ST. LOUIS -- The ferocious right arm of Jordan Hicks sends triple-digit fastballs sinking out of reach, and shoots stadium eyes to the scoreboard. It is what hurdled the precocious power reliever over three developmental levels and into a big league bullpen, what makes Cardinals officials salivate when pondering his potential going forward, and, in his second Major League game, what made Todd Frazier's head whip back.
"I looked at [catcher] Yadier Molina after my swing and said, 'Oh, man, good to be young again,'" Frazier recalled. "That's not fair. What the hell's that about?