LHP Nick Raquet - Beating the Bushes
The Cardinal Chronicle
In the Spotlight: LHP Nick Raquet - Beating the Bushes
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Some players take the straight highway to the big leagues. Others take the back roads, step away for a season — or two — and come back stronger.
Nick Raquet fits squarely in that second category.
The 30-year-old left-hander (6-0, 215) made his Major League debut in Seattle on September 8, 2025, delivering two scoreless appearances on consecutive days. No fanfare. No theatrics. Just clean innings and quiet effectiveness.
Originally selected in the third round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals, Raquet’s path wasn’t linear. After grinding through the system, he stepped away from organized baseball for two full seasons (2021–22), working as a consultant for Ernst & Young. That’s not something you often see on a pitching résumé.
But the arm didn’t disappear — and neither did the ambition.
In 2023, pitching for the York Revolution of the Atlantic League, Raquet went 13-7 with a 3.71 ERA across 24 starts. He was named York’s Pitcher of the Year and shared Atlantic League Co-Pitcher of the Year honors. It was a comeback season that put him back on the professional radar.
The Cardinals signed him as a minor league free agent in January 2024.
By 2025, Raquet was more than organizational depth. He tied for the Cardinals’ minor league lead with 10 wins and became the first Cardinals minor league pitcher to post double-digit wins in relief since 2016. He provided steady innings, flexibility, and a dependable left-handed option capable of working in multiple roles.
At 30, Raquet is not a prospect chasing projection. He’s a pitcher who understands opportunity, appreciates it, and competes for it. For a club that values resilience and internal depth, his story is a reminder that development doesn’t always follow a straight line.
Sometimes it takes a detour to arrive ready.
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