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&nbsp; The Cardinal Chronicle In the Spotlight: Jacob Odle’s Power Arm Is Pushing Its Way Onto the Radar St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurJacob Odle is starting to look like more than just another arm working his way through the lower levels of the Cardinals’ system.The 22-year-old right-hander has opened the 2026 season at Single-A Palm Beach with the kind of numbers that force a second look. Through his first 30 innings, Odle owns a 1.80 ERA with 43 strikeouts against 14 walks, giving the Cardinals another intriguing power arm in a system that has spent much of the spring watching young pitching begin to separate itself.Odle’s last three starts have been even sharper. Over 15 innings, he has allowed just one run while striking out 23 and walking five. That is not just surviving the Florida State League. That is taking the ball, missing bats and beginning to show the kind of dominance that usually leads to the next phone call.And the stuff is beginning to match the results.In his most recent outing Tuesday, Odle induced 16 swings and misses on 77 pitches and reached 99.6 mph. That kind of velocity gets attention at any level, but it becomes even more interesting when it comes from a 6-foot-5 right-hander who appears to be learning how to better harness the power in his frame.There are still parts of the profile that need polish. Odle is a little older for the Florida State League, and the 10.9 percent walk rate is a reminder that command remains part of the development process. Power arms can climb quickly, but they usually do not climb cleanly unless the strike-throwing continues to improve.Still, there is no denying the direction this is headed.Odle was selected by the Cardinals in the 14th round of the 2023 draft out of Orange Coast College, and at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, he has always carried the look of a pitcher with physical upside. The difference now is that the production is beginning to line up with the projection.For Palm Beach, he has not merely been filling innings. He has been overpowering hitters. The strikeout total tells one part of the story. The whiffs tell another. The fastball touching the upper 90s adds the loudest punctuation mark.The Cardinals do not need to rush every arm in the system, but Odle is making the High-A conversation harder to ignore. Peoria should be the next stop, and if he keeps throwing strikes with this kind of stuff, that promotion may come sooner rather than later.For now, Jacob Odle has become one of those lower-level names worth circling in ink instead of pencil.Old School TakeVelocity gets a pitcher noticed. Command keeps him moving.Odle has the arm. That much is obvious. When a right-hander is touching 99.6 mph and missing bats at this rate, there is no need to dress it up. The stuff plays.But the next step is the old one. Get ahead. Finish hitters. Make the fastball work in the zone. Trust the defense when needed. Walks are often the difference between a power arm and a pitcher.Right now, Odle looks like a power arm learning how to pitch. That is exactly the kind of player development story worth watching. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports

