5 takeaways from the Cardinals' average road trip
It’s early, but this team is struggling to stay average at the moment.
The Cardinals have played 19 games, and look like a team waiting on a recipe for how to become a good baseball team again. Better would be nice, but patience is the game as the season climbs to 20 games tomorrow night.
It’s too bad the book on how to do it was burned and they can’t hack any more computers, so the ways of winning baseball has been lost. Ask John Mozeliak where he put the key. At the moment, staying average is a hard weight to lift for St. Louis, who enter a challenging weekend series with the division-leading Milwaukee Friday night at Busch Stadium. The same building they’re asking for public renovation money showcases a losing ball club with no real upward spike in the near future.
Where’s it coming from? There’s no answer down in Memphis. Keep looking. They’re all here, including two starters who have six hits between the two of them. Heck, Paul Goldschmidt has just 12 hits in 68 at-bats. Let’s get into a few takeaways, or five, from the recent road trip for the 9-10 Cardinals.
5) Bland Matz
He may complete 5.1 innings on occasion and one could argue that it’s a stable income from a fifth starter, but it’s also palpable to ask for more from a guy who financially held the team back from strongly pursuing Jordan Montgomery. Steven Matz racked up a high pitch count before he could even get an out in the fourth inning during the finale against Oakland, and that ended with him being unable to get 15 outs.
People wanted to call Lance Lynn the fifth starter or the biggest what-if tag, and that’s a wrong assessment. Lynn completed seven innings, and can shut teams down on his own without the desire to lean on his defense. Matz had a nice string of starts last year, but he’s either hurt or all together boring, a five dollar bin Tom Glavine or something. I’m so glad Mozeliak acquired him and Miles Mikolas.
4) Unleash the Herrera
The Cardinals looked like a weak hitting catching club a couple years ago with a declining Yadier Molina and a subpar Andrew Knizner as his backup. Molina’s life at the plate diminished, and Knizner never got the proper amount of playing time to suffice a deeper look. The battery situation looks a lot different this spring: Willson Contreras and Ivan Herrera bring a potent blend of offense and defense.
While his signing informed fans that he would be a catcher for the most part until year four and five of his contract, Contreras has found a little help in the young upstart, Herrera. The latter didn’t show enough last year, so the team’s expectations took a hit on when he could share time with Contreras regularly. His start to the 2024 season has turned heads and reassured a few skeptical souls.
Herrera is hammering all kinds of Major League pitches, and isn’t slowing down. In roughly the same amount of at-bats as last year, he’s a different hitter, bashing three home runs and slugging .500. Contreras has his bat going as well, so keeping them both in the lineup is a must. The same as keeping Masyn Winn on the field. Keep the people actually hitting something in the lineup. Seems easy enough.
3) Sonny Gray is a bona fide ace
It’s only two starts, but pin the captain label on Gray’s chest. He’s formed a solid bond with Contreras, something Jack Flaherty needed a road map for, in a short period of time. Gray has also taken the mound and refused to buckle, allowing zero runs in eleven innings of work. He’s on a pitch count for a short period of time, but his work has been as stellar as advertised.
The truth is they’re less true aces these days in the Major Leagues. Due to starters pitching less innings and a team’s pitching attack being a multi-faceted attack, the aces have decreased. Gray is an ace for this team, though. He’s what they sorely lacked in 2023: a stopper who could halt a streak. He should only get better as the hamstring continues to heal and the stamina builds.
It’s nice to see a pitcher was acquired, and met the hype. It’s too bad Gray can’t be cloned, or able to hit.
2) Nolan Arenado finds some life in his lumber
It took a couple weeks, but the third baseman has started to find his stroke. Arenado isn’t crushing baseballs yet, but he’s got five doubles and a home run. The batting average just fell below .300, which is a nice average for a Cardinal to have since there are very few on the team who can muster it with the plate appearances that Arenado has collected.
If Goldschmidt could find this cycle soon, the team would be in much better shape. St. Louis doesn’t need constant home runs and power, just timely hits and some extra-baggers mixed in. Like strikeouts, home runs are fascist anyway. Singles and doubles are more democratic, and a triple works like a sharp knife when the other team gets comfortable. Hit something hard. That’s what Arenado is beginning to do.
The glove work is pristine again. At least one of the big guys is doing their job… sorta.
1) It’s not all bad, Cards fans
The team’s earned run average ranks tenth in the Majors. The team ranks third in the majors with eight saves, with Ryan Helsley picking up seven of them. The Cardinals ranked 22nd in baseball last year in saves with only 36. The 4.79 ERA ranked 26th in baseball. While the record isn’t good and still stinks of past years’ problems, the team is treading water like the prescription for success in the first two months called for.
The tough schedule and undermanned offense has limited the team, but they’re still 9-10. The Oakland As came into the series hot, and the Cardinals cooled them off. The Brewers represent a firm test, but don’t lose hope yet. The starters are giving the team innings and finishing touches, and the bullpen looks strong with JoJo Romero and Andrew Kittredge performing very well.
Imagine if Goldschmidt and a couple others get going. Get through the brutal April and May session, and come out for a look. This isn’t condoning what was done or not done in the offseason, but warning that there’s a lot of baseball left.
This team could just lie down and be completely beat, but they’ve come close to winning at least 2-3 of those games that ended up in the loss column. They’re not getting blown out every night.
The Cardinals are below average, but capable of better things. Buy more bourbon, and strap in for a bumpy ride.