Cardinals Flamethrower Earns NL Reliever Of The Month After Impressive Start

The St. Louis Cardinals have had their difficulties this season but unlike 2023, the pitching staff is not to blame for the club's lackluster record.

With the help of the rejuvenated rotation and a dominant bullpen, the Cardinals are seen as a much better team than they were last season.

A highlight of St. Louis' 2024 campaign so far comes from a hard-throwing reliever who just earned recognition for his dominance to begin the season.

Right-handed pitcher Ryan Helsley has been named the National League Reliever of the Month for March/April, Major League Baseball announced Friday morning.

Helsley has posted a 2-2 record with a 1.69 ERA, 19-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .220 batting average against and a 0.94 WHIP in 16 innings pitched throughout March and April.

The 29-year-old has excelled in his role as the Cardinals closer since the club parted ways with San Francisco Giants pitcher Jordan Hicks at last year's trade deadline as Helsley reclaimed his former role.

The flamethrower currently has 10 recorded saves -- the most by any reliever in the league. Helsley is already 4 saves away from tying last year's total -- granted he was injured for a good chunk of the year and was sometimes deployed in non-save situations.

The Cardinals could arguably have one of the best bullpens in the league, led by Helsley as closer with Andrew Kittredge, JoJo Romero, Matthew Liberatore and Ryan Fernandez as dependable set-up men. Not to mention, Kenyan Middleton will certainly add depth when he returns from the injured list.

It's great to see Helsley get the recognition he deserves for his impressive start to the season. Let's hope he continues to shut down hitters and can stay healthy as this team tries to find its groove.