The St. Louis Cardinals’ All-Time 28-Man Roster

The St. Louis Cardinals’ amazing franchise just got better. This all-time roster will be the best roster ever constructed.

This team is historic and we all know it. They have 11 world championships (12 if you count 1985 like me). There have been some extremely great players to play in St. Louis, arguably two of the greatest hitters in history spent time in a Cardinals’ uniform. One of which unfortunately left behind a great legacy to pursue free agency and we all know who that is.

One of the great things about this team is the tradition of contemplating just who is the Cardinals’ all time greats at each position. As you sit around at Thanksgiving and Christmas, you talk with Uncle Larry about who the Cardinals’ best starting pitcher of all time is. He says Bob Gibson, you say Chris Carpenter. Then your saavy cousin Bill says, that Carlos Martinez is going to better than all of them. There’s no wrong answer here, as they are all Cardinals’ and will be treasured as such for years’ to come.

One of the biggest discussions among the baseball community these days is the topic of the 25 man roster, there are questions on whether or not this is the best method of team construction these days and whether or not the expanded September rosters are fair. One of the ideas that has been tossed around, is the idea of a 28 man roster, with the ability to scratch two to three players, much like the NHL does. I kind of like this idea, and really like it when it comes down to creating the best Cardinals’ roster of all time.

So, let’s create a St. Louis Cardinals all-time 28 man roster. We are going to go position by position starting with the offensive starters and the starting rotation and then dive into the bullpen and becnh. This is going to be a fun ride, I hope you are ready to enjoy it.

Next: Catcher - Yadier Molina

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First Base – Albert Pujols

This is no contest. Despite your feelings of how Albert Pujols left, he is without a doubt one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. I still hate the fact that he is not patrolling first base for the Cardinals, as that is a position that has been in utter disarray since he left. I still remember going to the games and stopping whatever I was doing to watch Albert hit.

You just had the feeling each time he came up to bat that he was going to do something amazing. I still remember his assault on the National League during the second half of the 2006 season, which led the Cardinals to the playoffs and eventually the World Series that year. Albert’s career numbers with the Cardinals are staggering, a slash of .328/.420/.617 and 915 extra-base hits (455 doubles, 445 homers, 15 triples), which ranks second all time on the Cardinals.

Looking at Albert’s numbers through his 11 seasons as a Cardinal the thing that stands out to me is his .420 OBP that ranks for second all time on the team behind Mark McGwire. The closest Cardinals’ hitter to come close to that for even one season since Pujols’ exit is Matt Carpenter in 2013 with .396. Despite having the mantra of not being a top postseason hitter, he had a career slash of .323/.431/.599 in the postseason with 38 extra-base hits (19 homers, 18 doubles, and one triple).

It’s safe to say that had Pujols stayed with the Cardinals and finished his career here, he could have wound up being the best hitter in team history. Unfortunately, that is just speculation now with Pujols floundering in Los Angeles the past four seasons. It will be a long time until the Cardinals have another hitter like Pujols, it was truly a joy watching No. 5 play for 11 seasons in St. Louis.

Next: Second Base - Rogers Hornsby

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Second Base – Rogers Horsnby

Ah the ole no number guy. Rogers Hornsby spent 13 seasons in St. Louis with the Cardinals (1915-1926 and 1933). Hornsby is definitely the best to ever play the position of second base for the Cardinals and is one of the all time greats at the position period. While not much is known about him these days with eye witnesses being few and far between, what is universally know is that Hornsby was a great hitter, as evidenced by his .358 career batting average and 703 extra-base hits (367 doubles, 193 homers, 143 triples), which is third best in team history.

The game was much more of a contact player’s game back then, as evidenced by Horsby’s 177 OPS+ as a Cardinal. Hornsby’s best season ever came in 1924, where as a 28 year old he led the league in all three slash categories, with a slash of .424/.507/.696 with 82 extra-base hits (43 doubles, 25 homers, and 14 triples, posting a 12.1 WAR. Just absolutely crazy numbers, as evidenced by Hornsby’s 222 OPS+.

What’s even crazier is that this led to Hornsby finishing second for the NL MVP that year to Dazzy Vance who posted a darn good pitching performance of 28-6 with a 2.16 ERA, good for a 10.1 WAR. Hornsby had another great year the following year where his 39 home runs and league leading slash, led him to winning the 1925 NL MVP award.

It’s pretty safe to say that these numbers from a second basemen are pretty good and pretty unattainable for a player to hit again. The only disappointing part to Hornsby’s career is that he did play a total of nine seasons not wearing a Cardinals’ uniform (including four seasons with the Chicago Cubs). However, Hornsby’s place in the Cardinals’ hall of fame and number er logo being retired gives reason to believe that Pujols could one day have the same honor.

