4 Cardinals who could be featured in the revamped Backyard Baseball game

Ryan Helsley

Ryan Helsley has been with the St. Louis Cardinals since he was drafted by the team in 2015 in the fifth round. Helsley came up in the system as a starting pitcher, but he was transitioned into a relief role in 2019. Since then, Helsley has become one of baseball's best relievers.

He's synonymous with the St. Louis organization, as he's been in the majors since 2019. Him representing the team in the video game would be quite fitting, as he's one of the longest-tenured players currently on the roster.

He features a fastball that tops out at 102 MPH, and his slider is one of the best pitches in all of baseball. According to Baseball Savant's run value, Helsley's slider has a nine value, one of the best in baseball this year. He also leads the league in saves with 38 on the season.

Ryan Helsley may not be the most well-known Cardinal this year, but his pitching stats would be off the charts if he became a video game character. His pitches often feel unreal, and it would be fantastic to see how he could take advantage of the wackiness that is Backyard Baseball.

Historically, Backyard Baseball has shied away from using relievers in the game, as Randy Johnson was the only pitcher in the game in 2001. Therefore, having Ryan Helsley tabbed as the Cardinals' lone representative in the game feels like a longshot. It would be awesome to see Helsley's fastball and slider translate to the game. The "fireball" power-up would pair very well with Helsley.