Like a knight in shining armor, Jamie Garcia picked the perfect time to pitch more than nine starts in a season since 2012, as he took the hill 20 times for an injury-ravaged Cardinals' rotation. He is currently penciled in as the Cardinals' second starter.
2015 was the reaffirmation that Jamie Garcia is capable of top-tier production as he turned in a stellar stat-line. He notched double-digit wins for the first time since 2011 with 10, his 2.43 ERA was the lowest of his major league career, as was his 1.049 WHIP. What a perfect time to find his health too, as he enters his contract year and first taste of free agency following this season. Not that helping the Cardinals win the World Series while achieving his own personal goals aren't motivation enough, but there is no way Garcia has missed the truckloads of money available to free agent pitchers in recent off-seasons. With the payday of a lifetime on the line for the 29-year-old, he will have all the motivation he needs to strive for a career 2016. Health permitting, of course.