Next: Shortstop - Ozzie Smith

Apr 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinal former player Ozzie Smith waives to the fans before the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Shortstop – Ozzie Smith

Here we are with another no contest (this whole roster creation thing is pretty easy). Ozzie was without a doubt one of the greatest defensive shortstops of all time, for a position that has some great ones. He wasn’t an offensive juggernaut by any means, but he did have 402 doubles throughout his career and sported a .262 career batting average.

However, that’s not what makes Ozzie great. It’s the defense that led him to 13 straight gold gloves from 1980-1992. During Ozzie’s prime as a great shortstop from 1980-1989, his lowest fWAR was 3.4, maxing out at 6.7 in the 1989 season, this was the season in which Smith’s defense was worth 32 runs above average leading to a 4.7 dWAR which was the best since Art Fletcher in 1917 until Andrelton Simmons‘ bested him in 2013 with 5.4 dWAR.

Throughout his career, Smith was worth 239 runs on defense, while pitching in 55.2 runs with his base running. This led Smith to being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002. While Smith was a “Wizard” on defense, his offense left some to be desired and makes what Smith did attainable and repeatable. In fact, Andrelton Simmons is right on his heels defensively, having posted 68.4 runs above average in four seasons so far.

Next: Third Base - Scott Rolen

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Third Base – Scott Rolen

Reminder here folks, this is a 28 man roster we are creating. Not an all-time Cardinals’ list, we are building a super Cardinals’ team here. While Ken Boyer may be the most consistent Cardinals’ third basemen of all time, there is no way he is better than what Scott Rolen was in his prime.

This is another player that I am truly grateful that I got to watch play, Rolen was truly a special player offensively and defensively. I remember anything hit in his direction was all but guaranteed to be an out. Walt Jocketty pulled the wool over the Phillies’ eyes when he sent Bud Smith, Mike Timlin, and Placido Polanco for the All-Star third baseman.

In five and a half years with the Cardinals, Rolen was worth 25.8 WAR, with 18 attributed to his offense and 8.8 attributed to his defense.

Rolen’s numbers with the Cardinals are impressive, with his slash of .286/.370/.510 and 297 extra-base hits (173 doubles, 111 homers, 13 triples) making him one of the best third baseman in baseball history, especially when you consider he had 579 extra-base hits away from St. Louis in Philadelphia, Toronto, and Cincinnati.

Rolen’s best year came in 2004 where he slashed .314/.409/.598 with a 159 wRC+according to Fangraphs, and 70 extra-base hits (34 homers, 32 doubles, and two homers). That year he posted an astonishing 9.1 WAR, with 3.3 being attributed to his defense.

Ken Boyer is probably the Cardinals best all time third baseman and very well could have made this position, but defensively Boyer was not Scott Rolen. Boyer posted a 10.3 dWAR across 11 seasons with the Cardinals and a total of 0.3 dWAR across the rest of his career. While many in the statistical era never saw Boyer, the ability that Rolen had was displayed over his entire career. Rolen finished his career in Toronto and Cinicinnati not once finishing a season with a negative dWAR, giving him a total 20.6 dWAR for his career.

This is what makes Rolen the better player, not at all discounting what Boyer was able to do throughout his career.

Next: Left Field - Lou Brock

Apr 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinal former player Lou Brock in attendance for the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Left Field – Lou Brock

This is a no brainer. There is a long list of unimpressive left fielders for the club as well as quite a few players who played many positions including left field throughout their career as a Cardinal. However, sweet Lou spent the better part of his career as a left fielder, so we will put him there for the sake of this roster.

Lou Brock is without a doubt one of the best Cardinals’ players of all time, as evidenced by his 1985 induction into the Hall of Fame.  However, let’s take a look at his numbers. In parts of 16 seasons, Brock had a slash of .297/.343/.410 with 674 extra-base hits (434 doubles, 129 triples, 121 homers) and best of all 888 stolen bases, which is second all time to Ricky Henderson.

This was another one of the best trade acquisitions in Cardinals’ history, this list is riddled with these great acquisitions. Not many disagree that the Ernie Broglio for Brock trade is one of the greatest parts of the Cardinals and Cubs rivalry. With Brock winning championships with the Cardinals and Broglio suffering due to injury, it’s clear that the Cardinals made the right move in acquiring Brock. As a Cardinals’ fan with many Cubs’ fan friends and family it is even sweeter.

