LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 07: Dustin May #85 of the Los Angeles Dodgers sits in the dugout during the second inning of the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on August 7, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
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For years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dustin May looked like one of the most talented young pitchers in baseball.
The right-hander flashed elite stuff, helped the franchise win a World Series in 2020 to kick off their ongoing dynasty and nearly won a Rookie of the Year Award in the process.
But then injuries repeatedly interrupted his trajectory and raised questions about where his career might go.
Former Los Angeles Dodgers Star Sends Message On Career Turnaround With St. Louis Cardinals
Now, in his first season with the St. Louis Cardinals, May is finally enjoying the healthiest and most productive stretch of his major league career.
On Monday, that meant the first complete-game shutout of his career while dominating one of his former team’s biggest rivals in the San Diego Padres.
The outing represented another milestone in what has become a breakthrough season for the 28-year-old right-hander and he offered a simple, two-word response on how it feels to unlock a new level after leaving the Dodgers.
“It’s fun,” May said, per MLB.com’s Brenden Schaeffer. “(The Cardinals) definitely rejuvenated a lot more spark in me than I initially thought that I had. It’s been fantastic.”
For a pitcher whose career has been defined as much by setbacks as accomplishments, the comments reflected how dramatically his career has changed since arriving in St. Louis, where he is enjoying much better health and a youthful environment.
“Though his time with the Cardinals has been but a sliver of his MLB journey, May sees that an energizing start to 2026 within this upstart clubhouse has brought out the best in him,” Schaeffer added.
Former Los Angeles Dodgers World Series Champion Reaches Best Form With New Team
The complete-game shutout is rare enough in the big leagues, particularly now that starting pitchers log fewer total innings every year. But Monday’s performance was especially noteworthy for May, who said that it marked a significant career first.
“It was my first time getting an out in the eighth inning, I believe,” May told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Daniel Guerrero. “It was definitely super cool to be able to go out in the ninth and close the door.”
That accomplishment serves as another reminder of the potential that made May such a highly regarded prospect with the Dodgers, who cut ties with him when it seemed he might never maintain enough health to return to his World Series form.
But after being traded to the Boston Red Sox, then signing a one-year deal with the Cardinals, May could be one of the rare players who enjoys the best seasons of his career after leaving the reigning champions.