As Ryan Helsley throws his flame-torched fastball, the bells in hell toll for the opposing batter’s soul.
OK, OK, that’s a little much. Let’s just say: The guy’s really good. And as Helsley comes out of the Busch Stadium bullpen, with AC/DC’s “Hells Bells†blaring, teammates and opponents know what’s coming.
“Nasty stuff,†said Cardinals reliever JoJo Romero of the closer. “You’re more surprised when they put a bat on the ball. ... He can pretty much have his way up there. It’s fun to watch.â€
The Cardinals’ manager and coaches often are scrutinized for the team’s offensive inconsistency this season, but Oliver Marmol and his pitching department deserve praise for their decision regarding Helsley: In 2024, he would only pitch one inning in a game — and that wouldn’t be before the ninth.
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The move has proved masterful.
The right-hander Helsley has nine saves — the most in the National League.
He has won or saved 11 of the 13 Cards wins so far — the most in the first 27 games of a Cardinals season since 1991. That year, future Hall of Fame closer Lee Smith also had nine saves and two wins.
“I think Ryan is a special talent,†said Jason Isringhausen, the Cardinals’ all-time saves leader, on Sunday. “I’ve been around him since we drafted him. I’ve watch him move up the ladder to where he is now. Watched him become an MLB All-Star. He has an overpowering fastball and put-away breaking ball. What else could you ask for? Ryan has a very bright future ahead of him. We are extremely lucky to have him with the Cardinals.â€
But beyond Helsley’s dominance is another factor: the availability of his dominance. In previous seasons — from Missouri’s O’Fallon all the way across the river to Illinois’ — Cardinals fans have scoffed at Helsley’s usage. In 2022, he threw in back-to-back games eight times. In 2023, he did it seven times. Well, already in 2024, he’s thrown in back-to-back games four times. It’s not even May. The new role as a one-inning fireman has saved games and changed the game.
Over the weekend, the Mets fell victim to it.
On Friday, Helsley entered a 4-2 game in the bottom of the ninth. He struck out JD Martinez on three pitches — the third a devilish Helsley slider at nearly 91 mph. And after inducing a fly-out, Helsley struck out DJ Stewart, who swung through a fastball that flirted with 102 mph.
And the next afternoon, Helsley again pitched the bottom of the ninth.
He allowed two singles but no runs in the Cardinals’ 7-4 win.
Alas, he wasn’t available Sunday in the team’s extra-innings loss. The Mets’ closer was. That’s Edwin Diaz, who also comes out to a trademark song, his being Blasterjaxx and Timmy Trumpet’s “Narcos.†Diaz pitched a scoreless ninth. From 2022 to today, Helsley and Diaz — teammates on the 2022 NL All-Star squad — are in the top five for MLB relievers in ERA, batting average against, hits per nine innings and WHIP.
As for Helsley’s 2024 ERA, it’s currently at 1.80. And check this out: In his first game, March 30, he allowed two runs to the Dodgers. Since then — 14 appearances — he’s only allowed three runs, and one of them was scored by an extra-innings runner who started on second base.
And if Helsley got all these great results with, say, a low-90s fastball and some good breaking stuff, he still would be appreciated. But because he gets these results with absolute smoke, well, it only adds to the legend and the lore.
His fastball average speed is 99.2 mph. Only two pitchers in baseball have a higher average — Milwaukee’s Abner Uribe (99.7) and Oakland’s Mason Miller (100.7).
On April 16 in Oakland, Helsley threw a pitch 102.4 mph. Only one pitch by an NL player has gone faster this season — Pittsburgh’s Aroldis Chapman hit 103.
In fact, of the 50 fastest pitches thrown this season in the NL, Helsley has thrown 21 of them.
His appearances are events, starting with the lowered lights and the flaming red on the Busch scoreboard to complement “Hells Bells†and ending, as they so often do, with handshakes.
And the decision to make him the one-inning guy makes so much sense. Helsley himself has talked about the importance of a standard role. And the Cards can pull this off because of their other weapons in the bullpen, notably Romero and Andrew Kittredge.
“If you think about what’s most important,†Marmol said earlier this month, “it’s keeping him healthy all year — and having him touch the baseball as much as possible, based on score. So I think the best way to do that is for him, mentally, to wake up in the morning and know that if we have a lead in the ninth, he’s got three outs to go get.
“Now does that mean that if he’s rested and hasn’t been around for three days, that he can’t get four outs? No, he’s well aware and on board with, ‘Hey, listen, I haven’t thrown in a while. You can use me in the eighth, down one, just to keep it (a one-run game) ... in order to get me a touch. Or you can use me up four.’â€
Sure enough, twice in 2024, he’s pitched the ninth in wins with a lead bigger than three runs. With those two appearances, plus the two wins and the nine saves, Helsley has appeared in 13 wins this season.
So yeah, Helsley has appeared in all the wins this season for the Cardinals (13-15).