Leahy having fun while being steadying presence in Cards' rotation

TORONTO -- Kyle Leahy entered the season fighting for a spot in the Cardinals’ rotation. Four months later, he has become their hottest starter.

The right-hander looked comfortable from his first pitch in Friday’s 3-1 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Leahy retired Toronto in order in the first inning, finishing the frame with a sharp slider, one of his best pitches, for a swinging strikeout.

Leahy worked six innings, allowing one run on six hits and one walk while striking out three, continuing a season defined by steady development. The year started bumpy with a 5.18 ERA in April, then he found his footing and hasn’t looked back. After Friday’s outing, Leahy has a 1.21 ERA over his last seven starts (37 1/3 innings pitched).

“We're starting to see some real growth out of him,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “So definitely proud of the year he's putting together. But it's one of those where we've had to be patient, and it's coming along well as of late.”

Marmol is right about the patience piece. It hasn’t been an easy road for Leahy, a 17th-round pick by St. Louis in 2018. After splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen in the Minors, he entered the Majors as a reliever with mixed results in parts of his first two seasons.

Through the difficult stretches, Leahy never allowed frustration to drain the enjoyment from pitching. His calm, almost mechanical presence on the mound can make him appear emotionless, but he said his perspective has always been very simple. Just put in the work and have fun.

“This is gonna sound weird, but I always have fun even if I'm giving up runs,” Leahy said with a slight smile. “When you give up runs, it's still fun to be out there. It’s just not fun after the game.”

The 29-year-old insisted he never really looks deeply into his stats during the season, which has helped him keep a level head. And so, on Friday, Leahy did what’s worked for him all year -- just pitch. The Cardinals’ offense didn’t quite do enough to help him earn the win.

Jordan Walker, who has been quieter at the plate lately, dropped an RBI single into center field with two outs in the fifth inning. That was the lone run St. Louis scored against Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease.

“You're looking early in the year, several guys were really hot, and they did a nice job of just driving the baseball, more slug,” Marmol said of his hitters. “Right now, that's just not the case at the top of the lineup.

“They're trying to get back to feeling good about their swings. But it's just part of a long season, especially when you have a young group. There are going to be some inconsistencies here.”

In the meantime, St. Louis can count on its pitching as the lineup searches for a spark. The Cardinals’ starting staff has been sharp this season, recording a 4.04 ERA, the 10th-best mark in the Majors -- and Leahy has been a huge part of that with 21 starts. But the rotation could soon lose a man as the Trade Deadline approaches on Monday at 5 p.m. CT.

Starter Dustin May figures to attract trade interest. If the Cardinals move him, Leahy can help stabilize the rotation for the rest of 2026. More importantly, he remains under team control through 2030, making him a potential long-term piece as St. Louis builds toward contention.

Leahy, though, is not looking too far ahead. He’s sticking to his routine and having fun on the mound. And this year, that’s been more than enough to give his club a chance.

“I just want to help the team win,” said Leahy. “I'm just trying to do my best to get better for myself and for the team and put us in position to win games.”