The Cardinals are calling up right-hander Ryan Loutos, according to the WashU Baseball Updates X feed. The team will need to make adjustments to both its 26-man and 40-man rosters, as Loutos isn’t on the Cards’ 40-man.
This will be the first MLB exposure for Loutos, a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis who signed with the Cards as an undrafted free agent in 2021. It means that the 25-year-old has now beaten the vast majority of players from that draft class to the majors, marking another step in Loutos’ unusual baseball career. As Geoff Pontes of Baseball America wrote in a 2022 interview with the right-hander, “the Cardinals coveted Loutos as much for his potential fit as a front office candidate as they did for his skill as a baseball player.” Loutos is a computer science major who has already been working with the Cardinals’ analytics department.
In terms of on-field contributions, Loutos pitched pretty well in 2022 before struggling to a 6.40 ERA over 71 2/3 relief innings at Triple-A Memphis in 2023. Loutos had a solid 24.1% strikeout rate but also a 11.3% walk rate, and that latter number has actually gotten worse to the tune of a 13.6BB% this season. However, Loutos also hasn’t allowed any homers, has generated a 50% grounder rate, and upped his K% to 27.3% in posting a 1.72 ERA in 15 2/3 frames for Memphis in 2024.
It was enough to merit Loutos a ticket to the Show, even if it might be just a short-term stint to provide a fresh arm to the St. Louis bullpen. The Cardinals have leaned pretty hard on their pen over the last few games, so some extra help could be required when the Cards begin a series Monday with the hot-hitting Orioles.
Good lord we’re down bad
We signed him for his potential fit in the front office???
I guess you’re not paying attention to the stats as a pitcher.
That is actually our greatest need.
“Our greatest need”…They definitely need front office help, but I’m not sure they need a PC geek as much as they need someone who can accurately assess talent. The Cards have become rather adept at misreading talent(over valuing some while under valuing others)and holding onto previously valuable trade pieces until they no longer hold any real trade value.
Loutos had some ugly looking numbers at AAA last year but he was actually really good early on in the 2023 season he fell apart towards the end.
Good luck Ryan. The small sample from this year looks good. It also looks different than your other years. I’ll wait and see.
Best wishes Ryan from a fellow WashU CS alum.
He will be the 23rd WashU player in the majors and first since Dal Maxvill (according to baseball-reference.com)
Man the Cardinals system has gone down hill since losing Walt Jocketty.
Choosing Mozeliak over Luhnow to replace Jocketty was the mistake.
They don’t win the World Series in 2011 without Mo, so I don’t think it’s very accurate to call it a mistake.
I disagree.
I disagree completely. Jeff Luhnow set the stros up so well that they’re still relevant a half decade after he departed.
He could’ve done anything Mo did and more.
The astros had to tank
The cardinals didn’t need to do this to have their success…
Luhnow took over a terrible last place franchise in Houston. There would have been no need for the Cardinals to tank in order to rebuild the team.
I sure miss Auggie Busch .
Who goes down? Roycroft, Leahy, King? I would think Robertson, based on his K’s, is safe.
They need a fifth starter and put Liberatore back in the ‘pen where he belongs.
Leahy’s grandfather alone should keep him on the roster. Specifically when they go to Canada.