Call to the pen
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St. Louis Cardinals hurler Jordan Hicks makes the Opening Day roster, a surprise but a welcome one

By Neil Harrington

WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 25: St. Louis Cardinals Catcher Yadier Molina (4) pats St. Louis Cardinals Non-Roster Invitee Pitcher Jordan Hicks (89) on the back as they walk off the field during an MLB spring training game between the St Louis Cardinals and the Washington Nationals at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida on March 25, 2018.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 25: St. Louis Cardinals Catcher Yadier Molina (4) pats St. Louis Cardinals Non-Roster Invitee Pitcher Jordan Hicks (89) on the back as they walk off the field during an MLB spring training game between the St Louis Cardinals and the Washington Nationals at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida on March 25, 2018. /
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The St. Louis Cardinals are sticking with youth, adding Jordan Hicks to their Opening Day Roster.

“Stuff, is stuff.” That’s the response St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny provided the St. Louis Post-Dispatch when announcing that rookie-eligible prospect Jordan Hicks was named to the Opening Day roster — in a (somewhat) shocking move.

Instead of the favorite choice of John Brebbia, the Cardinals are rolling the dice with the flame-throwing youngster Jordan Hicks — who made the most out of his second chance during Spring training. 

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

"The Cardinals wondered if he was closer to the majors than planned. They’ve decided he wasn’t just close — he was ready."

“When you have a unique talent like that and we have a need in our bullpen, right, we’re trying to figure out how we can use him in that spot. There is opportunity there. How that looks is yet to be determined.”

That late-inning mix is precisely where the St. Louis Cardinals need the most help and Hicks may be the man for the job. With a fastball consistently over 100 MPH — as high as 102 MPH to be exact — he’s got the electricity to be an MLB closer.

The Redbirds have discussed Hick’s future within the 9th-inning role, and the future is now — and why not? If so, the Cardinals will make us talking heads (including myself) look terrible; ones who suggested that the Birds on the Bat pay Greg Holland a ridiculous amount of money for the same role.

A few days back, Hicks displayed his powerful arm, hitting 99 MPH after he’s struck by a comebacker while on the mound during his latest outing.

What a showoff, indeed! The same outing was evidently what pushed Hicks ahead of Brebia, after a stellar four-innings one-hit ball — to go with two strikeouts and zero walks. His control bodes well for the 9th inning for the Cardinals, if that’s where they decide to use him — which they should.

With the likes of Matt Bowman, Trevor Lyons (and maybe Adam Wainwright upon his return) in middle relief/late-innings, Jordan Hicks may be the missing link to take that bullpen to the next level — a playoff caliber one.

Next: Munoz makes Cardinals roster at the expense of Bader, Voit

The fact that Jordan Hicks is making the jump straight from Single-A to the MLB level is telling of just how powerful his stuff indeed is. Even though it’s a risky move, it’s one that has the chance to pay off tremendously for the St. Louis Cardinals and their 2018 MLB postseason aspirations.

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