Mike Shildt, the rookie manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, can’t help but notice what distinguishes him from many counterparts in opposing dugouts as he makes his first trip around the major-league circuit.

Today’s front offices prefer young, malleable managerial candidates—typically recently retired players for their perceived ability to relate with their charges on a more intimate level than their predecessors. Experience isn’t a prerequisite. In fact, four of the six vacancies this past winter went to men who had never managed previously in the majors or minors. A fifth, Gabe Kapler of the Philadelphia Phillies, had only managed one season in single-A more than a decade ago. Their average age: 45, the same as current Texas Rangers pitcher Bartolo Colón.

Shildt checks none of those boxes. He turned 50 earlier this month. He never played professionally, his career ending after college at UNC Asheville. And unlike so many of his recent peers, he learned his craft the old-fashioned way: by slowly climbing his way up the Cardinals’ minor-league coaching ladder to prove he deserved the top job.

Considering his remarkable success thus far, it seems perhaps that teams have forgotten or ignored the value an organizational stalwart like Shildt can provide. He took over on an interim basis on July 15, after the Cardinals fired Mike Matheny, their manager since 2012. At the time, they owned a record of 47-46, putting them in serious danger of missing the playoffs for the third straight year.

They commenced to win 26 of their first 38 games under Shildt, vaulting them, entering Tuesday, into a wild-card spot. It has been a stunning turnaround led by a manager who certainly doesn’t fit the mold, and on Tuesday, the Cardinals rewarded him, officially dropping the interim label and naming Shildt their permanent manager.

St. Louis Cardinals' Harrison Bader, left, celebrates after scoring a run against the Chicago Cubs with manager Mike Shildt, center, and Ron Warner. Photo: Jim Young/Associated Press

“It’s nice to know that guys who have put their time in and earned their sweat equity riding the buses in the minor leagues are still considered viable options in the big leagues,” Shildt said in a recent interview. “I never thought managing in the big leagues was possible with the way the game was going.”


Though the crop of rookie managers received the bulk of the attention in the off-season, the early reviews appear mixed.

Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox and Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees have led their ultra-talented rosters into postseason contention with nary a hiccup. Dave Martinez’s Washington Nationals and Mickey Callaway’s New York Mets rank among the sport’s biggest disappointments in 2018, with both managers seeming overwhelmed and underprepared at times.

Shildt fits alongside Brian Snitker, another example of a manager showing the benefit of following a more traditional career path. A coach in the Atlanta Braves organization since the 1980s, Snitker finally received a big-league managing opportunity as the replacement for Fredi González in May 2016. Now, the Braves lead their division, and Snitker is a favorite to win Manager of the Year.

Like Snitker, Shildt transitioned into his new role having already forged a relationship with the Cardinals’ young players. He has done just about everything for the Cardinals since joining the organization in 2004, from scouting to player development to coaching. He started as a manager in rookie ball in 2009, advancing all the way to Triple-A before earning a promotion to Matheny’s staff last season.


As a result, he managed many of them in the minor leagues, like right fielder José Martínez, center fielder Harrison Bader and second baseman Kolten Wong, providing a continuity that only somebody like Shildt can offer. Veteran closer Bud Norris added that even players who didn’t play under Shildt before respect him because “he’s also been through the system and the trenches.”

“Shildty is someone who was homegrown and is getting an opportunity no different than any of these young players,” said John Mozeliak, the Cardinals’ president of baseball operations. “Their stories are parallel. There’s that, ‘We’ve been here together, we trust you, and we play for you.’”

Shildt’s arrival coincided with the Cardinals committing to a youth movement. They moved away from veteran underperformers, most notably by trading outfielder Tommy Pham. Instead, they put their fate in the hands of their kids: Bader and Tyler O’Neill in the outfield, Austin Gomber and Daniel Poncedeleon in the starting rotation and Dakota Hudson in the bullpen, among others.

They have excelled, giving St. Louis an entirely new identity, both in the dugout and on the field. Since Shildt took over, the Cardinals rank second in the National League in both ERA and OPS, through Monday, compared to sixth and ninth, respectively, under Matheny. (It also helps that veteran Cardinal Matt Carpenter has performed at an MVP level over the past couple months.)


“We just got rid of pieces that didn’t always quite fit,” shortstop Paul DeJong said. “Currently it feels like we have a better-meshed group than we did before.”

Cardinals players describe a looser, more relaxed clubhouse than before. Matheny, who went 591-474 in his tenure and won the pennant in 2013, earned a reputation for creating a disciplined, buttoned-down environment, an approach that didn’t appear to resonate with the club’s new personnel. Ironically, the hiring of Matheny in 2012 ushered in the trend of tapping young, inexperienced managers in the first place.

St. Louis Cardinals' Marcell Ozuna, right, is congratulated by manager Mike Shildt. Photo: Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Bader, whose OPS has climbed about 120 points under Shildt, commended his new manager for letting the Cardinals’ young players perform without fear.

“That constant looking over your shoulder and worrying about results when you’re not really playing too much is really no way to play this game,” he said.


When Shildt started about six weeks ago, it seemed unlikely his stint would continue into 2019. The Cardinals looked like long shots to reach the playoffs, and in the winter they would search for a full-time option, like former Yankees skipper Joe Girardi or maybe the next big rookie hotshot.

But with the Cardinals now surging toward possible October baseball, Shildt has proven his worth. In an interview over the weekend, Mozeliak said that he would at some point discuss with owner Bill DeWitt Jr. “when we might see this become permanent.”

It turns out that day was Tuesday.

“Organizational IQ was something we felt we needed now,” Mozeliak said. “That brings this natural stability and continuity to a group that was looking for a new voice.”

Write to Jared Diamond at jared.diamond@wsj.com