{"id":678394,"date":"2026-04-18T13:45:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T13:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/678394\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T13:45:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T13:45:24","slug":"the-st-louis-cardinals-have-a-hidden-breakout-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/678394\/","title":{"rendered":"The St. Louis Cardinals have a hidden breakout star"},"content":{"rendered":"

The St. Louis Cardinals<\/a> have had a slew of young talent take the next step to start 2026. Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt<\/a> highlight an overachieving offense that stands at 10-8 through the team\u2019s first 18 games. However, there is a name on the other side of the ball who deserves just as much, if not more, praise for his 2026 thus far.<\/p>\n

Death, Taxes, and Saves\u00a0<\/p>\n

The newfound Cardinal closer<\/a>, Riley O\u2019Brien, couldn\u2019t have kicked off 2026 much better. Through 10.1 innings, the last line of defense has yet to surrender an earned run and owns a WHIP of 0.39.\u00a0<\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien\u2019s sinker is reminiscent of former Redbird flamethrower Jordan Hicks<\/a>. Hicks had the stuff; he just couldn\u2019t quite find the right plan of attack. O\u2019Brien pitches with the conviction that it seems former Cardinal firemen have lacked. His fastball has averaged out at 97.8mph, allowing him to overpower the opposition. Not only does he throw fast, but he throws anything but straight. The O\u2019Brien fastball dances like it\u2019s at the disco and laughs while it embraces weak contact.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re keen on analytics, you might be jumping the gun to go and check what O\u2019Brien\u2019s metrics are telling us. Well, they\u2019re just about screaming \u201cThis is real!\u201d as loud as they possibly could.\u00a0<\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien\u2019s xERA is in the 99th percentile at 1.15. He also ranks in the 100th percentile of groundball percentage (73.9%), playing right into the trusty hands of the Redbird infield. St. Louis\u2019 defense has been one of the best in baseball<\/a> through the first handful of games. If this trend persists, don\u2019t expect O\u2019Brien\u2019s dominance to slow anytime soon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What\u2019s got hitters all tangled up?\u00a0<\/p>\n

The O\u2019Brien pitch mix is to be feared by the opposition and enjoyed by the fans. His bowling-ball sinker entices choppy swings, spearheading the highest groundball rate in the league. What does he pair with such a star-studded pitch, you might ask? One of baseball\u2019s best sweepers, a pitch that has yet to allow a hit. He supplements his two best pitches with a no-joke slider and a rinky-dink changeup that he\u2019s rarely utilized.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cardinal fans and analysts should\u2019ve seen this coming. Before the season, it was Matt Svanson this, JoJo Romero that. To the latter\u2019s credit, Romero has yet to allow an earned run and has looked as good as ever. But he\u2019s not quite matching the dominance we\u2019ve seen from O\u2019Brien. No barrels, no runs, and chairs to spare: thus reads the O\u2019Brien creed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of the earliest questions of 2026 has solved itself. St. Louis has their closer. Now, they\u2019ve got to find a left fielder. If O\u2019Brien\u2019s health stays in a good place, the Redbirds could have a first-time All-Star on their hands come July, not named Jordan Walker<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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