Underrated Hurler Could Be Game-Changer For Cardinals In 2023

The hard-throwing lefty could have a major impact on St. Louis' success

The St. Louis Cardinals are set to kick off the 2023 campaign Thursday afternoon.

It was a long offseason, but the Cardinals finally will be back in action Thursday against the Toronto Blue Jays as they look to repeat as National League Central champions. 

Last season was impressive for St. Louis, but it ended significantly earlier than expected. The Cardinals were swept by the eventual National League champion Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card round. The Cardinals brought back much of the same roster that won 93 games in 2022, but they still can get better. One player to watch this season who could play a major role in the success of St. Louis is left-handed hurler Steven Matz. 

The former New York Met and Blue Jay joined the Cardinals ahead of the 2022 season but only made 15 appearances due to injuries. Matz dealt with shoulder and knee injuries in 2022 but is healthy now and should be ready to go. The 31-year-old impressed throughout spring training and compiled a minuscule 1.53 ERA across four appearances and 17 2/3 innings pitched. 

Matz struck out 17 batters and walked just three people throughout spring training action. The hard-throwing lefty has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his career at points, but injuries have played a major role. He was last fully healthy throughout a season in 2021 and had the best year of his career with the Blue Jays finishing the campaign with a 14-7 record to go along with a 3.82 ERA in 29 starts and 150 2/3 innings pitched. 

St. Louis finished the 2022 season with an impressive 93-69 record -- good for fourth-best in the National League overall -- and that was with only 15 games pitched from Matz. The Cardinals have returned much of the same team from last season, but if Matz can stay healthy, he could be a game-changer. 

If St. Louis could get 25 starts from Matz with an ERA below 4.00, it could only help and make the club even more dangerous. The Cardinals were impressive in 2022, but there is potential for an even better 2023 campaign. If Matz can carry over his momentum from spring training, the Cardinals should have a very strong rotation with Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Jordan Montgomery, and Jack Flaherty all in the mix. 

All in all Cardinals fans have plenty to be hopeful about in 2023 and Matz could only help that if he's able to remain healthy. 

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