It’s been an odd year for the St. Louis Cardinals.
For two-thirds of the season, the Cards’ pitching depth kept the team alive in front of an offense that left something to be desired.
Fast forward to late July, things began to change. The offense came to life and the Cardinals were firing on all cylinders — for eight games.
Then the pitchers started falling. Mike Leake becomes largely ineffective. Trevor Rosenthal goes down. Adam Wainwright goes down temporarily. The bullpen just can’t seem to get right.
All of this combined has left the team, and the manager, trying to find their footing again from early August. With that said, the team’s offensive struggles early on weren’t a shock.
In fact, the lack of a true power bat and an abundance of young hitters make what they have accomplished all the more impressive.
In digging through statistics to see how the Cardinals compare around MLB by position I found several surprises — good and bad.
Catcher — 6th NL, 10th MLB
.261/.309/.404 15 HR, 63 RBI, 82 K
While Cardinals catchers may own the defensive side of the game, when it comes to offense they rank in the top third of MLB — which is still respectable.
This next little note was a bit of a surprise. Cardinals catchers, namely Yadier Molina, actually lead the league in stolen bases with 8. The closest NL competitor is the Los Angeles Dodgers with 4.
First Base — 11th NL, 19th MLB
.253/.367/.465 21 HR, 76 RBI, 117 K
This is the team’s weakest link — and it’s not entirely on Matt Carpenter. First base is traditionally for sluggers — something Carpenter simply is not.
Either way, first base is the weakest link and the only position where the Cardinals rank in the bottom third of the NL and one short of the bottom third of MLB.
But it’s not all bad. Carpenter’s ability to get on base gives the position the third most walks in the NL (79) and the fifth best OBP in the NL.
Second Base — 2nd NL, 3rd MLB
.303/.377/.446 9 HR, 58 RBI, 87 K
While everyone is paying attention to things that have gone wrong, Kolten Wong has quietly been becoming one of MLB’s premier second basemen.
He ranks behind only Jose Altuve and Anthony Rendon. That’s good company for an active second baseman.
Third Base — 7th NL, 13th MLB
.261/.342/.430 17 HR, 65 RBI, 117 K
No surprises at third base. Jedd Gyorko is a middle of the road to slightly above average player, and the numbers reflect it. There’s definitely room for improvement, but Gyorko is giving the Cardinals what they paid for.
The real issue is that he’s not a middle of the order bat. His true value is in the six slot, but the Cardinals have needed that bat higher in the lineup out of necessity.
He’s played 80 games in the cleanup slot and hits only .265 there. Batting sixth he’s hitting .326 with four home runs in only 12 games.
Shortstop — 7th NL, 16th MLB
.258/.301/.440 21 HR, 55 RBI, 122 K
All I can say about shortstop, is I’d be curious to see what a full season of Paul DeJong would have looked like there. The rookie middle-infielder has the third most home runs among shortstops. On the flip side, the position also has the third most strikeouts. Regardless, there’s promise in DeJong.
Left Field — 7th NL, 14th MLB
.265/.336/.465 24 HR, 69 RBI, 141 K
Cardinals left fielders rank second in total runs scored at the position in the NL with 79 and fifth in home runs. Much like with DeJong at shortstop, I can’t help but wonder what a full season of Tommy Pham would look like.
Strikeouts have been a big issue for left field this season (second most in NL), but that’s something that will only come with maturity against major league pitching.
Center Field — 6th NL, 11th MLB
.276/.378/.463 18 HR, 65 RBI, 122 K
Center field is often another power position. While Dexter Fowler isn’t a textbook power hitter, seeing him healthy late in the season shows that he does still have that consistency the Cardinals need up the middle.
At center, the Cards have the fourth most RBIs in the NL, rank first in walks and second in OBP. Fowler gets on base — and that’s what the Cardinals need him doing more than anything.
Right Field — 8th NL, 17th MLB
.257/.333/.438 21 HR, 76 RBI, 117 K
Right field is another weak link for the Cardinals. Between the offensive struggles of Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk, it’s to be expected. They’ve both been fairly impressive on defense, but really lack consistency.
The Cards rank third in doubles among right fielders in the NL, but can’t string together hits often enough to make a threat. The hope was that Piscotty would seize the position, but it just hasn’t happened yet.
Overall, this shows the Cardinals as an average team. They rank in the middle of the pack at most positions, but that’s not something that has ever satisfied the front office (or the fan base).
I have no doubt the players feel the same way. But this offense has come a long way since April and I believe still have room to grow.
However, if the pitching can’t come through as well, it makes little difference what the bats can do — as we’ve been watching against the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres. Those are teams you have to beat to reach the playoffs.
It’s tough to stay positive when the same meltdowns keep coming night after night.
Corey Noles has covered the Cardinals and MLB for a variety of publications and outlets since 2011. Find him on Twitter @coreynoles, or via email at coreynoles@att.net.