Ideal starting rotation for the Cardinals in the 2024 season
By Curt Bishop
4. Miles Mikolas
Mikolas was the Cardinals most consistent starter in 2022. However, the 35-year-old struggled in 2023, posting a 4.78 ERA in 35 starts.
Earlier this spring, he joined his Cardinals teammates in Adam Wainwright, Nolan Arenado, and Paul Goldschmidt on Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.
He drew the Opening Day start for St. Louis but obviously was not himself. St. Louis will need him to bounce back and return to his 2022 form if they want to build a rotation that can compete with the best teams in the National League.
Prior to being named the Opening Day starter, Mikolas was given a two-year contract extension, which will have him in a Cardinals uniform through the 2025 season. As of now, that is looking like a mistake, and Cardinals fans have voiced their displeasure over the team not giving Jordan Montgomery that extension instead.
But Mikolas can prove the extension was worthwhile if he can remain healthy and pitch the way he did last season, when he was the team's most reliable starting pitcher.
He won 12 games in 2022 and had an ERA of 3.29 in 33 appearances, 32 of which were starts.