If the Cardinals are to challenge for the playoffs, these players must improve.
The St. Louis Cardinals were swept by the lowly Cincinnati Reds, who have now dropped below.500 for the first time in several months. They may have already lost hope, but they might seriously lose it going forward with their games against the Dodgers and Brewers. They struggled after the All-Star Break and trade deadline, even though for a while they had the best record in the National League from May 12. Several of the best Cardinals players experienced notable regressions as Josh Jacobs and Sandy McMillan revised the Dealin’ the Cards player grades through the trade deadline.
The Cardinals will need all of their important players to perform well going forward because several of them are once again operating below par. Before it’s too late, these six Cardinals players need to get better.
Nolan Arenado needs to improve before it’s too late
Even if Nolan Arenado showed some progress in the second half, the power outage is still a major worry. The All-Star third baseman is hitting for a high average and getting runners in scoring position more frequently in recent games, but his.394 slugging percentage and 11 home runs are completely out of line with his career averages.
With just a single player reaching the 20-homer mark thus far, the Cardinals lack a true middle-of-the-order power bat of the kind of Arenado of past seasons. Although they don’t mean anything, home runs are an essential component of any team that hopes to make the playoffs. If Arenado can increase his power output, the Cardinals will have a much greater chance of contending.
Furthermore, Arenado’s body language and his incapacity to execute more difficult defensive moves than he did with ease in previous years suggest that there might be a simple fix for these issues. This season, many have questioned his effort, and it’s feasible that a change in motivation would allow the former All-Star to revert to his previous level of play.
Paul Goldschmidt needs to improve before it’s too late
Rumors of an extension have been swirling around Paul Goldschmidt’s problems, leaving many supporters perplexed and angry that the team would bring back the former MVP in the midst of his worst season to date. This season, Goldschmidt’s OPS+ has been below league average, and his situational hitting has been dreadful, as evidenced by his.513 OPS when there are runners in scoring position.
Even though he had a huge decline from his 2022 MVP season, Goldschmidt was still a useful bat for the Cardinals in 2023. The team nevertheless relied on him as one of the cornerstones of a potent lineup, despite widespread concerns that growing older would cause him to deteriorate even more.
This season, the Cardinals lineup has suffered considerably as a result of this unrealistic expectation. Paul Goldschmidt has wasted his fair share of significant high-leverage opportunities, even after at one time being finally dropped down the order. Additionally, his play when runners are in scoring position is just plain bad.
The Cardinals lineup would benefit greatly if Paul Goldschmidt could recapture even a small portion of his 2023 form and find himself with runners in scoring position. Goldy’s tenure with the Cardinals is winding down, and it would be terribly sad if it ended this way. Of all the players on this list, I have the least hope that Goldy will make significant progress down the stretch because it looks like the future Hall of Famer is getting older. But if he can still muster any of his MVP magic, it would be extremely beneficial for the struggling Cardinals offense.
The bullpen needs to improve before it’s too late
Although it’s difficult to single out one or two relievers on this list that have to improve in order to keep the Cardinals’ season alive, the group as a whole has performed poorly in the second half. Given the number of close games the club plays, the Cardinals’ bullpen has been the team’s main weapon throughout the season. As such, the team is counting on them to play well into the end.
Now, if the hitters on this list can perform better, it might ease the burden on the relievers, but in order for the team to succeed going forward, the bullpen still needs to perform well in crucial circumstances. JoJo Romero and Ryan Fernandez have faltered as well, and closer Ryan Helsley of the Cardinals has not been as effective in the second half.
It appears that they won’t be receiving much assistance from outside sources, since they also failed to bring in significant reinforcements by the trade deadline. Shawn Armstrong was acquired by the Cardinals from Tampa Bay in exchange for Dylan Carlson, but it doesn’t appear that he can be a useful bullpen piece. Armstrong has not been used as much as other names in high-pressure circumstances by the Cardinals, such as Chris Roycroft and Kyle Leahy, so a more significant move might have been wise.
Riley O’Brien was optioned to Memphis after being activated off the disabled list, instead of going back to St. Louis to support the Major League team. During Spring Training, O’Brien displayed his intriguing fastball, but once more, it seems like the Cardinals don’t have a lot of faith in him. The Cardinals’ bullpen needs to be extremely accurate with very little room for error if they are to have any chance of winning in the second half. It is not difficult, since they accomplished it in the first half.
Lars Nootbaar needs to improve before it’s too late
When Lars Nootbaar suffered an injury at the end of May, he was playing at a high level. The Cardinals, who were in the midst of a winning streak, were severely hurt. But after he returned, it seemed that both he and the Cardinals’ offense cooled off. Nootbaar has only hit.212/.284/.318 in his last 30 games, and his recent performance has been considerably worse, with an OPS of less than.350 in his last 7 games. He’s quickly playing himself out of a job for a lineup that desperately needs right-handed batters due to a glut of left-handed hitters, including Nootbaar.
It appeared as though part of the burden for Nootbaar would be relieved with Jordan Walker returning to the squad, but Noot will still need to contribute against right-handed hitters because Walker would only platoon versus left-handed hitters. Even though underlying numbers suggest he’s becoming a little unlucky, the Cardinals need to see results soon if they want to reclaim the lead. Lars Nootbaar’s career has had yet another sad season. If only he could fulfill his enormous potential, if only until the end of 2024.
Alec Burleson needs to improve before it’s too late
Regarding another left-handed hitter who is awful right now, Alec Burleson’s recent slump is the worst possible time to be struggling. Burleson was the most effective bat for the Cardinals in the first half, but his recent slump has come at a very bad moment for St. Louis. Burleson’s season OPS has fallen to.764 after he slashed.200/.250/.317 during his last 15 games. He was a guy that should have been an All-Star in the first half, but ever since the trade deadline, he has been quite underwhelming.
As he was considered a fourth outfielder throughout Spring Training, nobody anticipated Burleson to be a major player, but he was one of the reasons the Cardinals remained competitive in the first half. Burleson will need to perform well once more for the Cardinals, despite his general troubles against left-handed pitching. Up until the All-Star Break, he was among the greatest hitters in the National League, and it would be wonderful to see him continue to produce.
