Starting Pitchers
Up to this point, the current St. Louis Cardinals have heavily outpaced the ex-Cardinal group. This is where things begin to change, at least on the upper end of the rotation.
#1 starter: Michael Wacha
Michael Wacha has a 3.28 ERA, 3.59 FIP, and a 1.194 WHIP in 161.2 innings. He's been excellent for the Kansas City Royals this year, and his 3.3 fWAR total leads all former Cardinals. However, Sonny Gray outpaces Wacha according to fWAR. Gray has a 3.84 ERA, 3.12 FIP, and a 1.088 WHIP for a total of 3.8 fWAR. Winner: by fWAR, it's the current Cardinals, but Wacha's numbers outpace Gray's
#2 starter: Jack Flaherty
This is where the separation begins to show. The ex-Cardinals squad boasts two top-of-the-rotation starters in Wacha and Flaherty who are interchangeable. Flaherty has a 3.10 ERA, 3.41 FIP, and a 1.057 WHIP. Honestly, I would take Flaherty over Wacha, but his 3.2 fWAR in 157 innings places him a smidge below Wacha. The Cardinals' #2 starter by fWAR this year has been Miles Mikolas with a 5.35 ERA and 2.0 fWAR thanks to his 166.2 innings total and 4.20 FIP. Winner: ex-Cardinals
#3 starter: Jose Quintana
Jose Quintana makes this list once again, partially by default. Quintana has a 3.74 ERA and a 4.67 FIP in 166 innings. He's been a workhorse for the New York Mets, and his efforts have awarded him 0.8 fWAR. The Cardinals' #3 starter this year ended up being Andre Pallante. Pallante has a 3.47 ERA with a 3.71 FIP. He saved the rotation for most of the summer, and he finished the year with 1.7 fWAR. Winner: Andre Pallante of the current Cardinals.
#4 starter: Austin Gomber
By fWAR, Austin Gomber has had a better season than Jose Quintana. However, I couldn't justify putting a pitcher with a 4.75 ERA and a 4.83 FIP ahead of Quintana. Gomber has racked up 1.2 fWAR in 165 innings. The Cardinals' fourth-best starter this year by fWAR was Kyle Gibson. Gibby finished the year with a 4.24 ERA in 165.2 innings. That was good enough for 1.5 fWAR. Winner: current Cardinals by a hair once again.
#5 starter: Jordan Montgomery
Jordan Montgomery had one of the worst seasons of his career this year. He finished the season with a 6.40 ERA and a 4.49 FIP in only 104 innings due to injuries. He wasn't himself for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2024. He finished the year with 0.7 fWAR. Conversely, the Cardinals' fifth-best starter this year was Lance Lynn with a 3.84 ERA and a 4.31 FIP in 117.1 innings. Injuries also limited Lynn, but he was able to finish 2024 with 1.3 fWAR. Winner: current Cardinals.