Longtime Cardinal assassin may mercifully be calling it a career

From Stan Musial vs. Ernie Banks to Mark McGwire vs. Sammy Sosa, the storied rivalry between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs spans generations and has had plenty of superstars on both sides. The Cubs hold the advantage all-time, with a record of 1,278-1,226 against the Cardinals, but in modern times, the Cardinals have found themselves on the winning end more often than not.

However, from 2014 to 2024, the Cubs had an ace up their sleeve that stymied the Cardinals seemingly every time they decided to utilize it. But finally, after a one-year stint away from Chicago, one of history's biggest Cardinals killers appears ready to put a bow on his career.

Kyle Hendricks is expected to retire after 2025.

Hendricks' numbers against the Cardinals are, without exaggeration, among the best of any pitcher in history. In 185 innings, the right-hander holds a sparkling 14-4 record and a minuscule 2.53 ERA. As of April 1, that was the fourth lowest qualified ERA against the Cardinals in the expansion era.

Hendricks was drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2011 and was traded at the following year's deadline to the Cubs in a deal sending Ryan Dempster to the Rangers. It worked out well for Chicago, as Hendricks spent 11 years with the Cubs before signing as a free agent with the Los Angeles Angels following the 2024 season. He holds a career 3.79 ERA and led the major leagues in that stat in the Cubs' 2016 championship run, when he pitched to a 2.13 ERA.

In an era where high velocity and strikeouts reign supreme, Hendricks has been a throwback. Throughout his career, Hendricks has parked his fastball in the mid-80s — agonizingly slow in today's game — but he's suppressed hard contact and limited walks, with a career 33.8% hard-hit rate (league average is 39%) and only 2.1 walks per nine innings.

With pitchers of Hendricks' ilk rapidly disappearing across baseball in lieu of flamethrowers who seek massive strikeout numbers, it is, in some ways, a shame to see him go as baseball becomes even more homogenized. But if you're a Cardinals fan, there may be some weight lifted off of your shoulders as one of the all-time greats against the team finally rides off into the sunset.