Andre Pallante’s controversial further disarray with the Cardinals’ pitching development
The St. Louis Cardinals signed experienced right-handed pitcher Kyle Gibson to handle innings. Now, they might as well appoint him as the pitching coach after pitcher Andre Pallante made some startling remarks to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
“He called me out. (In) my bullpen, I was throwing all of my pitches. Kind of not really had a plan with what I was working on. He’s like, ‘That’s not how you improve. Work on what you’re trying to work on.’”
— Andre Pallante on a bullpen lesson. https://t.co/5Z5zvO8tkC
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) June 10, 2024
In Goold’s article on STL Today (subscription required), Pallante, who secured the win with an impressive start on June 9 against the Colorado Rockies, revealed that he was throwing all his pitches in the bullpen without a clear strategy until Gibson advised him. Gibson guided Pallante to concentrate on specific pitches that needed improvement and to focus on refining those during bullpen sessions.
The fact that pitching coach Dusty Blake couldn’t address this issue, and that another pitcher had to step in, is concerning. It highlights the Cardinals’ struggles with focusing on the finer details. Manager Oli Marmol emphasized the importance of paying attention to these details to improve the team’s defense, but the pitching staff clearly shares this deficiency.
For years, pitching development has been a weak point for the Cardinals. Pallante’s rise to the major leagues without proper bullpen guidance signals a significant communication breakdown within the organization, a problem former players have alluded to in the past.
The Cardinals need to remember a fundamental truth: most players in the minor leagues were top performers at every amateur level. They are unaccustomed to facing equal or superior competition, having relied on their natural talent. Consequently, these players might have missed out on crucial instruction at younger ages because they didn’t need it to succeed. The Cardinals have mistakenly assumed that these players inherently possess knowledge they were never taught.
The consistency issues with the Cardinals’ recent young pitchers likely stem from developmental problems throughout the system. By learning the insights that the Cardinals’ management failed to provide, Pallante—and potentially others—could grow into a reliable starter for St. Louis.