Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Flamethrower Listed As Top Candidate To Be Nominated For Prestigious Award

St. Louis has one of the best relievers in the game

Nate Hagerty

Aug 31, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) delivers a pitch against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Aug 31, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) delivers a pitch against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
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The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen has been the club's most reliable asset in a season full of disappointment and inconsistencies from key players.

The three-headed monster of Andrew Kittredge, JoJo Romero and Ryan Fernandez was a force to be reckoned with all year and fortunately, it looks like all three relievers will return in 2025.

Next year's bullpen should hopefully be just as dominant, with the Cardinals' top hurler set to return after coming off a career year -- one that could earn him some new hardware.

Cardinals right-handed pitcher Ryan Helsley was recently listed as a top award candidate to be nominated for National League Reliever of the Year, according to The Athletic's Stephen J. Nesbitt's article from Tuesday.

Helsley has posted a 7-4 record with a 2.19 ERA, 72-to-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .215 batting average against and a 1.15 WHIP in 61 2/3 innings pitched for the Cardinals this season.

The 30-year-old has recorded 44 saves on the season and only trails Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase by two for the most by any reliever this year.

If Helsley can log five more saves, he will become the Cardinals' all-time single-season saves leader -- surpassing Trevor Rosenthal's 2015 season when he recorded 48 closeouts.

This season has been Helsley's best. He more than doubled his previous record (19) for most saves in a season and has won National League Reliever of the Month on two separate occasions.

Luckily, Helsley is signed through 2025, so the Cardinals don't have to worry about the potential NL Reliever of the Year's contract until after next season.

More MLB: Cardinals Rising Star Made Gutsy Career Move That Could Prove To Be Monumental

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Nate Hagerty

NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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