And so the journey begins today for the Cardinals. It’s the busiest schedule they’ve ever encountered, with 162 games in 186 days against the 29 other MLB teams. They’ll play ball in 14 states plus the District of Columbia. They’ll even play ball in London, England....
1. The Cardinals will win 89 games and the NL Central division. But it will be closer than expected, with the Brewers finishing only two games behind the Redbirds. Milwaukee’s edge in starting pitching will keep the race tight. But I have a caveat: if the St. Louis...
I enjoy and respect the analysis at FanGraphs and usually learn something every time I go to the site. FanGraphs has completed its positional rankings for the 30 teams. I wanted to share them with you. If you keep reading, you’ll see how the Cardinals ranked at...
Two weeks to go until Opening Day for the Cardinals. With the fellers cantering through the final days of spring training, I’ve been thinking about what we’ve seen so far. Reasons to be excited. Reasons to be disappointed. And also understanding that things can change...
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...
The Cardinals will be leaving the summery weather of Jupiter to head back to their Midwest home for the regular-season opener at Busch Stadium on March 30. And this ritual transfer is happening fast, with only 17 days between now and Game 1 of the 2023 season....
Prediction: MLB’s new rules should increase Tommy Edman’s overall value to the Cardinals in 2023. Edman already provides substantial value. Last season he ranked 17th among all MLB players with 5.6 WAR, the metric that ecompasses offense, defense, and baserunning. But...
In 2023 Major League Baseball is increasing the speed limit to motivate runners to go for more stolen bases. Or to put it another way: less caution, more action. Warning: this will not be Whitey Herzog baseball. From 1982 through 1990, a run of nine seasons, the...
BERNIE BITS With the ban on defensive shifts in place for 2023, will the Cardinals regress defensively? How will the changes matter? Based on 2022, it’s a mix of factors that don’t make for an easy answer. Last season the Cardinals finished tied for fourth in the...
