After spending the past few seasons as a member of the struggling Chicago Cubs, right-hander Carlos Villanueva is blossoming as a piece of the St. Louis Cardinals’ bullpen – which has been one of the biggest success stories for a team that leads all of Major League Baseball in wins.
At age 31, Villanueva has all of 3 2/3 innings of postseason experience under his belt, a testament to the struggling ball clubs he’s played on for most of his big league career. This season, the veteran – who has spent time with three-fifths of the NL Central so far – has been lights-out for manager Mike Matheny.