The Cardinals are calling up right-hander Ryan Loutos, according to the WashU Baseball Updates X feed. The team will need to adjust both its 26-man and 40-man rosters, as Loutos isn’t currently on the 40-man roster.
This will be Loutos’ first MLB appearance. A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, he signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2021. At 25, Loutos has now surpassed most players from that draft class to reach the majors, marking another milestone in his unconventional baseball career. As Geoff Pontes of Baseball America noted in a 2022 interview, “the Cardinals valued Loutos for his potential as a front office candidate as much as for his baseball skills.” Loutos, a computer science major, has already been working with the Cardinals’ analytics department.
On the field, Loutos performed well in 2022 but struggled with a 6.40 ERA over 71 2/3 relief innings at Triple-A Memphis in 2023. He posted a solid 24.1% strikeout rate but also had an 11.3% walk rate, which has worsened to 13.6% this season. However, Loutos hasn’t allowed any homers, has a 50% ground ball rate, and increased his strikeout rate to 27.3%, achieving a 1.72 ERA in 15 2/3 innings for Memphis in 2024.
This performance earned Loutos a call to the majors, even if it might be a short-term move to provide a fresh arm for the St. Louis bullpen. The Cardinals have heavily relied on their bullpen in recent games, so additional help could be crucial as they start a series against the hot-hitting Orioles on Monday.
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