Jacob Odle’s Power Arm Is Pushing Its Way Onto the Radar

The Cardinal Chronicle McGreevy Gets the Ball as Cardinals Look to Keep Heat on Pirates St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals did not ease into their divisional gauntlet Tuesday night. They kicked the front door open.After beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-6 in 10 innings on Iván Herrera’s first career walk-off home run, St. Louis returns to Busch Stadium on Wednesday night looking to secure the series and keep building momentum in a stretch that will help define the final days of May. Herrera’s three-run shot in the bottom of the 10th finished a wild opener and gave the Cardinals another reminder that this club has found a knack for answering late. (Reuters)Game 2 of the series is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Wednesday at Busch Stadium, with Pittsburgh sending right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski to the mound against Cardinals right-hander Michael McGreevy. The Pirates entered the day at 24-24, while the Cardinals came in at 28-19, continuing to hold their place among the National League Central’s early-season contenders. (MLB.com)For St. Louis, this is more than simply trying to follow one dramatic win with another. This is about stacking games against division opponents while the schedule gives the Cardinals a chance to create separation. Pittsburgh has already seen St. Louis enough this season to understand the Cardinals are no longer playing like a club trying to find itself. They are playing like a team expecting to win.McGreevy gets the ball at the right time.The right-hander has been one of the more quietly effective arms in the Cardinals’ rotation, entering Wednesday with a 3-2 record, a 2.10 ERA and 36 strikeouts. He is not overpowering hitters with radar-gun theater, and that is part of what makes him interesting. McGreevy has been succeeding the old-fashioned way — throwing strikes, changing speeds, working both sides of the plate and forcing hitters to beat him on his terms. (MLB.com)There is still danger in this Pittsburgh lineup. The Pirates showed that Tuesday night when they erased an early Cardinals lead and later forced extra innings. Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz remain the kind of hitters who can change a game quickly, and Pittsburgh has enough athleticism to make a club pay for extra outs or missed locations.But the Cardinals also showed something in the opener. They got power from JJ Wetherholt, Nolan Gorman, Alec Burleson and Herrera. They absorbed Pittsburgh’s counterpunch. They played without Masyn Winn in the starting lineup. And they still found a way to finish the night with the stadium shaking.That matters.Herrera’s walk-off was the headline, and rightly so, but the broader takeaway was that the Cardinals are getting production from several parts of the roster. Wetherholt continues to look like a rookie who does not scare easily. Gorman’s power remains capable of changing the shape of a game in one swing. Burleson continues to provide steady left-handed production. Herrera is turning himself into one of the more important bats on the roster.Now the Cardinals need the rotation to give them a calmer night.Matthew Liberatore struck out nine in the opener but could not escape the fifth inning cleanly, allowing four runs in 4 2/3 innings. That put the bullpen into the game earlier than preferred and forced St. Louis to navigate a long night. McGreevy’s assignment Wednesday is simple enough: pound the zone, work deep, and keep the Cardinals from having to empty the relief drawer before Thursday’s afternoon series finale.The Masyn Winn situation remains one to watch. Winn was held out Tuesday after leaving Sunday’s game with left knee discomfort, though the Cardinals received encouraging news when imaging came back clean. If he returns to the lineup Wednesday, it gives St. Louis back one of its most important defensive pieces and one of the players who helps set the tempo for this club.The Cardinals have already taken the first game. Now comes the harder part — not giving it back.Good teams win emotional games. Better teams come back the next night and handle business again.Wednesday gives the Cardinals that chance.Game Info Matchup: Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals When: Wednesday, May 20, 2026 First pitch: 6:45 p.m. CT Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis Probable pitchers: Carmen Mlodzinski vs. Michael McGreevy TV: Cardinals.TV / SportsNet Pittsburgh The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

