As the minor-league baseball season enters the home stretch, the Springfield Cardinals have been able to keep on trucking despite losing key players to promotions or injuries.
Starting pitching depth has been a major reason for the team’s run to a 72-42 record. With 24 regular-season games remaining, the Cardinals are just seven wins from matching last season’s franchise-record total. The big three of Brycen Mautz, Ixan Henderson and Pete Hansen have been strong from opening day, not missing any starts and combining for 21 victories with a 3.15 earned run average.
They’re all left-handed. That’s a rarity in baseball, at any level, and Springfield manager Patrick Anderson said it’s a nice luxury to have that many lefties on the same staff.
“These guys have really worked hard, and they get along really well and they push each other,” Anderson said last week during the homestand with Wichita. “That’s the fun part you see every day, that these guys really kind of challenge each other and push each other.
“I should credit our pitching staff as a whole. You lose guys, who are being promoted (Max Rajcic, Tekoah Roby) or they go on the injured list (Tink Hence), but just keep ticking along. Man, the starting staff just keeps on producing — knock on wood.
“They believe in each other, and it’s almost like the next guy steps up and then the new guy comes in and he’s a part of this family. It’s been kind of cool to be able to see these guys really grow together and push for each other.”
Mautz, who has allowed either one or no runs in his last eight starts, said the trio of left-handers is quick to bounce ideas off each other while watching each work against opponents during every series.
“We’re all pretty different in how we throw and our pitch movement,” Mautz said. “So it’s not like it’s the same thing over and over, but it gives you a way better idea than a righty.”
Henderson earns Texas League honor
Cardinals’ pitcher Ixan Henderson pitches to Arkansas Travelers’ shortstop Ben Ramirez on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at Hammons Field. Henderson struck out 7 and allowed one run on four hits over five innings. The Cardinals won 10-3. (Photo by Mary Ellen Chiles)
On Aug. 18, Ixan Henderson was named the Texas League Pitcher of the Week. It’s the first award for him during his three-season minor-league career and follows Brycen Mautz winning the same award the previous week after he also was named Texas League Pitcher of the Month for July.
Henderson is second in the league in ERA (2.42), tied for second with eight wins, sixth in strikeouts (103) and second in batting average against (.207). Henderson, Mautz and Hansen are all top 10 in strikeouts with a combined 319.
Rewind: Springfield Cardinals’ winning streak snapped
After matching their season-long winning streak of eight by winning the first three of a home series against Wichita, the Cardinals dropped the final three against the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Springfield’s offense struggled with just six runs in those losses.
The Cardinals (72-42 overall) could see Wichita again in the Texas League North playoffs, as the Wind Surge has the second-best overall record in the division (60-54), which is three games better than Arkansas. Springfield leads Tulsa by two games in the second-half standings.
Fast forward: Headed to Arkansas’ capital city
The Springfield Cardinals open a six-game series in Little Rock on Aug. 19 against the Arkansas Travelers, an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. It’s the final games of the season between the two, with Arkansas holding a 10-8 season advantage.
Who’s hot: Love dealing out of bullpen
Springfield Cardinals outfielder Joshua Baez retrieves a home run ball during a game vs NW Arkansas Naturals. (Photo by Ellie Frysztak)
Right-handed reliever Austin Love has allowed only two hits and no runs in five appearances spanning 7 ⅓ August innings. Love has struck out five and walked two in the stretch, which has lowered his season ERA to 1.83. The 26-year-old is 5-1 with two saves this season.
Outfielder Joshua Baez is hitting .306 in 12 games during August with two home runs and 10 walks.
Who’s not: Rivas’ hitting streak ends
Infielder Jeremy Rivas had an eight-game hitting streak snapped over the weekend when he went 0-for-8 in the final two games against Wichita.
Relief pitcher Luis Gastelum suffered a blown save on Aug. 17 by allowing four ninth-inning runs in a 7-4 loss to Wichita.
Church rises to the big leagues
Springfield Cardinals outfielder Nathan Church times his swing in the on-deck circle against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at Hammons Field. (Photo by Mary Ellen Chiles)
Outfielder Nathan Church, who began the season with Springfield before being promoted to Triple-A Memphis, became the 141st former Springfield Cardinals player to make it to St. Louis when he made his big-league debut on Aug. 17. Church went 0-for-4 against the New York Yankees while becoming just the eighth former Springfield Cardinal to debut in St. Louis in the same season they played for Springfield.
After homecoming, Thompson on hold
Springfield Cardinals pitcher Brandt Thompson throws from the mound on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, at Hammons Field in Springfield.(Photo by Ellie Frysztak)
Former Missouri State pitcher Brandt Thompson was unable to make his scheduled start on Aug. 17 against Wichita due to a blister on his pitching hand. Thompson left an Aug. 12 start in the series opener after allowing an unearned run in three innings. In two Double-A starts, Thompson has allowed one earned run in nine innings.
Springfield Cardinals prospect to watch
Nate Dohm, a right-handed starting pitcher the Cardinals acquired from the New York Mets in the Ryan Helsley trade, has made two starts at High-A Peoria. The No. 17 prospect for the Cardinals, Dohm has allowed two runs and struck out six in five innings.
Arkansas prospect to watch
The Cardinals will see Seattle’s No. 1 minor-league prospect this week in Little Rock. Shortstop Cole Emerson, 20, is hitting .260 since a midseason promotion from High-A, but is hitting .342 over his last 10 games with the Travelers.
Springfield Cardinals’ next homestand
The Springfield Cardinals are set to return to Hammons Field Aug. 26 to open a six-game series against the Midland Rockhounds, the first-half champs of the Texas League South Division. The Athletics’ affiliate has struggled to an 18-27 record in the second half as Amarillo has opened a seven-game lead in the South.
Lyndal Scranton is a Springfield native who has covered sports in the Ozarks for more than 35 years, witnessing nearly every big sports moment in the region during the last 50 years. The Missouri Sports Hall of Famer, Springfield Area Sports Hall of Famer and live-fire cooking enthusiast also serves as PR Director for Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri and is co-host of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast. Contact him at Lscranton755@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @LyndalScranton. More by Lyndal Scranton