5 takeaways from the Cardinals' 10-1 win over Baltimore

Welcome to the Juan Yepez show, but check out Jake Walsh too.

Certain rookies get to the big leagues and act like they’ve been there for years. This isn’t shown in pompous action or an unstable amount of confidence coming in, but a knowledge of how to handle yourself and an ability to stand toe to toe early on with Major League pitchers.

1) That’s Juan Yepez in his first week with the St. Louis Cardinals. The 24-year-old designated hitter and versatile fielder has only played in seven games but has a fWAR of 0.6 already. He’s 12-27 at the plate with two home runs and three doubles. Hitting all over the order, even in the cleanup spot the other night, Yepez is making his debut count.

But it’s not just the power or presence of Yepez that impresses; it’s the poise I notice with him that stands out. He works counts without keeping the bat on his shoulders. He will strike out (6 in those 27 at-bats, still a low K rate), but Yepez works over a pitcher in the process. He’s happy to be here and doesn’t mind celebrating his big hits, but there’s a seriousness to his persona as well-like he has a mission. They all do. Win it all.

Yepez isn’t a guy who will float up and down from the minors this season. He very well could be here to stay.

2) Jake Walsh made his MLB debut last night and didn’t disappoint. If you can come into a game and provide two vital innings, the score doesn’t matter. The bullpen has done a stout job this year of holding the line while the rotation gathers health, but it hasn’t always been pretty.

The 26-year-old, selected in the 16th round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Cardinals, had a rocky beginning to his 2021 season but finished strong in the Arizona Fall League. It only took him five weeks after being sent to Memphis at the onset of this season for him to return.

He attacks the plate primarily with a four-seam fastball that dials up to 95-96 mph. But then he breaks up what seems like a knuckle curve to hitters down in the count, not afraid to bring the heater back afterwards. After being used as a starter early on in his minor league career, Walsh could settle into a nice relief role with the team. One that isn’t bound by labels. Judging from his first outing, Walsh fits a variety of roles for this team.

3) Miles Mikolas deserves more credit for his great start. After coming into the season with a health question mark looming over his name after a troublesome two seasons, he has settled in nicely this season. At his best, Mikolas throws strikes and eats innings with some precision. Seven innings against Baltimore last night was exactly what the Cards needed after a tough loss Tuesday.

Mikolas doesn’t make things fancy out there. He gets strike one, doesn’t walk many, and works faster than most pitchers. If he can keep this performance up, the rotation may not be as open-ended.

4) While Dylan Carlson and Harrison Bader try to keep their bats steadier at the plate, it’s nice to see Brendan Donovan flourish with more at-bats. Coming into yesterday’s game, he only had 16 MLB at-bats. So far in the Baltimore series, he has three hits and three walks. He can play second, short, or third base. Defensive versatility and a wicked bat are his calling cards. He’s the guy not getting talked about enough behind Yepez and Nolan Gorman.

5) I’m not worried about Yadier Molina, Albert Pujols, or Corey Dickerson. I’m talking about a literal understanding of their roles. If their bats stay cold, the kids get to play. If the opposite happens, it only makes the situation more fun to watch. Pujols should only be graded on his performance versus LHP, and Dickerson may not be able to recover what he had before 2020. If so, he won’t get at-bats. Think of Corey as an insurance signing just in case the outfield remained stale, and the kids weren’t alright.

It appears the kids are more than alright, which makes slumping vets more digestible for manager Oliver Marmol. With Andrew Knizner starting to get more starts, Molina’s bat will matter less. Don’t forget he got to camp very late and could just need time to get the knees and body moving. If not, more Knizner. I am confident Marmol knows how to handle that situation.

Here’s the thing. The Cardinals have played 30 games. It’s not even time to start analyzing or thinking too deeply about this team. They’re still in that setup phase in my mind, especially until the rotation becomes whole again. But they’re holding the line, with a 17-13 record that’s good for second in the division.

Let’s see if they can put their foot on the Orioles’ throat today with a win.