Two Cardinals rotation arms prove that patience pays off during role transitions

John Mozeliak, who is now leading baseball operations for the Los Angeles Angels, always told fans of the St. Louis Cardinals that they needed to have patience before rushing to conclusions about player futures. Even with him gone and new leadership in charge, we are reminded of that special word multiple times per year. This season, starting pitchers Andre Pallante and Kyle Leahy are the new poster children for giving a longer leash than fans desire.

In March and April, considering both Pallante and Leahy as stable rotation options seemed like a fantasy with both pitchers allowing plenty of baserunners and struggling to throw consistent strikes. The month of May saw a little bit of improvement for both starters, and, when combined with what they have done in June, the two righties are making a case for sticking in the starting five.

Andre Pallante and Kyle Leahy are taking advantage of their opportunities during the Cardinals' rebuild

The duo went a combined 8-7 through the season's first two months, with ERAs sitting in the mid-4 range and hardly averaging five innings per start. In June, they are a combined 4-1 with only 10 walks through 46 innings while giving up just two homers during that span. With the rest of the rotation fighting their own inconsistencies, the combination of Pallante and Leahy has at least been able to provide quality and length in its outings.

Pallante has been especially solid during the month, sitting at a perfect 4-0 before heading into his last start of June against the Marlins. While pitching win and loss records rarely tell the whole story, Pallante's undefeated record is well deserved. In his four outings, he has notched a quality start in each while covering 24.2 innings and putting up a 2.19 ERA with a stellar 0.81 WHIP. With just four walks, the righty has turned the corner after struggling for much of the season last year. Multiple hitters are putting up the best year of their career, but Pallante has been the unsung hero of the staff thus far.

While Leahy is still searching for his first win of the month, he has thrown consecutive quality starts for the first time in his career and pitched a career-high 6.1 innings in his last outing. After allowing five runs in a start against the Reds in May, Leahy has given up more than three runs just once and has trimmed his season-long ERA down to a respectable 4.24. In his first season as a starter, Leahy has gone through some growing pains but has taken the opportunity in stride, doing his best to be prepared for every game as he relearns the ins and outs of being a starter.

The month of June has not been kind to the Cardinals overall, but the middle of the rotation has done their best to right the ship and give the offense a chance to make something happen. With Chaim Bloom working to figure out the best path towards staying relevant this season while also building towards the future, the development of these two being competent starters could make this job a little easier for the time being. The Cardinals will have to revamp their starting rotation at some point, but for now, Andre Pallante and Kyle Leahy have rewarded Oli Marmol for believing in them through the tough times.

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