Should Lars Nootbaar bat leadoff for the Cardinals in 2023? Yes. And he will. But that doesn’t mean Noot will be a constant presence at the top of the lineup. I’d be surprised if manager Oli Marmol fastened one player into the leadoff role and kept him there. Marmol...
In 2022, first-year manager Oli Marmol did a superb job of coordinating the traffic at the designated hitter spot. At the end of the regular season the St. Louis DH crew led the National League in homers (29) and ranked sixth or better in the majors in RBI, slugging...
Before we look ahead to what’s next for Jordan Walker, let’s look back in time to another young St. Louis outfielder to show how the Cardinals have evolved. And in a good way. Two springtimes ago, the Cardinals’ top outfield prospect was Justin Williams. Remember him?...
By refusing to shake Oli Marmol’s hand before Saturday’s exhibition-season opener, umpire C.B. Bucknor put MLB to the test. Last August at a game in Arizona, Bucknor and the Cardinals manager got into a heated confrontation about the umpire’s typically incoherent...
I’m fascinated with the idea of Tyler O’Neill playing center field for the Cardinals. It’s not easy to find fearsome, power-hitting, home-run bashing sluggers at the position, so “Bro’Neill” could give the Cardinals an edge there. O’Neill hasn’t logged many innings in...
No area of the 2023 Cardinals is more intriguing than the outfield. The allocation of playing time is undetermined, and there are plenty of options available for manager Oli Marmol. There’s no true star in this group, but potential abounds. Let’s introduce the...
Oh, goody. The annual PECOTA forecast was revealed this week at Baseball Prospectus. It’s one of my favorite days on the baseball calendar, with PECOTA putting many fan bases in various stages of rage. Some of the major-league teams can be counted on to take offense,...
It’s been a distinguished run for John Mozeliak, the leader of the St. Louis baseball operations for 15 seasons. In terms of sustained success, he’s been one of the most influential executives in franchise history. To the surprise of absolutely no one who understands...
It’s difficult for me to shut off my brain. A lot of this has to do with writing. Specifically, baseball writing. What do I want to write about? What did I forget to write about? What do I need to write? Is there a fresh angle on a Cardinals-related topic? With all of...
