was quite formidable.

As a staff, St. Louis's bullpen ranked seventh in ERA, twelfth in fWAR, eighth in FIP, and third in ground ball percentage in the league. They were clearly a top-10 bullpen in all of baseball last year.

Now, with Andrew Kittredge gone and no heir signed via free agency or brought in via trade, how will the staff fare in 2025?

The 2025 St. Louis Cardinals bullpen could be among the best in the league this year.

Ryan Helsley, JoJo Romero, and Matthew Liberatore, three key pitchers from the 2024 relief corps, are returning in 2025. John King stands to be a near-lock in the bullpen, too. Behind these four pitchers is a lot of uncertainty regarding the bullpen.

The Cardinals could rely on experience and use a combination of Ryan Loutos, Kyle Leahy, and Nick Anderson, or move Steven Matz back there. Perhaps the youth movement extends to relievers, and Gordon Graceffo, Riley O'Brien, and Ryan Fernandez — who is also more than likely a near-lock — get a chance. A combination of veteran and young players is equally possible.

This collection of relievers has a chance to be better than last year's staff.

Ryan Helsley, one of baseball's best closers, will more than likely replicate his success from last year. JoJo Romero, despite fading down the stretch, will more than likely be a solid lefty for late in games, and the same goes for Matthew Liberatore, assuming he remains a reliever.

Riley O'Brien has some of the best stuff in the Cardinals' system. In his lone appearance this spring, O'Brien threw 27 pitches and generated seven whiffs. His sinker maxed out a 99 miles per hour with an average of 9" IVB and 18" HB, both increases from last year. His slider generated whiffs 67% of the time on Saturday, too.

Gordon Graceffo is slowly becoming one of the most interesting pitchers in the system this spring. In a recent interview with Katie Woo and Trevor Rosenthal on Cardinals Territory, Graceffo discussed taking on whatever role was needed of him in 2025. He pitched quite well on Monday in two innings. He threw 33 pitches with a revamped curveball that generated four whiffs on six swings. Every one of his pitches had increased velocity on it compared to 2024.

Nick Anderson, one of the Cardinals' minor-league additions, has struck out 11.5 batters per nine innings in his career. Ryan Fernandez finished 2024 with a 3.51 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 66.2 innings, and batters had just a .695 OPS against him in high-leverage situations.

Last year, the St. Louis Cardinals' bullpen was its saving grace. There's a strong chance the 2025 collection of relievers will be even better thanks to the rise of players like Ryan Fernandez, Gordon Graceffo, and Riley O'Brien paired with the returns of Ryan Helsley, Matthew Liberatore, and JoJo Romero.