Boardroom caught up with Miles Mikolas before the MLB All-Star Game to talk about his team, his teammates, and the sport.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas walked the MLB All-Star red carpet in Los Angeles with his wife Lauren and their four young children, all color-coordinated in green and blue while trying to enjoy their time in Tinseltown.
It’s been a long and winding road for the 33-year-old righty who has a 2.86 ERA in 21 starts this season. It began in 2012 in San Diego, but his career stalled after just three seasons — two with the Padres and one with the Rangers. He then went to Japan to play three year with the Yomiuri Giants before returning to the States. His first season back, Mikolas made his first All-Star appearance, leading the National League with 18 wins in 2018. The next season was quite the opposite; his 14 losses were an NL high. After not pitching in the pandemic-shortened 2020, Mikolas pitched just nine games in 2021 before his electric first half of 2022.
Boardroom chatted with Mikolas about the Cards’ rivalry with the Cubs, seeing Albert Pujols at the Home Run Derby, and the surprising thing he’d change about baseball.
What’s your favorite road city?
I usually like Chicago. I like the food there and I like that the fans boo us. It’s just good, old-fashioned rivalry fun. And a beautiful old ballpark, too.
What have the fans in St. Louis meant to you during your Cardinals tenure?
I think we have some of the best fans in baseball. We’ve got a lot of Cardinals fans here today. It’s nice to see them, and I love them. They’re always supporting us and I couldn’t be more thankful to have a good fan base.
If you were commissioner for one day, what would you change to the game?
I’d let the players wear visors. Golf visors, if they wanted to. I like a good visor.
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What was it like seeing Albert Pujols at the Home Run Derby?
It was super exciting. To see a guy like that with so many home runs to knock a few more out of the park, it was really nice.
Who’s the most underrated player not on your own team?
I’d have to think because I’m so biased towards the Cardinals players. Tommy Edman doesn’t get enough appreciation, I don’t think. Everything he does on both sides of the ball.
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