WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Kyle Leahy needed just three pitches against Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña on Sunday to demonstrate why he is in the running for a spot in the Cardinals’ starting rotation.
They were the first three pitches of Leahy’s afternoon:
• A 93.3 mph four-seamer that dotted the bottom of the zone
• An elevated sinker that Peña was late on and fouled off
• A sweeper that began in the zone before breaking 17 inches to Leahy’s glove side, inducing a helpless swing from the Astros All-Star for strike three.
“That’s kind of the go-to [right-handed batter] sequence for me, so to be able to execute three in a row to start my year feels good,” Leahy said.
That at-bat showcased only half of Leahy’s arsenal; he also carries a curveball, a changeup and a slider, all of which were unleashed over his two innings in St. Louis' 6-5 Grapefruit League win against Houston.
After making his first 97 career appearances out of the bullpen, Leahy made his first MLB start in the Cardinals’ final game of the 2025 season. He dealt three scoreless innings against the Cubs, wrapping up a year in which he posted a 3.07 ERA over 88 innings.
This year, he’s being built up to be a full-time starter and vying for one of the openings in St. Louis’ rotation behind locks such as Matthew Liberatore and Dustin May.
He has the stuff to be in that group. He has the mentality, too.
“The thing that probably stands out the most is just his even-keel nature,” manager Oliver Marmol said of the right-hander. “He's pretty stoic, but this dude cares. Don't mistake his lack of emotion for a lack of being a competitor. He cares. He competes. He has extremely high standards for himself.”
Sure enough, when asked about his first start of the spring, Leahy said, “I like to compete, and I expect a lot out of myself, even on Day 1.”
Day 1 for Leahy spanned 29 pitches, 18 for strikes. He recorded three strikeouts, two groundouts and a popout. The one baserunner he allowed came on a long home run by Houston’s Jack Winkler. But ultimately, it was a positive first step in Leahy’s transition.
“He knows how to pitch, and that’s the exciting part about continuing to watch him over this next stretch,” Marmol said.
Urías: Signing with Cards was an ‘easy choice’
Ramón Urías was ready for whenever the right opportunity came along. Even as he remained in free agency past the start of Spring Training, he was optimistic that the right fit would arrive. He said Sunday morning that four or five teams were interested in him, but he chose the Cardinals, inking a one-year deal with St. Louis one day prior.
“I think it's a good opportunity to show that I can still stay in the big leagues,” he said.
Urías also wants to prove that he’s a better offensive player than he showed last year, when he recorded a .676 OPS across 112 games split between the Orioles and Astros. It was the first season with a sub-.700 OPS for the six-year veteran. He attributed that in part to his lack of playing time with Houston, which acquired him prior to the Trade Deadline.
Urías, a 2022 Gold Glove Award winner, will give the Cardinals a sure-handed veteran presence at second and third base, likely backing up rookie JJ Wetherholt and 25-year-old Nolan Gorman at those respective spots.
“I’ve already met them, and they are good guys,” Urías said of the two young hitters. “Just happy to be around them, and I’ll try to help them as much as I can.”
This is Urías’ second stint with the Cardinals’ organization. He played 193 Minor League games from 2018-19 and reached Triple-A Memphis before the club designated him for assignment in 2020. He’s looking forward to finally reaching the highest level with the Cards.
"I always had that on the back of my mind, so thankfully I can accomplish that now,” he said. “It was one of the main reasons. The Cardinals are a team with great history. Always been a great team. It was an easy choice.”
Marmol said Urías will take live batting practice on Monday and should get into a Spring Training game soon after that.