McGreevy Gets the Ball as Cardinals Look to Keep Heat on Pirates

The Cardinal Chronicle Cardinals Are Making Chaim Bloom's Deadline Decisions Harder by the Day St. Louis, MO By Ray Mileur, the Armchair GMThe St. Louis Cardinals were not supposed to make this complicated.That was the easy winter narrative, anyway. Chaim Bloom took over baseball operations, cleared payroll, moved veteran contracts, created flexibility, and seemed to set the franchise up for a longer reset than most St. Louis fans were prepared to accept.National expectations were straightforward: The Cardinals would endure some struggles, evaluate young talent, build organizational depth, and approach the trade deadline as sellers.There is only one problem.The Cardinals keep winning.At 27-19, St. Louis has done more than hang around. The club has pushed its way into the NL Central conversation and forced a much more uncomfortable question onto Bloom’s desk: What happens when a team built to transition starts playing like a team that deserves to be taken seriously?That is where this season gets interesting.The Cardinals should not abandon the long view. That would be foolish. One good six-week stretch does not erase the need to build a deeper, more sustainable organization. But this is also St. Louis, not Pittsburgh. Around here, endless rebuilding should never become a business model with a bobblehead night attached to it.The Cardinal Way isn't about surrendering seasons in bulk. It's about competing while developing, refreshing while contending, and refusing to tell fans that 'next year' is always the answer.That is the balance Bloom now has to strike.The most likely path is not a full-scale buy. Nor should it be a reckless fire sale. The Cardinals are in the middle of something more delicate. They have veterans and short-term pieces who may carry real trade value. They also have a clubhouse that has earned the right not to have the rug pulled out from under it before Memorial Day.That makes the bullpen the first place to watch.Riley O'Brien has become one of the better stories of the season, moving from overlooked arm to legitimate late-inning weapon. JoJo Romero has value. Dustin May, if healthy and productive, would naturally draw attention from pitching-needy contenders. Every July, teams overpay for outs. They especially overpay for late outs.That does not mean the Cardinals should automatically move their best relievers. It does mean Bloom has to listen.There's a difference between selling and being smart. If a contender treats a Cardinals reliever like the missing piece for October, the return must match the urgency. No discounts. No 'organizational depth' dressed up as a headline. If St. Louis moves a meaningful bullpen piece while still in the race, the return needs to help the next good Cardinals team—and preferably sooner rather than later. The same applies to Lars Nootbaar.Nootbaar's rehab and eventual return could become one of the more important developments of the summer. A healthy Nootbaar helps the Cardinals immediately. He also represents the kind of player other clubs value: left-handed bat, athletic enough, postseason-tested enough, and still young enough to fit more than one roster model.Trading him just to trade him would be a mistake.But if the outfield picture tightens and the return is substantial, Bloom has to be willing to have the uncomfortable conversation. That is the job. Sentiment cannot run the front office, but neither can spreadsheets alone.Nolan Gorman may be the most interesting name in the whole discussion.There is power there—real power. There is also swing-and-miss—real swing-and-miss. Gorman has always been the kind of player who can change a game with one swing and frustrate you for the other three at-bats. If another club still believes there is a middle-of-the-order bat waiting to fully settle in, St. Louis has to know what that belief is worth on the market.That does not mean giving him away. It means understanding that roster fit matters.If Thomas Saggese is pushing, if the infield picture is changing, and if the Cardinals can convert Gorman into pitching or controllable impact talent, then Bloom has to be open-minded. The Cardinals cannot hoard players simply because they were once top prospects. At some point, a front office has to decide who is part of the next core and who is better used to strengthen it. Meanwhile, the smaller roster churn matters, too.One noticeable difference in this new baseball operations setup is the willingness to keep the back end of the roster moving. The Cardinals of recent years too often seemed slow to adjust. This version appears less sentimental around the fringes. If a reliever is not throwing strikes, if a bench piece does not fit, if a waiver arm becomes available, Bloom seems more willing to turn the crank.That may not make headlines, but it matters across 162 games.Good organizations win at the margins. They don't just chase stars—they find the fifth reliever, the left-handed depth arm, the bench bat who can survive two weeks, the starter with one adjustment left in the tank. Those are the moves that don't sell jerseys but sometimes save seasons.The Cardinals also have something else working in their favor: Jordan Walker looks like he may be turning a corner.That changes the math.If Walker’s plate discipline gains are real, if the chase rate keeps dropping, and if his swing path is producing more damage without sacrificing the strike zone, then the Cardinals aren't just waiting for tomorrow—they might already be watching it arrive.That matters for Bloom’s deadline.A team with Walker emerging, Masyn Winn anchoring shortstop, young pitching beginning to stabilize, and a farm system producing real options does not need to act desperately. But it also does not need to act helplessly. The Cardinals have enough young talent to justify patience and enough major league traction to justify respect.That is why the trade deadline should not be framed as a buyers-versus-sellers contest.That is too simple.The real question is whether the Cardinals can thread the needle: protect the future without insulting the present.There are moves that would make sense. Trading an expiring veteran for a strong return makes sense. Listening on relievers makes sense. Adding a low-cost bullpen arm makes sense. Looking for controllable starting pitching always makes sense. Refusing to trade long-term value for a two-month rental also makes sense.What would not make sense is panic.The Cardinals should not panic-buy because they got hot. They should also not panic-sell, because that was the offseason plan. Plans are useful, but baseball has a way of kicking over the table and scattering the paperwork.The season has changed.The Cardinals have changed it.Now Bloom has to adjust without losing the discipline that got him here in the first place.That is the Armchair GM view from here at the Cardinal Chronicle: stay the course, but do not confuse staying the course with standing still. If the Cardinals are still in the race in July, Bloom owes the clubhouse and the fan base a serious effort to remain competitive. But if rival clubs want to overpay for short-term pieces, he owes the future an honest listen.The Cardinals do not need to mortgage tomorrow.They also do not need to act like tomorrow is the only thing that matters. In St. Louis, winning still counts.And if this team keeps forcing the issue, Chaim Bloom’s first deadline with the Cardinals may tell us more about his vision than any press conference ever could. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

