When he joined the Cardinals, broadcaster Harry Caray started calling him "Vinegar Bend," and the nickname stuck. He was hailed as "the left-handed Dizzy Dean" by sportswriter Red Smith, which Mizell called "a perty heavy load for a boy to tote." Added to St. Louis's starting rotation for the 1952 campaign, Mizell made his major league debut on April 22 against the Cincinnati Reds. He gave up two runs in the first inning, then held the Reds scoreless for the rest of the game, though he took the loss in a 2–1 defeat. Two starts later, on May 2, he limited the Philadelphia Phillies to four hits and two runs in a complete game, winning in the ninth when Peanuts Lowrey broke a 2–2 tie with an RBI-single. After that win, he lost three games in a row, then received four consecutive no decisions. He ended the winless streak on June 21, when he struck out 11 in his first major league shutout against the Boston Braves. That started a streak of six decisions won in a row, during which time Mizell posted a 3.05 ERA. He would not lose again until August 27. On September 5, he threw his second shutout of the year, tying his season high with 11 strikeouts in a 4–0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mizell finished his rookie season with a 10–8 record and a 3.65 ERA in 30 starts. He led the National League (NL) in strikeouts per 9 innings pitched with a 6.9 mark, and his 146 strikeouts ranked fourth in the league (behind Warren Spahn's 183, Bob Rush's 157, and Robin Roberts's 148). However, he also led the league in walks (103, tied with Herm Wehmeier).