It’s easy to lose track of the Springfield Cardinals’ pitching staff with so much top talent. And the way Jack Ralston’s season began, he almost disappeared completely.
But thanks to a mid-May visit by traveling minor league pitching instructor Jason Isringhausen, a Hall of Fame reliever for the St. Louis Cardinals, Ralston has resurfaced and is breaking out this season.
“Jason Isringhausen came here and gave me some adjustments to work on,” Ralston said before the first home game on Aug. 20 against Tulsa at Hammons Field.
The biggest problem was that he placed his right foot to the side of the pitching surface, which gave him a different angle to the plate. The difference for the 27-year-old, 6’6″ right-hander was astonishing.
In his first 10 innings in seven appearances, Ralston allowed 11 earned runs (an earned run average of 8.18).
Since Isringhausen’s suggestion: In 24 appearances over 41 innings, six earned runs (1.31 ERA).
“I think it’s just helped me be more focused,” Ralston said of the adjustment. “I’m just more over the plate on my misses. The way I’m playing my stuff, I think it’s pretty good and I just need to throw it over the plate and let the hitters try to hit it.”
Manager says Ralston did not complain and went to work
Which they haven’t done much for three months. Ralston has given Springfield manager Jose Leger an additional bullpen option to fill the gap between the starting pitchers and closer Matt Svanson.
“At the beginning of the year, Jack had his problems, but he didn’t complain and he went to work,” Leger said. “He fixed some things and threw more strikes. He was outstanding. He’s probably one of the best — if you take away the month or so — when it comes to being our best reliever, he’s right behind Matt Svanson.”
Ralston has settled into a key role as a set-up man for Svanson, who leads the Texas League with 22 saves. With a 6-1 record and 2.77 ERA in 31 games, Ralston has also earned two saves while recording 66 strikeouts and 22 walks in 52 innings.
In six appearances in August, he allowed one run in 11 1/3 innings, with 21 strikeouts and just two walks. Leger said he was able to use Ralston for multiple innings because he is effective against both left- and right-handed hitters with his split-finger fastball. Left-handers have only a .186 average against him this season.
“No matter who’s at bat, his confidence is high right now,” Leger said. “He’s getting hitters out left and right. In our last game in Frisco (Aug. 18), we used him in the seventh inning on a day when we were considering using him as a closer.”
With Svanson having a rest day and Frisco’s middle lineup in action, Leger didn’t hesitate in the game with a one-point lead.
“Sometimes it doesn’t matter what inning you’re playing. As a reliever, it depends on who you’re playing against, and at that moment, you want him to be pitching against the heart of the lineup,” Leger said. “He also pitched the eighth inning.”
Making the most of the COVID shutdown
Ralston, who also has a fastball and a curveball, was selected in the seventh round of the 2019 draft out of UCLA. This season, he was one of the best starting pitchers in the country, going 11-1 in 17 starts and was named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Award as the best college baseball player.
After making 17 appearances in short-season Class A in 2019, Ralston’s career – and that of all young talent – stalled when the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19. He tried as best he could to turn that into something positive.
While working out and taking live batting practice with his college buddies once a week at his Southern California home, Ralston enjoyed a different side of life when baseball was in shutdown mode.
“It helped me grow as a pitcher because I got a chance to work on some stuff,” Ralston said. “Because of COVID, it wasn’t fun, but it was kind of cool to be home and be able to do some things that I haven’t been able to do for who knows how long. I was able to take a little vacation and spend some time at home and with my friends.”
“Once a week I played live at-bats with them and then played golf. That was fun.”
Put the start in the rearview mirror
With the resumption of the minor leagues in 2021, Ralston made 11 starts and 17 in relief for High-A Peoria, with a record of 2-5. He struggled with a shoulder injury in 2023, and although he avoided surgery, he did not pitch for half the season, making a total of 20 relief appearances in Low-A and High-A.
“I came back and didn’t throw any strikes,” Ralston said. “Then 2023 came and my bike was bad. I just knew I had to at least get the bike back this year and go from there.”
“I think it’s been a pretty solid season so far and now I just need to keep progressing from here.”
Adjusting to the full-time reserve role and leaving the starting spot behind has been a stressful process at times. He said he misses the regular routine that the starting position provides him, with the opportunity to work on things between assignments.
“As a reliever, you have to save your ammo for the game,” Ralston said. “But what I like about being a reliever is that you have the same routine every day. You don’t know if you’re going to throw, but when you do, you get that quick adrenaline rush and you’re ready to go.”
Ralston has no problem being in the shadow of the top talents
The relief pitcher role seems to be his path forward, especially since he thrived in it this summer. Now that he’s making a name for himself, Ralston says it’s fun to watch top-flight pitchers like Quinn Mathews, Tink So and Max Rajcic do their thing for the playoff-qualified Cardinals.
“You can see why they’re up there,” he said of the rankings. “They have what it takes. You think, ‘Wow, no wonder they’re in the top 30.'”
Getting a little less attention than the starting pitchers does have its advantages. Ralston can stroll back and forth between the dugout and the clubhouse after a game without much fuss – unlike Therefore and Mathews in particular.
“Sometimes it’s funny to see the fans rooting for them,” Ralston said. “Sometimes I feel sorry for them when they get bombed. But it’s fun to watch them. It helps everyone else get better.”
Ralston, who turned 27 on August 13, could soon become a fan target if he continues to be so successful. But after his rocky start to the season, that’s not motivation. His goals are simple.
“We will finish healthy and then see where the playoffs take us,” he said.
Cardinals home game at Hammons Field
- 20 August — Springfield 9, Tulsa 6
- 21 August — Tulsa – Springfield, 6:35 p.m.
- 22.August — Tulsa – Springfield, 6:35 p.m.
- 23.August — Tulsa – Springfield, 7:05 p.m.
- 24 August — Tulsa – Springfield, 6:35 p.m.
- 25.08. — Tulsa vs. Springfield, 1:05 p.m.
Tickets: Call (417) 863-2143 or visit the Springfield Cardinals website
