Return of Jack Flaherty Raises Ceiling for 2022 St. Louis Cardinals

Entering play Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals held a 9.5-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers, the next-closest team in the National League Central.

Winners of eight of their last ten, the Cardinals' magic number to clinch the division is now 17, with 25 games remaining in the regular season. It's no longer a question of if the Cardinals will win the National League Central, but when the Cardinals will win the National League Central.

Entering play July 31, the Cardinals held a 53-48 record, four games back of the Milwaukee Brewers' division lead. In the 39 days since, the Cardinals have taken off and are leaving the Brewers in the dust. The Cardinals are 29-8 in that time, and are well on their way to their first division title since 2019.

In 2019, a young, 23-year-old pitcher in his second year proved to be a difference-maker in the Cardinals' last division-winning season.

Over his final 16 starts of the 2019, Jack Flaherty emerged as the ace of the Cardinals' staff, allowing just 11 earned runs over his final 106.1 innings of the regular season, clocking a dominant 0.93 ERA, .139 opponent batting average and 0.70 WHIP.

For the second half of the regular season, Flaherty was the best pitcher in the National League. He finished fourth in National League Cy Young Award voting, and 13th in NL MVP voting.

Though he didn't receive a game 1 start in the postseason, Flaherty was the Cardinals' hot-hand, emerging as the staff's true ace.

Flaherty pitched well in two National League Division Series games in Atlanta, logging a 2.77 ERA between two starts and giving the Cardinals a win in a closeout game 5.

Flaherty would be named the Cardinals' Opening Day starter the following spring, and once again in 2021. Flaherty struggled in the COVID-shorted 2020 season, and has been plagued by injuries since early 2021. The budding star hasn't pitched a full-season since his remarkable 2019 campaign.

The Cardinals got Flaherty back on Monday, who threw five innings, allowing six hits, one walk and one run and striking out six on 70 pitches. It was just his fourth start of the 2022 season and his first throwing more than three innings. Flaherty last pitched June 26.

Though it would be unfair to expect Flaherty to repeat his 2019 dominance, returning from an injury on his throwing shoulder in the thick of a pennant chase, Flaherty's return has the potential to raise the ceiling of the 2022 Cardinals' team.

A month and a half ago, the Cardinals weren't on most people's radars. Their potent batting order was carrying them, while their thin pitching staff was doing all it could to tread water.

Since, they've added Flaherty and quality starter Jose Quintana, and made perhaps the best acquisition of the 2022 trade deadline, acquiring Jordan Montgomery from the New York Yankees in exchange for Harrison Bader.

Pair Flaherty, Quintana and Montgomery with veteran Miles Mikolas (3.32 ERA in 2022), and suddenly the Cardinals have a very formidable pitching rotation for the playoffs, to go with their explosive offense, lead by All-Star corner infielders Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.

The Cardinals might not be garnering the attention of the national media and might have to play in the new National League Wild Card Series in order to reach the NLDS, but their club is peaking at the right time and has as good a chance as any other team to win the National League Pennant.