Matthew Pushard
#67 RP · Cardinals
Height
6'4"
Weight
250 lbs
Age
28
College
Maine
Bats/Throws
R/R
C+
C+
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Fan Verdict
Grade this player:
Career StatsC+
| Year | Team | GP | ERA | W-L | K | WHIP | IP | SV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career |  | 1 | 27 | 0-0 | 1 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 |
Current Contract
Length
1 year
AAV
$780K/yr
Performance Analysis
C+
FCA+
Matthew Pushard sits as a middling relief option in his rookie season, earning a C+ performance grade that reflects the typical growing pains of a 28-year-old making his MLB debut. While specific statistical breakdowns aren't available yet early in the campaign, his journey from independent baseball to a Cardinals roster spot through the Rule 5 draft represents a remarkable underdog story that has captured positive organizational and media attention. The Maine native's selection and retention on the Opening Day roster signals genuine confidence from the Cardinals front office in his ability to contribute at the major league level, despite the inherent risks that come with plucking talent from outside traditional development channels. At 28, Pushard is older than most rookies but brings the maturity and life experience that can accelerate the adjustment period to big league competition. His modest $780K rookie contract means any meaningful production represents tremendous value for St. Louis, and the early media coverage emphasizing his inspiring path from Brewer to the majors has generated cautious optimism among Cardinals fans. The organization clearly sees enough upside to invest a roster spot in his development, viewing him as a potential bullpen asset who could outperform his draft pedigree with continued refinement.
Fan & Media Sentiment
C+
Mixed
NegativeNeutralPositive
The sentiment around Matthew Pushard sits at a cautiously optimistic C+, driven almost entirely by the compelling human-interest dimension of his story rather than any sustained track record at the major league level. The narrative is unambiguously warm — local and national coverage has leaned heavily into his journey from independent ball to an Opening Day roster spot in St. Louis, framing a Maine native making it to the majors as a feel-good underdog story with genuine regional pride behind it. His Rule 5 draft selection and the organizational confidence that came with keeping him on the active roster through that process have added a layer of front-office endorsement to the coverage, signaling that the Cardinals see something worth protecting in his profile. On-field production mirrors the sentiment — his performance grade also sits at C+, suggesting the optimism is proportionate rather than inflated, with no criticism or negative headlines in the current coverage window to disrupt the feel-good framing. The Cardinals have been active on the pitching side in recent weeks, adding Hunter Dobbins, Luis Peralta, and Jared Shuster to the bullpen mix, which creates a more crowded relief corps and quietly raises the competitive pressure on Pushard to hold his roster spot as the season progresses. At 21-15 and sitting at the five seed in the National League Central, St. Louis is playing meaningful baseball early, which means bullpen performance will be scrutinized as the stakes climb. For now, Pushard's narrative is one of the more likable stories in the sport — but the window for goodwill coasting is narrowing, and the on-field work will eventually have to match the story.
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About this player
Matthew Pushard is a player on a rookie-scale contract listed at RP for the Cardinals. FanVerdicts maintains four independent grades for every MLB player on an active roster — Contract Value Index for the deal itself, Performance for on-field production, Sentiment for media and fan reaction, and Fan Verdict for community voting. Current grades for Matthew Pushard: Contract Value Index pending, Performance C+, Sentiment C+, Fan Verdict pending.
Every grade refreshes on its own cadence as new data lands. Performance recalculates when MLB game stats post; Sentiment updates with new media coverage and fan discussion; Contract Value Index recomputes when contract terms change; Fan Verdict reflects live community voting on this profile. Contract details below show the structure (years, total value, average annual value, guarantees) the Contract Value Index grade is computed against.
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