Of course all the attention is going to be towards the big market teams. Especially if you are in the National League. The Mets landed Juan Soto. The Dodgers landed just about anyone who can put on a glove and play the game of baseball . The Diamondbacks made splashes with Corbin Burnes and Bo Naylor. Heck, the Phillies traded for Jesus Luzardo. The big dogs loaded up and it’ll be a fight for the crown. But one team that’s certainly intriguing and leaning in a total different direction is the St. Louis Cardinals. They did the opposite of those teams and spent ZERO dollars. But don’t count them out.

A New Approach Cardinals Squad

It truly is a new era for the Red Birds. The iconic legends that have shaped their core team are all but gone. It is not to say they aren’t meant to compete, but they are turning a page over to the youth on the roster. Heck, that is why they hired Chaim Bloom to come into the fold. He turned the Red Sox farm system into a top five system after being buried in the basement for years.

But this Cardinals team does have talent. Are they good enough to win the division? I don’t believe so. The Cubs are the favorites and the Brewers end up just doing the unthinkable. But do not count out the Cardinals. Despite spending no money, they believe in their young roster and for good reason.

The Thriving Young Birds

Here’s the nice thing about the Cardinals offense. They had the 12th lowest strikeout percentage, but had a lower walk rate. They were middle of the pack in batting categories, but struggled to score runs and even beat pitchers with the deep ball. But they did finish third in the division and they have young blossoming talent.

Let’s start with Brendan Donovan, who was far and away the team’s best batter. He finished with a slash line of .278/.342/.417/.759. He finished with 115 wRC+, which sees him 15% better than the league average. It does get better though. The team opted to hand the keys over to Alec Burleson, who was right behind Donovan in production. His slash line was impressive and he also hit the second most home runs and drove in the second most runs. He is projected to have a stronger season with year, with a .275 average and a 114 wRC+.

It should be talked about more and the young stud should be put on notice. There were plenty of stellar rookies in the NL, such as Paul Skenes, Jackson Merrill, and Jackson Chourio. But Masyn Winn was a stellar rookie for the Cardinals in more ways than one. Wynn had a ashine of .267/.314/.416/.730. One thing he does need to do is tone down the strikeouts, but his ability to play stellar defense is what matters the most.

The first of many.

Masyn Winn has been selected as a @RawlingsSports Gold Glove Finalist!#ForTheLou pic.twitter.com/PySHC8KUly

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) October 15, 2024

Wynn finished in the 84th percentile for outs above average (3) and in the 95th percentile for arm strength. He is athletic, fast, and a weapon on the basepaths. That’s a leader you can build around for the long haul. He is projected to slash .258/.313/.403 with a 101 wRC+ and projected to be over a 3 win player. 

One of the better things for the Cardinals was them shuffling the deck. They said goodbye to long time first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and are making William Contreras their new first baseman. Contreras is a phenomenal bat. He had the best wRC+ of any Cardinals batter with 140 and had an OPS of .848. Ivan Herrera is the top catching prospect and also has a very stable.

The cast of characters around this group is also really nice with player such as Lars Nootbaar, but there are x-factors to helping this offense go further.

The X-Factors for the Cardinals

If the Cardinals are to truly compete further and give these teams a good run for their money, a few guys gotta step up to the plate. Jordan Walker is one of them.

He had a respectable 2023, slashing .276/.342/.445/.787. Under the surface, he has things to work on, but in 2024 he took a major step back. Walker hit just .201 in 164 at bats. He is not the best fielder, but he does have the arm strength.

Two other guys who could legit look for step up seasons are Nolan Gorman and Victor Scott. Scott hit just .179 and finished with a subpar wRC+ of 40. He was just a rookie, but he is a player that will look to take the next steps. Gorman had a phenomenal 2023, having a career best .236 average and hit 27 home runs. However, he had a down year at the plate, seeing his average drop to .203 and saw his OPS drop from .806 to .671. He struggled mightily with strikeout rate (ranking in the 1st percentile) as well as walk rate. He does make hard contact and barrels the ball with ease.

These guys are huge x-factors into what will be quite the season for the Cardinals.

Opening Day Awaits

This is what the Cardinals are trotting out. This does not include the fact that third baseman Nolan Arenado will likely be on the Opening Day roster despite the trade rumors. Also, the Cardinals pitching staff should be their strong point, led by Sonny Gray and Andre Pallante (don’t sleep on that guy). But overall the Cardinals are what they are and that is a team heading in a completely different direction. It’s a youth movement. But that does not mean it won’t be exciting. They may not be a playoff team, but they’ll definitely compete. Should be a fun season for the Red Birds.