Wow, what a ride huh? Nine games in a row, seriously? I mean, who could have seen this coming? ME. That’s who. You laughed, you destroyed the comment section when I dared to say this team would be good, or that ownership actually knew more than us. Yet here we are, and the last time the St. Louis Cardinals lost the Roman Cardinals hadn’t even conclaved yet.
Our Redbirds sit in second place in the Central, a mere one game behind the worst franchise in the history of America sports with a lot of season left ahead. They’ll be up, they’ll be down, they’ll be as flat as a Kansas road trip at some point. But, are you counting them out?
Pitching, Pitching, and More Pitching
Here is how good this starting staff has been; Miles Mikolas has had one bad start. ONE. That was that nightmare in Boston where he let more runners cross the finish line than the Cardinals 5k.
As of this morning:
I’ll take those numbers from today until October and not blink. And now that the Ryan Fernandez era has ended, my bullpen induced panic attacks have subsided. JoJo is coming back to form and Helsley is proving that he is, in fact, that dude. Plus, Matz is better than he has ever been. I’m more surprised by the way he’s been dealing than I was when Becky and Wanda split.
Arenado, Contreras, Attitude, and Intensity
Nolan and Willson on the surface appear different. The newly minted 1B has a bit more showman in him, while Arenado is all business on the baseball field. But, it’s in the eyes. They both have an undying rage that fuels their need to win, their addictions to competition. They are the engines that will drive the Cardinal train to the top of the division leaving Pirates, Cubs, Reds, and Brewers strewn across the tracks like October confetti.
Their attitude and intensity is permeating the team like rain water has been permeating my basement over the past month. They now know they can win. They know they can beat anyone. Just ask Nola, Wheeler, Skenes, or Gore to name a few.
Projections and Possibilities
With the season just a touch over 25% in the books this team is on track to win somewhere between 88 and 90 games, which I would bet will win the Central. And, since I haven’t taken a math class since the University of Missouri required me to pass “Statistics” in the fall of 2002 with a professor that looked waaay too much like President Truman, I’ll do some simple math of multiply things by four to give you an estimate of the types of numbers this team can put up.
The below would be year end stats if players maintain their current production pace:
Yeah, it ain’t exactly the 2004 Cards, but it’s a helluva lot better than the 2024 Cardinals. My gut also tells me Arenado will get hot and have a huge June and July. The ball will start flying and so will his production. He’s just far too good to put up pedestrian numbers again. Great players feel an obligation to their greatness, and Arenado is one of the five greatest third basemen to ever walk the Earth.
Holes in the Tupperware
Even I have to admit, it ain’t all Pabst Blue Ribbon and Toasted Ravs here in baseball heaven. Let’s start with Jordan Walker. It’s been rougher than Kurt Warner’s permanent five o’clock shadow to start this season for the big man. Hitting .180, 2 home runs and 12 batted in. This is not who he is at full JW potential. What does he need? He has been delivering far above expectations in RF, but the bat needs Dr. Frankenstein to put some life into it. Extra cage time? Rest? A mental break? Or just a few dying quails to drop in to get him going. Maybe it’s like how when Erwin Claggett’s jumper wasn’t falling he’d try to get a layup or a free throw to take the lid off. Walker needs a couple lay-ups and to see the ball drop in the outfield green.
Nolan Gorman I once thought was the first man worthy of wearing Lankford’s 16 since the great Reggie Sanders. But, right now he’s striking out more than Adam Dunn with a blindfold on. I love watching this guy hit, when he hits. But, one home run in 82 plate appearances? He has less jackertons this season than Victor Scott, and as many as Thomas Sagesse and Yohel Pozo. That’s unacceptable. I had Gorman mentally pencilled in for 30 dongs and 85 ribs. This is not that pace.
I Cannot Stop Watching
Every night (when my four year old daughter lets me turn off Bluey or Lady Bug and Cat Noir) I turn on Fox Sports Midwest Bally’s Fanduel Spectrum channel 37 and simply enjoy baseball. It’s a great TV show, and I am invested in the ending each night. Each episode adding up to a finale that I’m excited to see.
Last season felt like a dirge marching towards a desolate wasteland of an off season. This year feels different. It feels hopeful, the feeling you get when a fan’s halfcourt shot looks like it’s going to go in. That’s how I see this season right now, and I think it’s going to bank in, and we’ll all erupt from our seats at the end of September.
– Will Saulsbery
Born and raised in St. Louis, Will Saulsbery is a multitalented writer and musician. A graduate of the University of Missouri, Saulsbery has established himself as a prominent ghostwriter, with his work appearing in top-tier publications like Forbes, Fast Company, Tech Crunch, Entrepreneur, The Observer, and The Hill. He recently Co-Authored You Wouldn’t Believe Me If I Told You: An Unforgettable Memoir of Golf, Grit, and a Blue-Collar Kid on the PGA Tour with the great Jay Delsing.
