Cardinals Aren’t Concerned About All-Star Closer’s Struggles

Coming off a season where Ryan Helsley was the best closer in baseball, he has comparatively struggled this season. However, the St. Louis Cardinals aren’t concerned about their All-Star closer’s struggles so far in 2025. Helsley has maintained that he feels good in recent weeks and remains optimistic.

Helsley’s Recent Struggles

The flamethrowing right-hander’s last four outings have all looked similar in the box score: two hits and one earned run. In the past two, he has even surrendered a home run. He had three blown saves in a row to start June.

However, he happened into some bad luck with some of those outings. A slow grounder that hit the second base bag and turned into a hit against the Los Angeles Dodgers led to a run. Helsley earned the win in that game despite the blown save thanks to a Nolan Arenado walk-off single. Helsley has remained calm during the rough stretch.

“I’ve felt good the last few weeks,” Helsley told reporters after his third blown save in a row on June 9th against the Toronto Blue Jays. “[I] haven’t had great results, but sometimes baseball just happens. Just try to keep working, stay out there, stay after it.”

Improving Mechanics from the Start of the Season

Helsley came out of Spring Training feeling off. He experienced toe discomfort in Spring Training that led to a plate being inserted into his shoe. Helsley said the addition messed with his mechanics. The closer struggled through the first month of the season, with his ERA at 4.09 through his first 11 games.

However, the 30-year-old worked with trainers on his mechanics and followed that up with a solid May. He had nine saves and a win in May and had his season ERA below 3.00 for a stretch.

“Something was off, and we addressed it,” Cardinal’s manager Oliver Marmol said after the Cardinals June 9 loss. “[We] got to where we felt really good about the shape of his pitches and the usage and kind of how he was attacking hitters and what the fastball was doing. So, there is a distinct difference between [Helsley] week one, two, three, and what we’ve seen post that time.”

Even with his recent stretch of blown saves, Helsley said he feels as good as he did through his dominant May. He’s more focused on his work than on the results.

“I try not to carry that or lose my cool or anything like that,” Helsley said after his third blown save in June. “So, just try to stay as even keel as I can and just be ready every day when my name is called.”

What Pitch Tracking Analytics Show

Helsley still boasts one of the fastest fastballs in the league. His average speed for the pitch is 99.1 miles per hour, though he often reaches 100 mph in his outings. He ranks in the top two percentiles for the league in terms of velocity. However, that hasn’t translated to great value on the pitch. According to Baseball Savant, his fastball run value is at negative six this season, down from three last season.

His dominance stems from showing the fastball and then catching hitters off guard with a slider. Helsley throws those two pitches more than 90 percent of the time. His slider run value is at six in 2025. However, that’s down from 13 in 2024. He’s in the top 15 percentile of the league in off-speed run value. He’s also in the top 12 percentile of the league for chase percentage at 32.8 percent.

Helsley’s velocity on both pitches is down from 2025, but not by more than a mile per hour in either case. His vertical drop is nearly identical for both of them as well. The problem may lie in his horizontal movement. His fastball is running out 1.3 inches less than it did in 2024. The slider is moving in .3 inches less. Some of that may be attributed to his struggles during the first month. However, the lack of horizontal movement on his fastball may be making it easier for batters to square up on the pitch.

Helsley Stays Calm Through Ups and Downs

Helsley is coming off a season where he led the league in saves at 49, set a franchise record for saves, was an All-Star, and was named the N.L.’s closer of the year. The closer had a 2.04 ERA throughout the season in 2024. This season, so far, his ERA stands at 3.96, and he has 13 saves. His past success has helped him remain calm despite his struggles so far this season.

“Try to see the positives in everything and just take it one day at a time,” Helsley said after the Blue Jays blown save. “Honestly that’s all I can do.”

The seven-year veteran has settled into a routine and a calm approach no matter the results. Cardinals starter Andre Pallante told reporters after the June 9 loss that Helsley is as even-keeled as they come.

“I’ve seen him carry himself around here for the last four years, and he does a phenomenal job of whether it’s good or bad, he’s the same guy every time,” Pallante told MLB.com’s John Denton. “He’s just got that great mentality that a closer needs. We do [offer encouragement], but he doesn’t need it. He knows what he needs to do to be really good.”

Uncertainty With Approaching Deadline

The Cardinals are in a sort of limbo on what they will do at the deadline. On one hand, they are in the Postseason mix after an MLB-best record in May. On the other hand, this is a year when they are focused on developing younger players and setting the franchise up for the future.

Helsley will be an unrestricted free agent when the season ends. He is likely going to draw large offers. Because of this, the Cardinals could be tempted to move him for prospects at the deadline if they do not see themselves as big bidders again this offseason.

Trade speculation started for Helsley this past Winter. He has said he prefers to stay; however, he also understands the nature of the situation.

“If I get traded, I hope it’s to a team that I can help win,” Helsley told Denton. “But that would be an emotional day because I grew up rooting for the Cardinals, got drafted by them in 2015, and I’ve spent 10 years with them. But I’ve got to be professional and move on if it comes to that.”