Cardinals Surprising Hurler Among Players Taking 'Biggest Leaps' In Baseball

St. Louis fans still should have hope about the club

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals have struggled since the All-Star break but fans shouldn't give up hope yet.

St. Louis was toward the bottom of the National League standings at one point and was able to scratch and claw itself back into playoff contention. The Cardinals already have shown their resilience and could do it again.

Even if they don't make the playoffs, though, St. Louis is in a position to be better in 2025. The Cardinals improved the starting rotation heading into the 2024 campaign but still needed more work. St. Louis acquired breakout hurler Erick Fedde ahead of the trade deadline and he also is under contract for the 2025 campaign.

Fedde didn't pitch in the big leagues last year but has shined this year and was ranked among the top players who have taken the "biggest leaps" this year by Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly.

"At 31, Erick Fedde is the oldest player on this list," Kelly said. "But his emergence as one of the top trade pickups of the summer is one of the more interesting stories of the season. A first-round pick in 2014, Fedde posted a 5.41 ERA across parts of six seasons with the Washington Nationals.

But after a dominant gap year in the KBO in 2023, Fedde earned a two-year, $15 million deal with the White Sox, and he pitched so well for Chicago that the Cardinals dealt for him in an attempt to bolster their playoff odds before the July 30 trade deadline. While Fedde isn't a front-line starting pitcher, he's been a solid middle-of-the-rotation option, posting a 3.40 ERA across 137.2 innings pitched between the (Chicago White Sox) and Cardinals."

Fedde certainly makes St. Louis better and will help in 2025 as well.

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