Last week the Cardinal hitters were lauded or leveled by InsideSTL’s academic scale, and now it’s time for the pitchers to face the music. It’s been a banner year for Cardinal hurlers, but – as your grandma would put it – not everyone got “high marks”. Here are the results.
Chris Carpenter A+
Having arguably his finest season ever, the Cardinal ace is first in the league in ERA (2.30), first in win percentage (80%), second in WHIP (1.01), second in victories (16) and tied for first in home runs allowed for pitchers who meet the minimum innings standard. He strikes out nearly four batters for every one he walks and the big right-hander gives the Redbirds a favorable chance to win nearly every time he 
takes the hill. His ability to stay healthy has been not only crucial but admirable, considering his litany of career injuries, and he has dispelled the myth created by the media that he is too creaky to compete. In fact, he’s been the Albert Pujols of the pitching staff.
Adam Wainwright A+
When the national pundits assured the baseball world that Carpenter would be too banged up to make it through a handful of starts, much less a full season in 2009, Cardinal Nation expected Adam Wainwright to pick up the slack. But no one expected this. Waino is having a breakout campaign to say the least and may just be the frontrunner for the NL Cy Young award. His 19 wins lead the league and he’ll have a crack at 20 before it’s all said and done. He’s third in the ERA race with a 2.58 mark, first in innings pitched and fourth in strikeouts. And since July 1st he’s been the best pitcher in baseball. His list of accomplishments rattle on until Cardinal Nation became collectively blue in the face, so I’ll digress, but it should be known that Wainwright has gone from surprise closer, to blossoming starter, to dominant ace in a span of just three years.
Joel Pineiro A
Pineiro may be the biggest surprise on this list. Embattled and maligned for most of last season, the groundball inducing righty emerged as a reliable talent and the best third starter in baseball in 2009. He leads all qualified hurlers in walks (25) and home runs allowed (7 - tied with Carpenter), is fourth in the league with 15 wins and boasts a career-best 3.24 ERA. The sudden development of his sinker changed his game dramatically, as recognized by a league-best 1.66 ground ball to fly ball ratio, and he learned to finally control the strike zone and keep the ball in the park. Too bad the Cards won’t be able to afford him next year.
Trever Miller A-
The lefty specialist brought in from Tampa Bay has done exactly what the Cardinals expected out of him and more. He has held left-handers to a nearly invisible .121 average, has been able to pitch full innings in a pinch and get righties out as well. Miller owns a 4-1 record and has compiled a sparkling 2.14 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 44 strikeouts in 42 innings pitched. He’s been the most reliable arm out of the pen.
Blake Hawksworth A-
The rookie has been one of the more pleasant surprises of 2009. Since a midseason call-up he’s emerged as the go-to right-hander in the eighth inning – which had been a big problem for the pre-Holliday Cardinals – and proved that he can retire hitters batting from either side of the plate and in big game situations. His 4-0 record and 2.19 ERA attest to just how good he’s been.
Ryan Franklin A-/B+
Frankie would have been higher on this list if not for his September meltdown. He was nearly untouchable for the first five months of the season, rattling off 35 saves in 37 chances and boasting a major league best 1.05 ERA for a reliever, but he blew 
three consecutive saves in the season’s final month. His ERA nearly doubled and he allowed almost 2.5 base runners per inning in September, leading to national speculation that the Cardinals had similar closing woes as the ninth-inning train-wreck that is the Philadelphia Phillies. The good news is he locked down his last outing. The bad news is he instilled doubt.
John Smoltz B+
Many are quick to think that Smoltz hasn’t been that good since becoming a Cardinal, but the numbers would suggest otherwise. He’s posted a 3.18 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in six starts, striking out 37 batters in 34 innings against a mere four walks. His 1-2 record isn’t flashy, but lack of offensive support is hardly his fault. Not to mention what he brings to the clubhouse and to younger pitchers in the form of experience and wisdom. Is there any doubt who should be the fourth starter in the postseason?
Kyle McClellan B
The sophomore reliever has been reliable and durable once again with a 4-3 record, 15 holds and a 2.76 ERA over 65.1 innings, but his walk total (33) is high and he’s struggled in situations where he’s been asked to get more than three outs.
Dennys Reyes B-/C+
The bloated left-hander leads the team in holds with 18 and appearances with 72, but the lefty specialist has walked 20 batters in just 39.1 innings to go along with 33 hits allowed. He’s handled lefties fairly well with a .207 batting average against, but too many times was he asked to come in, get one batter out, and then failed.
Mitchell Boggs C-
The spot starter has allowed an overwhelming number of base runners in his brief stint with the Cards this season. Seventy-one hits and 31 free passes add up to a 1.83 WHIP and a 4.37 ERA for Boggs, and will likely keep him off the postseason roster. He has good stuff, but until he can manipulate the strike zone and work both sides of the plate while hitting his spots, he’ll continue pitching batting practice.
Jason Motte D+
Remember how excited Cardinal Nation was on Opening Day when Motte was came in to close out a surefire win against the Pirates? That was probably the last time anyone was excited about the converted catcher this season. He’s 4-4 with a 4.75 ERA and has surrendered ten homers in just 55 innings this year. Lack of movement on his pitches cost him his role as the closer and ultimately his job as a setup man as well. It’s been mop-up duty for Motte since the emergence of Hawksworth.
Brad Thompson D
Thompson has the same problem as Mitchell Boggs, except he doesn’t have Boggs’ 
stuff. Leaving him destined to be an unreliable reliever used in low pressure situations. His 2-6 record and 4.98 ERA are all the proof anyone needs.
Kyle Lohse D-
There are worse pitchers with better grades on this list than Lohse, but he’s judged more harshly because of expectations, mostly tied to the four-year, $41 million contract extension he signed at the end of last season. The Cardinals biggest “free agent” acquisition has had an injury-filled and unsuccessful campaign that has led to a 6-9 record and a 4.84 ERA over just 21 starts. He seems to cough up leads as soon as he receives them and is too susceptible to the big inning (15 homers allowed). Then offers a convenient excuse to why he’s struggling. Truth be told, he’s only had one good half-season as a Cardinal (2008’s first half), and was paid handsomely for it. He is in 2009 what Joel Pineiro was in 2008. Here’s hoping he has a similar turnaround next year and the Cards get their money’s worth.
Todd Wellemeyer F
Oh God. One of the few bright spots in the rotation last season completely imploded in 2009. Wellemeyer, the Chris Duncan of the starting staff, has allowed 156 hits and 54 walks en route to a Mark Mulder-esque 5.81 ERA this year. He was demoted from the rotation – twice – and has been ineffective out of the bullpen as well. The only way he makes the postseason roster is if the rest of the starting staff joins a suicide cult on October 7th.
Chris Perez, Blaine Boyer, Josh Kinney INCOMPLETE