Phil Maton Makes the Mets Regret It as Cardinals Reliever Dominates in Revenge Tour
The New York Mets may not have wanted him back—but the St. Louis Cardinals are sure glad they made the call to Phil Maton.
The right-hander, now anchoring the Cardinals bullpen, has been nothing short of electric to open the 2025 season, and as fate would have it, he’s now facing off against one of the teams that let him walk. After being told by Mets president David Stearns that his $7.75 million option wouldn’t be picked up, Maton didn’t hear much else from New York during the offseason. Instead, he waited. And waited. Until finally, on March 13, he landed his lone MLB offer—a one-year, $2 million deal with his hometown team in St. Louis, and turned out to be the Cardinals lone offseason move (which explains the low attendance at Busch Stadium that has befuddled Willson Contreras).
Let’s just say: bargain alert.
So far in his St. Louis Cardinals debut season, Maton has thrown 9.1 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts, keeping hitters completely off balance with his signature movement, control, and five-pitch arsenal. The velocity might not turn heads—his cutter averages around 88.7 mph—but the results are crystal clear. Opponents are slugging just .217 against him, and his cutter alone has already generated a +5 run value, per Statcast.
Man on a Mission
And make no mistake: Maton’s playing with a chip on his shoulder.
“Every team we play—it is what it is, it’s personal,” he told The New York Post.
For a guy with over eight years of MLB experience, a career 4.16 ERA, and a strikeout rate near 26%, being overlooked in free agency lit a fire. Despite appearing in 65+ games for four straight seasons, durability and consistency apparently weren’t enough to sway teams leaning toward high-velocity arms.
Well, now he’s proving them wrong—one scoreless inning at a time.
As the Cardinals continue their four-game series with the Mets, Maton’s presence adds an extra layer of intrigue. He’s not just contributing—he’s carving a lane as one of the most reliable bullpen arms in baseball. With his early dominance, St. Louis fans are watching a pitcher on a mission—and one who’s making every appearance count.
From afterthought to asset, Phil Maton is turning heads in 2025—and giving the St. Louis Cardinals one more reason to believe this bullpen has serious upside.
