Every year, or at least every year since 2012, we’ve taken some time after the season was over to look at the past 162 games through the lens of the players that played them (and the management that was in charge of them). Last year, the Exit Interview series spent less time digging into splits and finding numerical oddities and more time reflecting on the player and their season. It was a style that seemed to work so we’re going to bring it back again this year. The legendary cardinalsgifs is back to bring us excellent series art, so it’s all downhill after you see that!
Player: Lance Lynn
Stats: 7-4, 23 G, 117.1 IP, 113 H, 16 HR, 44 BB, 109 K, 3.84 ERA, 4,31 FIP, 1.338 WHIP, 0.3 bWAR
Statcast: 10.5% barrel, 37.0% sweet spot, 114.6 max exit velocity, .314 wOBA, .343 xwOBA, 21.3 K%, 8.6 BB%
Grade: C
They say you can’t go home again but Lynn gave it a really solid try. As expected, he significantly cut his home run rate and the results looked better as well, even as many of the other metrics were well in line with his rough 2023. He didn’t really give the innings that were expected–seven of his starts went less than five innings and another eight went exactly five–and there were some really rough outings out there, but when he took the ball he did give the team a chance to win, which is cliche and all but also kinda what they signed him to do.
After getting shelled by Washington at the beginning of July (11 runs in 2.2 innings), he made five more starts for the Cardinals with a fairly lengthy IL stint in the midst of them. Those five might have been the most consistently good stretch of pitching we saw from Lynn. All five starts went five innings and two of them went six. A total of five runs in those 27 innings. 27 strikeouts against 9 walks. If that’s the last we see of Lynn in a Cardinal uniforms, at least he left with some good memories in his old home.
What’s in store for 2025: The Cardinals unsurprisingly, given their new direction but also because of his health issues, declined to pick up his option for 2025. Lynn expressed interest in continuing to pitch during the season, but he also indicated he knew that his days as a major leaguer were probably coming to an end. I would guess that he’ll get some offer and will take the mound again next year but I could also see him deciding it’s not worth another new organization and calling it a career, finishing up in Cardinal red.
