Aug 6, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Jordan Hicks (12) pitches against the New York Yankees during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Cardinals Hurler Acquired In Jordan Hicks Trade Has Must-See Trick Up His Sleeve

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Nate Hagerty | Last updated Apr 3, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have made several trades over the past few seasons that have backfired but not all transactions made by the front office were foolish.

Some of the most costly deals include parting ways with Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen, Cy Young recipient Sandy Alcantara and trading utility man Tommy Edman to the Los Angeles Dodgers, which was carried out last summer.

However, depending on how well a young pitcher performs as he develops in the Cardinals' farm system, a trade completed two summers ago could soon pay off.

"Sem Robberse’s sweeper is one of the nastiest breaking balls in the Cardinals organization," Birds on the Farm's Kareem Haq reported Wednesday afternoon. "Here’s an 84 MPH sweeper with -6.8" IVB (induced vertical break) and 19.3" of glove-side movement. He got 7 whiffs on it today (58% whiff rate) and registered a 43% CSW (called strike plus wiff rate)."

Sem Robberse’s sweeper is one of the nastiest breaking balls in the Cardinals organization. Here’s an 84 MPH sweeper with -6.8" IVB and 19.3" of glove-side movement.

He got 7 whiffs on it today (58% whiff rate) and registered a 43% CSW pic.twitter.com/3y6alSsPY8
— Kareem (@KareemSSN) April 2, 2025

The Cardinals dealt flamethrower Jordan Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays at the 2023 trade deadline in exchange for right-handed pitchers Adam Kloffenstein and Robberse.

Although Kloffenstein returned to the Blue Jays organization this past offseason, Robberse remains a promising asset for the Cardinals' future pitching staff -- ranking as the club's No. 14 top prospect.

Robberse posted a 5-5 record with a 4.38 ERA, 80-to-28 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .251 batting average against and a 1.25 WHIP in 90 1/3 innings pitched last season, during which he played for Single-A Palm Beach and Triple-A Memphis.

The 23-year-old is beginning his 2025 season pitching for Triple-A Memphis -- the first time he's started the year at the highest minor-league level since becoming a professional hurler with Toronto's affiliates in 2019.

Although he endured a rough first outing on Wednesday against Triple-A Buffalo -- sacrificing three earned runs on five hits, four strikeouts and three walks in three innings pitched -- Robberse is young and has shown great potential, especially with his offspeed pitches. His development is worth keeping an eye on.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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