Cardinals Are Making Chaim Bloom's Deadline Decisions Harder by the Day

The Cardinal Chronicle Michael McGreevy and the Art of Pitching St. Louis, MO By Ray Mileur Michael McGreevy is not a flamethrower, and that may be exactly why he has become so effective.In a modern game obsessed with velocity, spin rates, extension, chase percentages and every other number that can make a baseball fan feel as if he wandered into a NASA briefing, McGreevy's success comes back to something much older and much easier to understand.He pitches.There is a difference between throwing and pitching, and McGreevy has been showing that difference every fifth day. He is not trying to blow hitters away with 98 mph fastballs at the top of the zone. He is changing speeds, moving the ball, mixing his pitches, working ahead and keeping hitters from getting comfortable. That sounds old-school because it is.No, McGreevy is not Greg Maddux. No one is handing out Hall of Fame comparisons in May. But the style has a familiar feel. Maddux made a career out of reminding hitters that pitching is not just about how hard a pitcher throws. It is about what the hitter thinks is coming, where he thinks it is going, and how late he realizes he was wrong.McGreevy operates in that same spirit.He works with a deep pitch mix, using his fastball, sinker, changeup, cutter, breaking balls and different shapes to keep hitters guessing. The key is not one overpowering pitch. The key is that hitters rarely get the same look twice.One pitch runs. One fades. One changes speed. One stays on the corner. One looks hittable long enough to pull the swing out of the hitter, then disappears just enough to miss the barrel.That is why the stat line has been so strong.McGreevy has limited baserunners, kept his WHIP among the best in the league and held opposing hitters to a low batting average. Those numbers tell the story in plain English: He is not giving teams free traffic, and he is making hitters earn what they get.There are still caution signs under the hood. Statcast suggests some of the contact against him has been harder than the ERA would indicate, meaning there may be some correction coming if he starts missing over the middle of the plate. McGreevy does not have the kind of overpowering stuff that allows him to get away with repeated mistakes.But that is also part of what makes him interesting.His margin for error may be smaller than a power pitcher’s, but his approach is sharper. He has to think with the hitter. He has to stay unpredictable. He has to pitch to locations, change eye levels and trust movement more than muscle.And right now, it is working.For the average fan, forget the overload of red dots, blue dots, percentiles and expected statistics for a moment. The game itself has not changed as much as the way people explain it has changed.Michael McGreevy is effective because he is doing the oldest things in baseball well.He throws strikes. He changes speeds. He keeps the ball moving. He avoids unnecessary walks. He makes hitters uncomfortable. He lets his defense work.And most importantly, he understands that pitching is still about disrupting timing.That is why McGreevy has been so valuable to the Cardinals. He may not light up the radar gun, but he gives them innings, poise, command, and a real chance to win.In today’s game, that kind of pitcher can get overlooked.In St. Louis, it ought to be appreciated.At the Cardinal Chronicle, it is. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

Michael McGreevy and the Art of Pitching

The Cardinal Chronicle In the Spotlight: JJ Wetherholt St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurJJ Wetherholt had gone quiet for a few days, but the Cardinals’ rookie shortstop did not stay quiet for long.Wetherholt opened the scoring Tuesday night at Busch Stadium with a two-run home run to center field, his ninth long ball of the season, helping set the tone in the Cardinals’ 9-6 extra-inning win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.The rookie finished 2-for-4 with the homer, two runs scored and a walk, another reminder that even when the hits are not falling, Wetherholt continues to find ways to impact the game.After entering the night hitless over his previous three games, Wetherholt extended his on-base streak to 10 games. During that stretch, he has shown the kind of plate discipline that separates young hitters from young prospects, posting a 7:9 walk-to-strikeout ratio.Through 46 games in his first major-league season, Wetherholt is batting .239 with a .362 on-base percentage, a .420 slugging percentage, nine home runs, 35 runs scored, 24 RBIs and five stolen bases.The batting average may not jump off the page yet, but the overall profile does. Power. Patience. Speed. Runs created. Tough at-bats. For a rookie shortstop still learning big-league pitching, that is a pretty good foundation to build on.Old-school take: Wetherholt does not have to be finished product in May. He just has to keep showing he belongs — and nights like Tuesday are another strong reminder that he does.The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports

