ST. LOUIS -- Remember when St. Louis Cardinals' first baseman Matt Adams was a tower of promise? Back in 2013, Adams was the corner bat of the future and seemed to make strides towards making that his position. Then, baseball took its own swing at Adams and knocked him down to size.
After a brief tease in 2012, Adams put together an exceptional debut in 2013. In only 108 games, Adams cranked 17 home runs, drove in 51, stroked 14 doubles and patched together an OPS of .839. He slugged .503 and was paired perfectly with Allen Craig in a platoon type role.
2014 wasn't bad, but it showed a decrease in power, especially after the All Star break. In over 230 additional at bats, Adams only hit 15 home runs and drove in 63 even though he hit 34 doubles and 152 hits overall. The slugging percentage went down but it was still a strong .457. The overall OPS dropped to .779 and it appeared Adams fell in love with beating the shift infielders put on him.
Post All Star Break, Adams put together an .876 OPS with 11 home runs. In the second half, Adams' OPS dropped to .650 and his slugging percentage went from .532 to .358. His power was gone and it didn't come back. Adams did reawake for the memorable Clayton Kershaw home run to seal the NLDS win but that was it. What was once noticeable was now gone. Adams still hit for a decent average, .288, but the pop was cold.
It didn't get better in 2015 before he tore his quadriceps muscle. Adams slugged .377 in 177 plate appearances, and didn't show any pop when he returned except for one home run in Cincy.
What can he promise in 2016? Adams walks into the season in a competitive contest with the veteran Brandon Moss, who the Cards paid 8 million to find out if his 2012-14 pop was coming back. Stephen Piscotty has taken a lot of reps over the offseason at first base in case the Cards deal with for an outfielder or Tommy Pham takes hold of an opportunity. Adams hasn't truly shown power since the first half of the 2014 season, and is dreadful against lefties.
At 27 years old, can Adams provide something unique and not just represent a not as good younger version of Moss? Hitting for average is nice and all, but the first base position demands power and since the platoon of 2013, it hasn't been there. It's been a weak spot for the Cardinals. Until Matt Holliday turns playful Jupiter reps into actual training, the first base exists right now as a battle between similar players. Moss and Adams both bring something similar. Adams has shown an ability to reach base more, but Moss has shown more pop and can play more positions. Each has something to prove.
Can Matt Adams reclaim some dignity in 2016 and demand a higher salary(he settled on a 1.65 arbitration avoiding deal) or will he end his time here as a guy who once showed pop and lost it?
It's okay if you aren't a threat versus lefties. That is a trait more than a few lefty power bats show. You must crush righthanded pitching with a vengeance to make up for it. Adams did that in 2013-14. Can he do it again in 2016? That is one of this year's hanging chads.
