The Cardinals had to wait a while for Cooper Hjerpe, but his first night in the majors made the delay look worth it.
That debut lands at No. 8 on the club’s list of the top 10 moments of 2026, and it was the kind of entrance that turns heads fast. Working behind starter Kyle Leahy against the Colorado Rockies, Hjerpe carved through four perfect innings and struck out six.
For a pitcher whose arrival had been slowed by injury, it was a sharp reminder of why St. Louis has been so intrigued by him since drafting him in 2022.
Hjerpe’s outing stood out not just because it was clean, but because of how rare that kind of first impression is. His four innings of perfection were the longest stretch of perfection in a debut since Max Kranick in 2021 and Max Scherzer during his MLB debut. For the Cardinals, it was a glimpse of a left-hander whose stuff can play way up because of the angles and release points he brings to the mound.
The lefty’s big-league season ended with four appearances, a 4.38 ERA and 15 strikeouts across 12.1 innings, all out of the bullpen. That usage doesn’t lock him into relief long term, though. The Cardinals still have every reason to see whether he can grow into a starter.
That possibility is part of what makes Hjerpe such a fascinating arm. His pitches don’t need to light up the radar gun to miss bats, because the deception is baked into how he delivers them. In the minors, hitters were often left off balance, and injuries have been the main reason he hasn’t already become a regular part of the rotation picture.
The next step will be just as interesting as the debut itself. Hjerpe threw 52.1 innings this year while returning from Tommy John surgery, which tied his career high in innings with the Cardinals organization since he was drafted.
St. Louis has been careful with how it handles pitchers’ workloads, and that approach figures to shape whatever plan they have for him next season too, just as it did with Kyle Leahy this year.
Hjerpe’s arrival also fits a larger trend for the Cardinals. After years of struggling to develop enough rotation help, they saw Hjerpe and Quinn Mathews impress in their debuts this season, alongside Leahy, Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante as quality big-league starters moving forward.
And there’s more on the way. Hunter Dobbins and Richard Fitts are expected back from injuries to join that mix in the future, while Liam Doyle, Tanner Franklin, Jurrangelo Cijntje, Brandon Clarke, Mason Molina, Yhoiker Fajardo, Jacob Odle, Tegan Kuhns and others continue developing in the system.
In Other News...
Cardinals Suddenly Look Built To Pounce As Cubs Window Gets Shaky
The National League Central may look tilted toward Chicago right now, but the longer view is starting to favor St. Louis. The Cubs still have the better major league roster at the moment, yet the gap is built on a group that is getting older and a depth chart that does not have much help coming from the farm. For the Cardinals, the picture is different: a stronger system, a younger core and more roster control give them a cleaner path to staying competitive without having to buy every answer on the open market.
Chicago is going to need a meaningful spending spree just to keep up with the turnover ahead, and that kind of winter can get expensive fast when key pieces reach free agency. St. Louis, meanwhile, looks more like a club that can wait for the right moment to pounce, with the kind of starting pitching production projected for 2026 that could make the rest of the division nervous. The window is not wide open yet, but it is getting easier to see why the Cardinals believe they are moving into position to challenge for the division again soon. [Read more 🡒]
Nolan Arenado Gave Arizona Hope At Third Base Again For Now
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Arenado finished with a .255 average, 30 home runs and a 120 wRC+, a line that still carried real value at the plate. But the deeper indicators were less encouraging, with drops in exit velocity and hard-hit rate hinting that the power production may not be as sturdy as the final totals suggest, which leaves Arizona with hope at third base for now and a decision to sort through later. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Suddenly Have A Real Third Base Question To Watch
The Cardinals farm system did not end the season with championship banners in Memphis or Springfield, but there was still plenty for the organization to keep an eye on. Jesus Baez and Tai Peete both gave the club reasons to feel better about what comes next, with Peete turning in a strong run in Double-A and Baez continuing to look like a real bat to track as he moves through the system.
For St. Louis, the timing matters because third base remains one of the clearer long-term questions on the roster. Baez, who piled up 39 home runs and stayed hot in the playoffs with a 1.156 OPS, is starting to look like a legitimate candidate to eventually answer it. The Cardinals are not there yet, but performances like this are the kind that can change how an internal battle looks a year from now. [Read more 🡒]