The Cardinals have signed RHP Miles Mikolas to a two-year, $15.5 million contract.
Jeff Passan on Twitter
Source: RHP Miles Mikolas and the St. Louis Cardinals are nearing an agreement on a multiyear deal. Mikolas has thrived the last three seasons in Japan and would provide another option in an already-deep Cardinals rotation. Would leave open possibility for trades as well.
The 6-5, 220-pound native of Jupiter, Fla. (His wife is also from Jupiter) was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 7th round of the June, 2009 draft out of Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla, and he made his Major League debut with the Friars in 2012. (1st hitter he faced was Giancarlo Stanton, who homered off him) Mikolas was a combined 4-6 with a 5.32 ERA in 37 games (10 starts) in the majors with San Diego (2012-13) and Texas (2014).
He then went on to play 3 seasons in Japan, where he thrived. In his 3 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants, he threw 424 2/3 innings with a 31-13 record and a 2.18 ERA. 378 strikeouts and 69 walks.
Mikolas won Central League MVP of the Month awards in June of 2015 and August of 2017, becoming the first foreign-born pitcher in Yomiuri Giants franchise history to win the MVP of the Month award multiple times.
Between his 2015 and 2016 seasons, Mikolas posted a 13-game win streak, becoming the first foreign pitcher to accomplish such a feat in the Central League.
Mikolas was errorless in his three years with the Giants, handling 92 chances flawlessly and he also belted a pair of home runs for Yomiuri.
haru on Twitter
@lastoneformiles sports news Nice Curve ball⚾️❗️ https://t.co/qf7d4NXaUk
According to FanGraphs, he has good control, low contact, and a good ground-ball rate.
Oh… and he can hit:
https://twitter.com/CPMMAF/status/892332953740562432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fangraphs.com%2Fblogs%2Ftheres-another-starting-pitcher-coming-over-from-japan%2F
Mikolas earned the nickname “Lizard King” when, on a bet, he ate a lizard in the bullpen during a 2011 Arizona Fall League game. The video of Mikolas eating the lizard was posted to YouTube:
Today’s signing of Mikolas puts the Cardinals Major League roster at 39 players.