In the Spotlight: Rookie J Wetherholt

The Cardinal Chronicle Brayden Smith’s Three-Run Swing Earns Player of the Day Honors St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurBrayden Smith gave Palm Beach exactly what it needed Tuesday night — one big swing, right on time.Smith went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, a run scored and a walk in Palm Beach’s 4-1 win over St. Lucie, earning The Cardinal Chronicle Hitter of the Day honor. His three-run homer gave the Cardinals early breathing room and helped turn a strong pitching night from Jacob Odle into a clean road victory.It was the kind of swing that changes the feel of a game. Palm Beach did not need to chase offense all night. Smith supplied the damage, Odle took care of the mound, and the Cardinals played from ahead.Smith’s night also served as another reminder that he is still a new name in the Cardinals’ system, but not one without a track record.The Cardinals acquired Smith from the Baltimore Orioles on April 7, 2026, in exchange for left-handed pitcher Nick Raquet. Smith had originally been selected by Baltimore in the 13th round of the 2025 MLB Draft, No. 394 overall, and began his professional career with Delmarva, where he hit his first professional home run in August 2025.There is some useful versatility in his profile, too. Smith has seen time at second base, left field and right field early in his professional career. That matters in today’s game, where a player’s bat may open the door, but defensive flexibility can help keep him in the lineup.Smith, a left-handed hitter who throws right-handed, is listed at 6 feet, 190 pounds. He was born Dec. 15, 2003, in Las Vegas and came to professional baseball after a strong amateur path that included stops at Iowa Western Community College and Oklahoma State.At Iowa Western, Smith put together loud production, hitting .402 with 22 home runs and 115 RBIs across 111 games. He then moved on to Oklahoma State, where he slashed .304/.388/.548 with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs in 54 games in 2025.That is not empty background. It shows a player who has hit before, and at multiple stops.Palm Beach has not seen the full version of that bat yet, but Tuesday was a glimpse. Smith entered the night hitting .204 with a .630 OPS after the game, so this is not a case of dressing up a finished product. He is still settling in, still adjusting, and still trying to turn tools and college production into consistent professional results.But nights like Tuesday matter. They give a young hitter something to build on.Smith’s three-run homer was the big blow, and Chase Heath later added a solo shot to account for all four Palm Beach runs. Ryan Mitchell also helped set the table with two hits and a walk, while Ryan Weingartner singled and scored.Still, this was Smith’s night at the plate.The Cardinals took a chance on adding him early in the season, and games like this are why clubs keep looking for young left-handed bats with some positional flexibility and a history of production. Not every one of those players becomes a prospect of note, but every so often, a player starts putting enough good swings together to make folks pay attention.Smith did that Tuesday.Old School TakeA three-run homer still plays.You can stack up all the modern numbers you want, but when a young hitter steps in, finds a pitch he can handle and drives it out of the yard with two men on, that is baseball doing what baseball has always done.Brayden Smith is still early in his Cardinals career. He has work to do, and one good night does not write the whole story.But Tuesday night was a good chapter.And for Palm Beach, it was the swing that helped win the ballgame. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports

Brayden Smith’s Three-Run Swing Earns Player of the Day Honors

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle 

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle is dedicated to preserving Cardinals history, covering today’s game, and following the next generation through the minor leagues. Written in the tradition of the old beat writers, it’s baseball with perspective — steady, faithful, and rooted in a lifelong love for the game.

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle, Ray Mileur

The Cardinal Notebook

Jacob Odle’s Power Arm Is Pushing Its Way Onto the Radar

McGreevy Gets the Ball as Cardinals Look to Keep Heat on ...

Cardinals Are Making Chaim Bloom's Deadline Decisions Har...

Michael McGreevy and the Art of Pitching

In the Spotlight: Rookie J Wetherholt

Brayden Smith’s Three-Run Swing Earns Player of the Day H...