Four Unexpected Players Fueling a Solid Start for the St. Louis Cardinals
While the season hasn’t started quite the way the Cardinals or their fans hoped, there have still been some bright spots—particularly from a handful of surprising players.
After opening the year with a sweep of the Minnesota Twins (4–9), St. Louis hit a rough patch, dropping three straight series to the Angels (8–4), Red Sox (7–7), and Pirates (5–8). Heading into their upcoming home series against the Phillies, the Cardinals sit at 5–7 and hold third place in the National League Central.
Despite the inconsistency, the identity of this team is beginning to take shape. The Cardinals appear to be built around their offense and defense. Before Friday’s games, they ranked second in the league in both batting average and on-base percentage, and fourth in wRC+. Offensively, they’ve averaged six runs per game—clearly not the issue so far.
Defensively, they’ve also been strong. Brendan Donovan has looked comfortable at second base. Masyn Winn and Nolan Arenado provide elite defense on the left side of the infield, while Lars Nootbaar and rookie Victor Scott II have impressed in the outfield. Even Jordan Walker and Willson Contreras have improved defensively.
As a unit, the Cardinals are tied with the Astros for the top spot in Outs Above Average, a key defensive metric. They’ve also committed the eighth-fewest errors and sit sixth in total assists—further evidence of a defense that’s holding its own.
However, the pitching staff has struggled. St. Louis owns the second-worst team ERA (5.24), trails in strikeout rate (19.6%), and ranks third-worst in ERA- (135). That’s a stark contrast to the team’s offensive and defensive performance.
Still, a few players have managed to rise above the team’s early-season inconsistency. Whether overlooked in preseason discussions or exceeding expectations by a wide margin, these breakout performances have helped keep the Cardinals competitive.
There were plenty of questions facing this “youngry” Cardinals squad entering 2025. Could their young talent step up and lead? Would veterans like Nolan Arenado return to form? And could the pitching staff find its rhythm?
So far, at least a few of those questions are starting to get answered. And while honorable mentions go to Ivan Herrera, Jordan Walker, and Lars Nootbaar for their solid contributions, they didn’t surprise quite like the names that follow.
Leave a Reply