This Cardinals pitcher has dominated spring training year after year

With spring training fast approaching for Major League Baseball and the St. Louis Cardinals, many young prospects will have the opportunity to prove their worth and make the Opening Day roster. Spring training also gives fans the opportunity to preview player performances before rosters and lineups are announced by teams officially. While spring training is predominantly a place for young guns to showcase their talent, it’s also a great time for veterans and journeymen to tune up their game before a long season. For one veteran Cardinals pitcher in particular, he tends to shine the brightest in the spring, posting tremendous numbers over nine spring showcases.

Miles Mikolas in top form on the mound during spring training over the years

Having been a mainstay in the Cardinals rotation since 2018, Miles Mikolas has had plenty of preseasons under his belt for the Redbirds. In 22 appearances for the Cardinals, Mikolas has posted an impressive 10-3 record while sporting a 3.26 earned run average in over 85 innings of work. In three preseasons for the San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers respectively, Mikolas is undefeated as well. To go a step further, Mikolas hasn’t lost a preseason start since 2019, with a 9-0 record since 2020.

According to FanGraphs' spring training statistics beginning in 2006, this makes Mikolas one of only five Cardinals starters with 10 spring training victories. Of the five, Mikolas has fewer losses than all four, while reaching the double-digit win mark in the fewest starts. Although Adam Wainwright’s total of 18 wins may be impossible to reach due to much fewer appearances, Mikolas may be able to surpass the totals of Kyle Lohse and Michael Wacha this year, as the two of them share a 12-4 preseason record for the Cardinals.

Unfortunately for Mikolas, he’s only been able to muster two good seasons for the Redbirds since joining in 2018. Apart from All-Star appearances in 2018 and 2022, Mikolas has left plenty to be desired. Finishing sixth in Cy Young award voting in 2018 while leading the league in wins, Mikolas went on to lead the league in losses the next season while giving up the most hits and earned runs in 2023. Last year, at 5.35, Mikolas recorded his worst career ERA as a member of the team, while also finishing the season with negative WAR for the first time as a Cardinal. However, he has expressed plenty of desire to bounce back this year, wanting to leave the team on a positive note if indeed this is his last season as a member of the Cardinals.

As many Cardinals fans have seen, when Mikolas is at his best, he has the ability to be one of the strongest pitchers in the National League. Although it has been a while since we’ve seen it from Miles, maybe another excellent spring training performance is just what he needs to propel himself back to the top of the rotation in 2025.