Cardinals Struck Gold With Dustin May and Can't Afford to Let Him Go

The St. Louis Cardinals certainly made the right call by going out and signing the big righty.

Jun 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) reacts after throwing a complete game one hitter against the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

When the St. Louis Cardinals signed Dustin May this past offseason, the hope was that the club could unlock his immense potential and keep him healthy.

So far this season, they have done just that.

Now, it's still just June 16. There's a lot of season left. But May has been everything the Cardinals could've asked for and more so far this season. The perfect example was his performance on Monday night against a difficult San Diego Padres lineup. May carved it up and pitched a complete game shutout while allowing just one base hit and striking out nine batters.

May joined Sonny Gray and Chris Carpenter as the only three pitchers in team history to pitch nine or more innings, strike out nine or more batters, allow two or fewer base runners, and pitch 105 or fewer pitches in a single outing, per Just Baseball.

In the Cardinals’ 145 season history, only 3 pitchers have the done the following in one outing:

- 9+ IP
- 9+ K’s
- 2 or fewer base runners
- 105 or fewer pitches

Chris Carpenter in 2005
Sonny Gray in 2025
Dustin May in 2026 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vCd7gZkqyO

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) June 16, 2026

Dustin May Is On A Roll

Jun 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) reacts after throwing a complete game one hitter against the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

After the game, May spoke to the media and noted that his time in St. Louis has "rejuvenated" him so far.

"It's fun," May said. "They've definitely rejuvenated a lot more spark in me than I initially thought that I had. It's been fantastic. I couldn't ask for a better ball club."

How much fun is Dustin May having with this young Cardinals team?

"They've definitely rejuvenated a lot more spark in me than I initially thought that I had."@MatrixMidwest | #stlcards pic.twitter.com/hSA3uQToUY

— Grace Ybarra (@gnybarra) June 16, 2026

The Cardinals couldn't ask for more out of him at this point as well. May is just 28 years old but is already in his seventh big league season because he broke into the big leagues early over with the Los Angeles Dodgers. When May broke into the big leagues, he was viewed as someone with ace-level stuff and he flashed it at times with Los Angeles. In 2020, he had a 2.57 ERA in 12 total appearances, including 10 starts, for example. But injuries derailed his career.

Between the 2021 and 2023 seasons, May pitched in just 20 games total. Then, he missed the entire 2024 season. It was a tough run, but he was able to return to the mound in 2025. He tallied 132 1/3 innings pitched for the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox and logged a 4.96 ERA. Still, the Cardinals bet on his upside this past offseason in free agency and he has delivered. May has a 3.75 ERA in 14 starts so far this season to go along with a 75-to-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 81 2/3 innings pitched.

His first two starts of the season were tough, but over his last 12, he has a 2.54 ERA in 74 1/3 innings pitched. May signed a one-year deal with a mutual option for the 2027 season. Mutual options almost never get picked up by both sides. With that being said, May is pitching so well right now that the club should be considering him as a potential option beyond the 2026 season. He said himself he feels "rejuvenated" and he has delievered. What if the Cardinals tried to extend him, rather than trading him at the 2026 MLB trade deadline? At this point, it's a discussion the Cardinals need to have.

May is just 28 years old. If the Cardinals were to offer some sort of extension, he realistically could be a part of this team's long-term plans. The Cardinals have top prospects, like Liam Doyle and Jurrangelo Cijntje working their way through the minors right now. You could have a long-term rotation with those two, May, Michael McGreevy, and maybe someone like Matthew Liberatore and feel very good about that. If the Cardinals are interested in something like that, the longer they way, the higher the price. They should act fast.