6 overreactions to the first week of the Cardinals' 2024 season

Overreaction 6 - The Cardinals' pitching development was to blame for last year's failure

With the pitching turnover from last season, we got our first glimpse of many former Cardinals pitchers wearing new uniforms for the first time. Most notably, Jack Flaherty, Jordan Hicks, and Dakota Hudson made their first starts for their new teams. All three were huge components of the Cardinals' pitching staff last year. So, how did they do?

Well, it was not good, for the Cardinals at least. Jack Flaherty allowed just one earned run in 6 innings for the Detroit Tigers while striking out 7 batters. Through 2 starts, Jordan Hicks has tossed 12 innings and allowed just one earned run while striking out 11. Even Dakota Hudson, who was non-tendered by the Cardinals, didn't allow an earned run against the Cubs. He ultimately was tagged for three runs, but those were all charged to an ugly Nolan Jones error in left field.

Zac Gallen and Sandy Alcantara immediately come to mind with the Cardinals' failure in recognizing pitching talent, but is it time to add a few more names to that list? Well, Flaherty and Hicks both showed extreme promise during their time in St. Louis, but it just never worked out. Flaherty suffered multiple injuries and was never the same. And it turns out Hicks might've been right about not getting a fair shot at starting games.

It's unfortunate that the Cardinals were never able to tap into their full potential, but after a tumultuous 2023 season, neither pitcher wanted to return to St. Louis. Flaherty, in particular, seems to have left on poor terms with some members of the Cardinals clubhouse. A reunion with either just didn't make sense. Add them to a long list of Alex Reyes, Carlos Martinez, Shelby Miller, and countless other promising young arms that just didn't work out. Let's hope Chaim Bloom and John Mozeliak recognize this as a real problem and pitchers like Tink Hence, Gordon Graceffo, Max Rajcic, and Cooper Hjerpe don't suffer the same fate.

Lastly, I'll address Dakota Hudson really quickly. He looked to be the same pitcher with the Rockies. The walk issue is still very real, and he got some lucky sequencing in his first start. The wind at Wrigley kept the ball in the ballpark, and I'd be shocked if Hudson pans out with Colorado.

Verdict: Spot on. Jack Flaherty and Jordan Hicks were huge developmental misses for the Cardinals. We kind of already knew that but now it's confirmed. But Dakota Hudson? Come on now, it was one start.