Two former Cardinals set to square off in one of 2026's ugliest pitching matchups

It won't surprise you to hear this, but in 2025, Erick Fedde and Miles Mikolas combined to contribute 0.3 fWAR to the St. Louis Cardinals' cause. That replacement-level figure is honestly pretty generous, seeing as FanGraphs likes to reward pitchers who eat innings, even if they do so ineffectively.

Of course, neither pitcher is still with the team. Fedde was shipped off last trade deadline to a desperate Braves team before finishing the season in Milwaukee, and he returned to the South Side of Chicago over the offseason. Mikolas, meanwhile, packed his bags for the nation's capital, offered a chance to serve as the veteran leader of a young staff.

Predictably, neither has been very good this year, but we'll get to that in a moment. The White Sox and Nationals, as interleague teams with no established rivalry, only play each other once per year. Luckily for Cardinals fans, it just so happens that Mikolas and Fedde are scheduled to square off tonight in a clash of former Redbirds.

If you find yourself looking for something to do during the downtime of tonight's game agains the Mariners, perhaps consider flipping the channel to this legendary Fedde-Mikolas battle.

Erick Fedde, Miles Mikolas have yet to recover from ugly endings in St. Louis

Now, in fairness to Fedde, he's actually been serviceable with the White Sox this year. He's tossed 20 2/3 innings while pitching to a 3.92 ERA, a quality figure among a shaky starting five in Chicago.

The problem is that the underlying data isn't exactly convinced he's turned things around since the Cardinals dumped him. His 4.89 FIP is backed up by a 4.47 SIERA, both of which suggest he's been benefiting from some sterling defense by the Pale Hose. He also still hasn't recovered some of the strikeout potential that made him shine when the Cardinals originally acquired him in 2024. In short, due for some regression in the near future.

Mikolas, on other hand, has already regressed. His 9.15 ERA is unsightly, and his 7.12 FIP doesn't paint him in a much better light. Like the end of his tenure in St. Louis, he remains disastrous homer-prone, giving up six round-trippers in just five appearances this year.

This should be an offensive bonanza, especially since the Nationals rank second in the league in runs scored. Even if you don't happen to catch the game, don't be surprised to see a few crooked numbers in the box score when all is said and done.

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