MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 07: Jack Flaherty #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch in the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on April 07, 2021 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
Entering the season, the St. Louis Cardinals needed Jack Flaherty to step up. He has more than delivered.
Flaherty, 25, has pitched like an ace. He is 8-0 with a 2.53 ERA and a 55/17 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He looks like a legitimate Cy Young Award candidate and has been a primary factor in the Cardinals starting 25-18 and leading the National League Central by 3.