Fansided

25 most important stars for MLB playoffs

By Joshua Sadlock

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 21: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees follows through on a sixth inning home run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 21: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees follows through on a sixth inning home run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
21 of 25
Next
ST. LOUIS, MO. – SEPTEMBER 03: St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jack Flaherty (22) pitches during the first inning during a Major League Baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals on September 03, 2019, at Busch Stadium, Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO. – SEPTEMBER 03: St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jack Flaherty (22) pitches during the first inning during a Major League Baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals on September 03, 2019, at Busch Stadium, Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

5. Jack Flaherty

The likely NL Cy Young winner for 2019 is once again Jacob deGrom, who leads the league in WAR, strikeouts, and WHIP. deGrom has been phenomenal yet again, but the best pitcher in the league down the stretch is Cardinals right-hander Jack Flaherty, who has a 0.84 ERA over his last 11 starts with 94 strikeouts in 75 innings. The 23-year-old has held opponents to a .134/.196/.209 line since the beginning of August.

Flaherty didn’t exactly come out of nowhere to lead the Cardinals, but this type of dominance was certainly unexpected. He went 8-9 last year as a rookie with a 3.34 ERA in 28 starts and struck out 182 in 151 innings of work. Flaherty has been riding a dominant four-pitch mix, highlighted by a power fastball and slider. Opposing batters have hit just .104 against his slider the last two months with 34 strikeouts.

St. Louis’s starting rotation has led them to an unlikely division title in a division most analysts picked them to finish third at the start of the year. Flaherty is the youngest ace leading a pitching staff into the playoffs, but his innings have been managed well and he looks to be getting stronger as the regular season comes to an end.

The Cardinals have also gotten a strong first full MLB season out of youngster Dakota Hudson, who has won 16 games, as well as a resurgent year from 38-year-old Adam Wainwright. Wainwright has a 2.87 ERA over his last nine starts, including three seven-inning gems in September.

Home/MLB