Happy Friday everyone! As we hit another weekend, we go back to the NL Central to cover the St. Louis Cardinals. For almost their entire existence the Red Birds have been the gold standard in the national league, but of late it feels like that standard has slipped. After exiting in the wild card round in 2022, the Cards failed to make the playoffs in 2023, a shocking finish for them and their fans. They are looking to bounce back this summer with a veteran squad that will have their work cut out for them in competitive NL Central. GM John Mozeliak went about reassembling this winter by addressing the rotation in a big way. Veterans Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn join a staff in desperate need of improvements. The rest of the upgrades are expected to comeback from bounce back seasons for their stars and young players taking the next step. Let’s dive in!

Keys to Success

1. Willson Settles In: Last year’s big ticket free agent signing for the Cardinals was catcher Willson Contreras. The former Cubs star came to the Gateway City looking to fill the shoes of Yadier Molina, and to say it didn’t go well would be an understatement. He finished the season on a high note and is now looking to keep that success going this year. He needs to for this team to have a shot at a resurgence.

2. The Kids Come Through: Last year the Cardinals inserted a number of young players to their lineup, with some mostly mixed results. While Nolan Gorman showed lots of promise as a DH/infielder, more will be needed from outfielder Jordan Walker and shortstop Masyn Winn. If all three can help carry the load on offense, this team should be back in the playoffs.

3. Can Helsley Do the Job in the Ninth?: Amongst the many issues the Cardinals had last season, the bullpen ranked near the top. Closer Ryan Helsley seemingly picked up where he left off at the end of the 2022 playoffs, by struggling early on. But as the season drew to a close, the hard throwing righty got his game back in order. As we got into 2024, number 56 needs to lock things down in the ninth inning to ensure the Cardinals don’t have a letdown season once again.

The Lineup

1. Brendan Donovan 2B

2. Paul Goldschmidt 1B

3. Lars Nootbaar CF

4. Nolan Arenado 3B

5. Willson Contreras C

6. Nolan Gorman DH

7. Jordan Walker LF

8. Tommy Edman RF

9. Masyn Winn SS

The Staff

1. Sonny Gray

2. Miles Mikolas

3. Kyle Gibson

4. Lance Lynn

5. Steven Matz

Closer: Ryan Helsley

The Prediction

82 Wins

While adding veteran arms may bear fruit for the Cardinals, it feels like their age will become a detriment as they try to return to contention. Gray is already injured in spring training and likely to miss the start of the season, so their pitching depth will be tested early on. While the Cards should be in the hunt, it feels like they are behind the Cubs and Reds in very tight NL Central.

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