The St. Louis Cardinals announced during spring training that they have agreed to a two-year (2024-25) contract extension with All-Star pitcher Miles Mikolas that will keep him in a Redbirds uniform through at least the 2025 season.
“We are extremely pleased to announce that Miles Mikolas will remain a Cardinal for the foreseeable future,” said Cardinals’ President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. “Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today, and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse.”
“The Cardinals have long emphasized the importance of retaining our core players,” said Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt, Jr. “Since Miles first joined us in 2018, he has proven to be both a strong leader and performer, and we are pleased that he will remain a Cardinal for the next several years.”
Mikolas, 34, first joined the Cardinals as a free-agent in 2018 and went on to tie for the National League lead in wins with a career-high 18. Since coming to St. Louis, Miles has gone 41-34 with a 3.46 ERA in 106 career games pitched for the Redbirds and was selected to the N.L. All-Star team in both 2018 and 2022. He signed a four-year (2020-23) contract extension with the Cardinals in February of 2019.
A Jupiter, Fla. native, Mikolas has excelled when performing in front of the St. Louis fans, posting a 2.60 career ERA at Busch Stadium III, the third best among qualifying pitchers.
Miles is ranked among the majors’ top pitchers in walk pct. (4.3 pct., 2nd) and first pitch strike pct. (66.8 pct., T2nd) since joining the Cardinals in 2018, and the Redbirds are 64-42 (.604 win pct.) in his 106 career games pitched for the organization.
Mikolas (12-13, 3.29 ERA) ranked among National League leaders in a number of categories last season, pacing the team in innings pitched (202.1), starts (32) and quality starts (22) – all ranking 3rd in the senior circuit. His 202.1 innings pitched were a single-season career best and it marked the second 200-inning campaign (also 2018) of his career.
Mikolas was a member of the Team USA pitching staff in this year’s World Baseball Classic, working 6.0 IP over two relief appearances, including 4.0 innings in the American’s semi-final win over Cuba.
The 6-4, 230-pound righty owns a career mark of 45-40 with a 3.70 ERA in 143 games (115 starts) with San Diego (2012-13), Texas (2014) and St. Louis (2018-22). He pitched three seasons (2015-17) with the Yomiuri Giants in the Japanese Central League where he was 31-13 with a 2.18 ERA in 62 games, all starts.
Mikolas was voted by his teammates the recipient of the Darryl Kile Award in 2018, and he was named co-recipient of the J.G. Taylor Spink Baseball Man of the Year in 2018 by the St. Louis Chapter of the BBWAA. He was selected as the St. Louis Chapter’s Bob Bauman Physical Comeback Award recipient for 2022.
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