Who leads the Majors in games finished, is a perfect 6-for-6 in save opportunities and has yet to be scored on in more than 10 innings, joining a niche slice of Major League history along the way?

If, months ago, you predicted that would be Cardinals closer Alex Reyes, come collect your winnings.

It has been a categorically flawless -- yet not totally untouchable -- start to the 2021 season for the St. Louis right-hander, pinned to the bullpen this season for durability’s sake and with eyes on the '22 rotation. Reyes has struggled with command, walking nearly as many batters (10) as he has whiffed (11) and leading the Majors in wild pitches with four.

But the Cardinals have been more than pleased with the pedigree and makeup of the uber-talented arm in the ninth inning.

“Alex is a guy that, early on -- and you saw him -- was a guy that absolutely wants the moment,” manager Mike Shildt said prior to Wednesday night’s tilt against the Phillies at Busch Stadium. “He's got the desire to do it, he’s got the mentality to do it.”

While Reyes is closing games for a prolonged stretch for the first time in his career, it’s not his first time doing so in bursts. The righty saved his first game as a rookie in 2016, one of the few years in his career that has not been derailed by injuries.

But last season, after beginning the year in the rotation, he found himself closing games in September and the postseason. The ability to close has never been in question.

“When you got the kind of stuff he's got, that might help a little bit, too,” Shildt said, laughing.

“As a kid, you practice in the backyard, you say, ‘3-2 count, ninth inning,’” Reyes said recently. “You know, that's pretty much what you look forward to.”

One game in particular stands out in this young season. In Friday’s win over the Reds, Reyes entered the game with Jordan Hicks handing him a two-on, one-out situation, hindered by a missed ball in the outfield.

It was a microcosm of Reyes’ season. He walked the first two batters he faced, then struck out the next two -- the last of which was freezing Eugenio Suárez with a knee-buckling 85.6-mph slider.

“Facing Alex Reyes is a tough at-bat,” catcher Andrew Knizner, starting in place of injured Yadier Molina (right foot), said following Reyes’ two-punchout save in Tuesday night's 5-2 win over the Phillies. “I mean, he's a big dude, he's coming downhill right at you, attacking you as a hitter. ... That's an Alex Reyes we need for the whole season, because that was pretty lights out.”

It’s a common process vs. results conundrum. Reyes is getting the scoreless frames, becoming one of 17 pitchers in MLB history to have six converted saves with 10 1/3 or more scoreless innings in April. They may not be coming at the pace he prefers. He said recently his inconsistent usage through the first month has at times hampered him getting comfortable on the mound, once going five days without pitching and now being used five times in the past seven days.

But there’s no worry he has the chutzpah to be where he is, once the club’s top pitching prospect and always seen as a top-of-the-rotation talent … just maybe next season.

“The sky's the limit for him,” Andrew Miller, another member of the Cardinals' illustrious and flawless April fraternity of relievers, said recently. “We've always known that. It's about being healthy and getting those reps at this level, because he's just going to get better and better.”

If nothing else, Reyes has the stamp of approval from one important voice in particular.

“He’s got the heart to do it and he’s got the passion to do it,” Molina said recently. “I've got no doubt when Alex is in the ninth inning.”

Roster move
A long-advertised six-man rotation is officially upon St. Louis.

To make room for Johan Oviedo’s spot on the roster and start against the Phillies on Wednesday night, the Cardinals optioned outfielder Scott Hurst to the alternate training site in Sauget, Ill. Oviedo, the club’s No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline, will slot into the rotation as the Cards have vowed to “honor the off-days.” But with no off-days in play during a stretch of 17 consecutive gamedays, an addition to the rotation was needed.

For Hurst, it’s an end to his first Major League callup. He appeared in seven games, mostly as a defensive replacement, and went 0-for-5.