Good to be back?

In late November 2023, Lance Lynn and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a one-year deal. With Adam Wainwright retiring after the 2023 season, it’s certain that the Cardinals will require a top arm in the rotation in 2024. However, is signing a deal with Lance Lynn a great decision?

 

Well, in 2023, Lance Lynn didn’t have a great season. He made 21 starts for the White Sox, posting a 6.47 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP over 119.2 innings. Additionally, he gave up 28 home runs and opponents batted .270 against him. In late July, he was traded to the Dodgers. Lynn made 11 starts for the Dodgers and owned a 4.36 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP through 64 innings. Opponents’ batting average was below .250 while pitching for the Dodgers. Lynn finished the season a 5.73 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP across 183.2 innings. Nonetheless, he gave up 44 home runs, which was the most among the MLB pitchers.

 

Nevertheless, Lynn made his MLB debut with the Cardinals in 2011. In his rookie season, he made 2 starts and 16 relief appearances, posting a 3.12 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP over 34.2 innings. Moreover, he also pitched in the 2011 playoffs and the Cardinals won the 2011 World Series title.

 

In 2012, Lynn made 29 starts and 6 relief appearances, posting a 3.78 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP over 176 innings. And in the 2012 season, Lynn was selected to the All-Star game. From 2013 to 2017, he missed the entire 2016 season due to injury, however, in the rest of 4 seasons, Lynn made 30+ starts and earned 10+ wins each season. Hence, he had been a reliable starter in the Cardinals rotation. In total, from 2011 to 2017, Lynn tossed 977.2 innings for the Cardinals, posting a 3.38 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP.

 

In the meantime, it’s worth mentioning that Lynn surely enjoyed pitching at Busch Stadium. From 2011 to 2017, Lynn made 77 starts and 10 relief appearances at this ballpark, posting a great 2.85 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP over 484 innings. In those 87 games, he gave up 31 home runs. Well, we have to remember that he allowed 44 home runs in 183.2 innings this year. By far in his career, opponents’ batting average is .227 when Lynn pitches at Busch Stadium.

 

Lance Lynn, who’s a 2-time All-Star, might just have the worst season in his career. Nevertheless, it will be surely interesting to see whether Lynn can bounce back in the 2024 season. In particular, when coming back to the team where he began his career, it will certainly be worthwhile to see Lynn’s performance at Busch stadium. Nonetheless, there are several things that the Cardinals front office, coaching staff and Lynn will have to figure out. Firstly, they will have to identify the reason why Lynn gave up so many home runs in 2023. Additionally, opponents’ hard-hit rate against Lynn was 39.3%, which is his career high. Lynn surely has to find a way to avoid opponents making solid contact. Finally, Lynn, who has shown that he can eat innings, will turn 37 in May. Can he still eat as many innings as he used to do?