Top Cardinals pitching prospect received key advice from unlikely player

Can one of the most valuable players for the St. Louis Cardinals fail to play a single game? Tink Hence might think so. Hence, the Cardinals No. 2 prospect on MLB.com and their highest-ranked pitching prospect, was with the Cardinals in Spring Training of 2024 and credited one member of the team in particular for taking his game to the next level.

Hence said that right-handed relief pitcher Keynan Middleton was a valuable asset in helping him improve his arsenal and focus.

The Cardinals signed Middleton, now 31, in February of 2024. Middleton was present in Spring Training while rehabbing an injury to his flexor tendon with hope that he could pitch at some point in the regular season. Unfortunately, Middleton was shut down on June 4, when he underwent surgery. The Cardinals declined his second-year option, making him a free agent again before he threw a pitch for St. Louis.

Hence's slider took a big jump in 2024, and he acknowledged Middleton's help in that process. Hence said at the Winter Warm-Ups that Middleton showed him a different slider grip than what he had been using, which allowed him to throw the slider harder and with more bite. Hence said the results were clear in his next opportunity to pitch against batters, who had a tough time making quality contact with the new slider.

Middleton also helped Hence with the mental side of the game, telling Hence about what he should or shouldn't trust regarding his repertoire and advising him to worry less. Hence was grateful for Middleton's tutelage, saying that on the first or second day he met Middleton, the veteran had already taken Hence under his wing and treated him like a little brother.

Middleton didn't help the Cardinals on the field in 2024, but his value may have been far beyond that of what he would have contributed on the mound. If Hence can live up to his prospect status and be a reliable starter for the Cardinals with his revamped slider, Middleton's time with the Cardinals, though brief, could leave a lasting impact on the future of the rotation.