4 deserving Cardinals players who'll be squeezed off the Opening Day roster

Kyle Leahy

The Cardinals entered camp with a ton of arms fighting for a spot in their bullpen mix. A number of those names have taken their opportunities and ran with them, including Kyle Leahy, who no one has really given much of a chance to make the roster this year.

In his 3 appearances with St. Louis in 2023, Leahy was overmatched, posting a 21.60 ERA and 5.40 WHIP while only completing 1.2 innings of work. Leahy ended up being a non-roster invite to camp this year and has done about as much as you can ask from him to turn things around when he's been on the mound.

In 7 games, Leahy has a 1.50 ERA, grabbing five strikeouts in his six innings of work and looking way more comfortable on the mound. If the bullpen competition was murkier at the moment, Leahy may have been able to sneak his way on as the eighth man in that group, but will likely instead begin the year in Triple-A, hoping to earn a shot again at a later point.

For the Cardinals, the fact that they've been able to overhaul their bullpen depth in such a way that Leahy is an afterthought at the moment is really important for the success of this group. I don't mean that as a shot at Leahy, but more so that even a strong spring from someone like him does not move him very high in the pecking order. Should injuries or poor performances occur with their Opening Day group, they have a plethora of options in Memphis and even Springfield that they can look to for reinforcements.

For now, Leahy is on the outside looking in, but if he can carry this momentum in Memphis this year, he may get a second chance in St. Louis before we know it.