May 19, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Hunter Dobbins (73) pitches against the New York Mets during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Eric Canha-Imagn Images

What Cardinals Fans Should Know About Hunter Dobbins

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Dec 23, 2025 3:03 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals landed a fiery, young starting pitcher that the fanbase could quickly grow to like in 2026.

Hunter Dobbins came over this week as the headliner in the return to St. Louis in the Willson Contreras deal with the Boston Red Sox. If you're a Cardinals fan and recognize his name, it's probably because he actually made his big league debut against the Cardinals last season.

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Dobbins appeared in 13 games as a rookie in 2025 -- including 11 starts. His first big league start came at Fenway Park on April 6th against the Cardinals. In that game, Dobbins went five innings against St. Louis and allowed just two earned runs and struck out five Cardinals batters. He also earned his first big league win as Boston blew out the Cardinals, 18-7. A memorable contest, to say the least.

The Cardinals are getting a gamer

Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Dobbins' rookie season was cut short after he tore his right ACL while covering first base in July. Now, he's coming over to the organization to hopefully bolster the starting rotation. On Monday, Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom gave a brief update on Dobbins' recovery, as transcribed by MLB.com's John Denton.

“He’s coming along nicely, he has a checkup in a couple of weeks and we’re hopeful he’ll get clearance to return to the mound,” Bloom said, as transcribed by Denton.

When healthy, the Cardinals' fanbase is going to be getting a guy with a big slider and solid fastball. One area where the Cardinals thrived in 2025 was on defense. That will help Dobbins. He finished the 2025 season in the 78th percentile in ground ball rate.

He's just 26 years old and was selected in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft by Boston. Guess who was leading the Red Sox's front office at that point...Chaim Bloom. Dobbins is a guy who found success as a rookie in 2025 with Boston and was someone picked by Bloom.

He's on the road to recovery and could be a long-term option if things go well in 2026.

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

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