Sonny Gray is proof that Cardinals fans were right about John Mozeliak’s plan

When the St. Louis Cardinals entered the offseason after a 71-91 finish, they had one goal in mind: Pitching, pitching, and more pitching.

Their biggest prize was right-hander Sonny Gray, who has been every bit as good as advertised since joining the team, stabilizing what was once a broken rotation and giving them quality innings, as well as swing-and-miss stuff.

After 2023, fans in St. Louis wanted President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak to spend more money than he had in recent years. He did just that, and Gray's hot start proves that fans were right about what needed to happen.

Sonny Gray's hot start proves spending was right approach for Cardinals

These days, it's the teams that spend the most money that are usually successful, and they often spend the money on quality starting pitching. The Cardinals did that by adding Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson. Gray is the ace they so desperately needed, and he is giving them a chance to win their games.

Now, the biggest problem for the Cardinals is their offense. That is the main culprit for yet another slow start.

For all of the talk of how the pitching staff needed to be improved, the pitching is exactly the reason why things aren't even worse, and it's Gray who has helped turn the staff around after it sunk the Cardinals in 2023. The two runs Gray allowed on Sunday were the first he had allowed all season long, and after taking the hard-luck loss on Sunday, he owns a record of 2-1 with a microscopic ERA of 1.04.

Unfortunately, the offense was unable to pick him up and give him the run support he needed in order to win the game. That will need to improve if the team wants to contend. All Gray can do is continue to keep them in games and give them a chance to win.

In fact, Gray struck out 12 batters on Sunday and worked around five hits and a walk over 6.1 innings to keep the Milwaukee Brewers at bay. If he can continue to pitch this way, the Cardinals will have a chance to turn things around. But it all depends on the team's offense and if it can improve in order to prevent a repeat of 2023.

Mozeliak has certainly made more than his fair share of mistakes, but he had the right approach in mind when he targeted Gray in the offseason. Fans wanted better pitching, and that is what Gray has given them so far, rewarding Mozeliak for spending on him.