Both Brett Cecil (seven) and Matt Bowman (five) received more save opportunities than Tyler Lyons (four) last season. But Lyons converted more saves (three) than both Lyons and Bowman.
He could be a starter, sure. But consider this: Last year Lyons (2.83) had the second-best ERA among Cardinals relievers who made more than 50 appearances. His 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings trailed only Trevor Rosenthal's 14.3. And his 6.4 hits per nine innings were better than Rosenthal's 6.5. Opponents slashed just .206/.301/.307 against Lyons. They hit .210/.294/.278 against Rosenthal. Don't forget: Lyons is a lefty.