No Motte? No Problem, Edward Mujica Perfect For Cardinals

When St. Louis Cardinals closer, Jason Motte, went down before the season with an elbow injury that ultimately required season-ending Tommy John surgery, Cardinal nation was worried about who would fill this hole.

Last season, Motte was third in the MLB with 42 saves. Motte also had a 5:1 strikeout-to-walk–a true luxury for a power-pitching closer.

Thus, the hole left by Motte was massive, and the Cardinals felt that Mitchell Boggs, an extremely successful set-up man last season, was the their next best option.

However, Boggs was unable to translate his 8th inning success from last season to 9th inning success this season. He blew two of his first four save opportunities and saw his earned run average balloon to 12.66.

Boggs was sent down to Triple-A Memphis in hopes of fixing some mechanical issues and returning to last season’s form.

Thus, the hole left by Motte was still unfilled, and much of Cardinal nation was calling for young flame-thrower, Trevor Rosenthal, to get the next shot at closer. However, Cardinals management had other ideas.

Edward Mujica, the quality 7th inning man last season, was given the chance to fill in as closer. Prior to this season, Mujica was 4 for 13 on save opportunities (mainly as a set-up man) so many were questioning this move.

Thankfully for the Cardinals, Mujica has filled the void perfectly so far this season. He is 16 for 16 on save opportunities. Of those 16 save opportunities, he has not allowed a runner to reach base in 11 of them.

His 86-87 MPH changeup that dives away from left-handed hitters and in on right-handed hitters has been his go-to pitch throughout his career, and yet, he seems even more confident with it this season.

Mujica is not just getting the job done, he is dominating in his new role. In his 23 innings so far this season, he has walked just 1 batter and has allowed just 13 hits (giving him a mind-boggling WHIP of 0.61). Thus, with not many batters getting on base, he is having stress-free ninth innings–something the Cardinals definitely did not have with Motte as the closer.

With a long season ahead, Mujica is bound to have some rough patches ahead, but his laid-back personality and remarkable command should be able to get him back on track relatively easily.

Also, his teammates have now been calling him “Chief” Mujica due to their extreme confidence in him. Also, based on his unique hand-shakes with Molina after he successfully completes a save, it appears he has great chemistry with his catcher–one of the most important parts for being a successful pitcher.

The St. Louis Cardinals will be happy to welcome Jason Motte back next season, but they are ecstatic with their current closer at this time. “Chief” Mujica has been dominant in the closer role, and he has played an integral role in getting the Cardinals the best record in baseball at 34-17.