Flaherty will start Saturday's Grapefruit League opener against the Mets and likely work two innings or up to 30 pitches, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The right-hander unsurprisingly will get the call after finishing the 2019 season in dominant fashion, generating an 0.91 ERA over 15 post-All-Star-break starts. Flaherty is also the likely Opening Day starter against the Reds on March 26, although manager Mike Shildt wouldn't confirm as much when asked Wednesday.

Flaherty was named the starter for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Nationals on Monday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Flaherty was effective in his two starts in the NLDS, posting a 2.76 ERA with a 16:2 K:BB over 13 innings against the Braves. Miles Mikolas will start Game 1 of the series with Adam Wainwright handling the starting duties for Game 2.

Flaherty (1-1) earned the win with six innings of one-run ball, giving up four hits and one walk with eight strikeouts in Wednesday's 13-1 win over the Braves in Game 5 of the National League Division Series.

EDGE Analysis

Flaherty was spotted 10 -- yes, 10 -- runs by his offense in the top of the first but certainly did his part nonetheless. A solo home run by Josh Donaldson in the fourth inning accounted for the lone Atlanta run. The 23-year-old Flaherty was dominant throughout the regular season and posted a 2.76 ERA with a 16:2 K:BB ratio over 13 innings in his two NLDS starts. Flaherty and the Cardinals will face the Nationals in the National League Championship Series.

Flaherty will start Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Braves on Wednesday should it be necessary, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Flaherty will start Game 5 for the Cardinals if they can beat the Braves at home in the fourth game of the series Monday. The 23-year-old went seven innings in Game 2, allowing three earned runs off eight hits and one walk while recording eight strikeouts as he was charged with a loss. Wednesday's starting assignment will likely make Flaherty unavailable out of the bullpen for Game 4.

Flaherty will start Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Braves on Friday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The move was widely expected, but manager Mike Shildt confirmed Flaherty as the starter during media availability Wednesday. The 23-year-old posted a 0.91 ERA with a 0.71 WHIP in 15 starts over the second half of the season while amassing a 7-2 record during that time.

Flaherty (11-8) earned the win against the Cubs on Sunday, hurling seven scoreless innings and giving up two hits and one walk while striking out six.

EDGE Analysis

Flaherty's gem was a fitting conclusion to a regular season in which the 23-year-old established himself as one of the most promising young pitchers in baseball. The right-hander needed only 69 pitches, 48 of which were strikes, to navigate seven easy innings and pick up the win to lead the Cardinals to the NL Central title. Flaherty finishes 2019 with an 11-8 record while ranking fourth in the National League in ERA (2.75), first in WHIP (0.97), first in BAA (.192) and sixth in strikeouts (231). He was downright dominant during the second half of the season, posting a minuscule 0.91 ERA and 0.71 WHIP over 15 starts. Flaherty will look to continue his stretch of success in the NLDS.

Flaherty will start Sunday's season finale against the Cubs, Rob Rains of StLSportsPage.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Flaherty wasn't originally scheduled to start this weekend, but the Cardinals were unable to secure the NL Central crown and dropped the first two games of the series to the Cubs, so the team's ace will take the mound in an attempt to secure a spot in the NLDS. The 28-year-old has been completely dominant since the All-Star break with a 0.97 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 118:22 K:BB across 92.1 innings (14 starts)

Although Flaherty isn't scheduled to pitch in the final series of the season against the Cubs this coming weekend, he could be called upon to start Sunday's regular-season finale if the NL Central remains up for grabs, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Flaherty has been nearly unhittable since the All-Star break, generating an 0.97 ERA over 14 second-half starts. While the ideal scenario would naturally see Flaherty start either a Wild Card Game Tuesday on six days' rest or Game 1 of a divisional series on eight days' rest Thursday, manager Mike Shildt may have to call on his ace instead of Adam Wainwright if the Cardinals haven't been able to gain sufficient separation from the Brewers in the NL Central race entering Sunday.

Flaherty did not factor in the decision against Arizona on Tuesday, pitching seven scoreless innings and allowing one hit and two walks while striking out 11.

EDGE Analysis

Flaherty held the Diamondbacks without a hit through six innings before Eduardo Escobar bounced a single off the first-base bag in the seventh. It was another masterful outing in a dominant second half of the season for Flaherty; since the All-Star break, he has posted a minuscule 0.97 ERA and 2.25 FIP while racking up 118 strikeouts in 92.1 innings. His next appearance will be determined by the outcome of the NL Central race, with the most likely scenario being a start in Game 1 of the NLDS next Thursday.

Flaherty didn't factor into the decision against the Cubs on Thursday, giving up one earned run on three hits over eight innings, striking out eight and walking one as the Cardinals eventually won 5-4.

EDGE Analysis

The right-hander continued his lights-out second half of the season with another stellar effort, with this start marking the third time in his last four outings he's worked eight innings. He's also tossed quality starts in 10 out of his last 11 outings. Flaherty had an uneven start to the season, but he's been virtually untouchable since the start of July, with the torrid stretch he's on lowering his ERA to 2.96, his WHIP to 1.01 and giving him a fantastic 214:52 K:BB across 182.1 innings.