Lance Lynn is proving that 2023 was a blip on the radar
He’s still a workhorse who misses bats and thrives in a Cardinal uniform.
Fun fact: Lance Lynn has experienced only two bad seasons as a 13 year Major League Baseball veteran: 2018 and 2023. Heck, he even came back strong in 2016 after Tommy John surgery benched him for a season. There isn’t too much tainted red on his ledger, one that is carrying him comfortably into the 2024 season that has featured a 3.59 earned run average. But his rough go last year was enough for St. Louis Cardinals fans to crap all over the signing when John Mozeliak picked him off the market very early back in free agency.
You see, sports fans have the shortest attention spans in the entertainment industry. We’re guilty as charged due to the fast-moving ways of modern baseball. They’ll soon forget that Lynn was solid from 2019-2022 with different teams, but all they see is the guy who gave up 44 homers last season. I don’t know if he rubbed American cheese all over the baseball, but Oct. 2023 is a month he’d like back.
Shoot-from-the-hip types will easily ignore the fact that he never allowed more than 27 in a season outside of 2023. When fans rampaged the signing, they kept mentioning all the home runs he gave up with the Los Angeles Dodgers in half a season and the playoffs. If it’s negative, the fly will stick to shit.
What many forget is that outside of the L.A. debacle and a brief stint in a Yankees uniform, Lynn can pitch and miss bats. Armed with an assortment of four and two seam heaters, he is still holding his own with the pros. He has always been able to make starts, a premium need according to Cards G.M. Michael Girsch, and helped the team feel confident that his rotation spot isn’t one to worry about. That hasn’t changed in 2024 with St. Louis.
If there was one reason to think positively about Lynn’s season this summer, it was the chance to return to a stadium where he thrives. Busch Stadium has been kind to him, as in a 2.92 ERA covering 96 starts. A pitcher’s park has harnessed hitters searching for a hot cheddar sandwich at Busch. That’s a reason to not fret over a one year, $12 million deal. If he can pitch in the home park and various parks across both leagues (helps with a balanced schedule), the contract isn’t going to blow up in your face.
The strikeout rate isn’t as strong as it used to be, but I’ll take 8.6 Ks per nine from a guy who is anchoring a lower rotation spot. Expectations are everything in a deal, and Lynn was brought here to make starts and bring the team an energetic old force of nature in the dugout.
If there’s anyone who channels Chris Carpenter’s passion on the mound. After escaping a tight spot with his trustworthy gas, Lynn will shout and pump his fist. He’ll ramble a few words off as he enters the dugout. The Cardinals lacked a personality last year, much more so than veteran presence. Lynn gives you both.
It could still go south. He could trail off in the second half, and start serving batting practice. But career-wise, his ERA only goes down in the second half. The strikeout rate stays around nine; anyone not liking a strikeout per inning at 37 is greedy. After a string of rough starts, Lynn held the line against the Braves and Reds. A strong six innings is all the team needs from him. Occasionally, he fires off a sublime seven-inning performance, but six is good enough.
Contract reaction to reality wise, Lynn is thriving and Mozeliak is actually smiling about a recent contract. Oh, and about that home run rate? It’s at his lowest mark (1.0 per nine innings) in three years. Hey, we all have a few bad weeks every here and there, right?
While it may not be as flashy and captivating as Albert Pujols returning to finish his career in St. Louis, Lynn becoming a Cardinal again and doing well is a good story. Against all odds, a true story.
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