Next: Center Field - Jim Edmonds

Apr 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals former manager Tony Larussa shakes hands with former player Jim Edmonds before the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Center Field – Jim Edmonds

For me, this is no contest. If there is anybody that I want patrolling center it’s Jimmy Ballgame, one of the best center fielders of all time. This means that the “MV3” will be intact and smashing balls for the Cardinals all-time team. Paul Layton laid out his case for Edmonds to be in the Hall of Fame earlier, and I for one whole heartedly support that. Jim Edmonds‘ career line with the Cardinals is really good, .285/.393/.555, along with 486 extra-base hits (241 homers, 234 doubles, and 11 triples), with a total WAR of 37.8 for the Cardinals in his eight seasons there.

Like Rolen, Edmonds’ best season came in 2004 where he slashed .301/.418/.643, hit 83 extra-base hits (42 homers, 38 doubles, and three triples), and a career high wRC+ of 168. Edmonds also finished with over 100 walks for just the second time of his career that year. This was without a doubt the greatest offensive team in Cardinals’ history, it’s a shame they weren’t able to even come close to the Red Sox in the World Series.

The defensive metrics may not be very kind to Edmonds, but Edmonds played a very good center field and did not start to have negative defensive values until his last two seasons in St. Louis, according to Fangraphs. Edmonds’ combined play is why he makes the team, the Cardinals’ have not had anyone close to Edmonds’ ability since his departure and can only hope Randal Grichuk can show the kind of power and be adequate defensively in center, hoping for Edmonds quality defense would be asking for way too much.

Next: Right Field - Stan Musial

April 13, 2012; St. Louis, MO. USA; St. Louis Cardinals hall of famer Stan Musial waves to the crowd during an opening day ceremony before a game against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. Chicago defeated St. Louis 9-5. Image Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Right Field – Stan “The Man” Musial

There is no chance anybody can make any St. Louis Cardinals’ all-time roster/list without including the greatest Cardinals’ player of all time, Stan Musial. Musial’s statue stands tall as the go to statue for any visiting Cardinals’ fan and is probably the most revered and universally recognized. Just as it should be, as Stan was without a doubt a legend.

I shouldn’t need to make a case for Stan, but I am going to anyways. Stan had a career slash of .331/.417/.559 in 22 seasons with the Cardinals. Stan raked 1,377 extra-base hits in his career (725 doubles, 475 homers, 177 triples), which is just 10 shy of the number that Pujols and Edmonds had in their Cardinals’ careers combined, and it is a Cardinals’ record that may never be broken. Stan was that good, and even missed an entire year in his prime to serve in World War II in 1945, just two years removed from winning his first MVP in 1943.

One of the greatest numbers, that represents Stan’s career the best is OPS+. This is a stat that factors in OPS and adjusts it based on the era the player played in and the park the player played in. For his career Musial has a 159 OPS+, which is exactly even to Albert’s career 159 OPS+ as a Cardinal.

Musial’s greatest season came in 1948 where he led the league in practically everything, slashing .376/.450/.702 with a league leading OPS+ of 200 (Albert never had a season over 192). Besides his ridiculous OPS+, the most glaring number from that MVP performance was his .702 slugging percentage, McGwire’s .752 in 1998 and .746 in 2000 are the only better performances in team history. That’s some pretty special company there.

Musial was ultimately recognized in the Hall of Fame in 1969 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, just two years before his 2013 passing. Musial will live on forever as the greatest Cardinals’ player ever, even had Pujols stayed on, it would have been hard to surpass what “The Man” accomplished in his 22 seasons in St. Louis.

Next: Starting Pitcher #1 - Bob Gibson

Apr 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinal former player Bob Gibson in attendance for the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Starting Pitcher #1 – Bob Gibson

Like Musial, there is no chance any all-time roster or all-time list does not include Bob Gibson. If not for Musial, you could definitely make the argument for Gibson being the greatest Cardinal of all time. Gibson pitched from 1959-1975 amassing a 251-174 record totaling an ERA of 2.91. Arguments can be made that Gibson is on the short list for the best pitcher all time. No, he doesn’t have 300 wins like some, and he did pitch in a pitching rich era, but he absolutely dominated his opponents.

Gibson’s best season is quite possibly the best season by a starting pitcher ever, he went 22-9 with a ridiculous 1.12 ERA (a number no starting pitcher has reached since). There are quite a few things that stand out from that season, including the .184 average hitters had against Gibson that year. David Schoenfield of ESPN.com points out that Gibson pretty much didn’t have a bad game all year that year, as the only times he didn’t pitch beyond the seventh inning were his first two starts of the year, where he only allowed a total of three earned runs in those two outings.

Schoenfeld puts Gibson’s ’68 season as second best to Pedro Martinez‘ effort in 2000, but doesn’t account for Gibson winning both the Cy-Young and MVP that year and had a FIP that was just 3 points higher than Pedro’s overall ERA. Pedro may have had a better WAR, but great pitchers were much more valuable in an era where hitters were launching balls out of the ballpark at alarming rates.

Not to be left out are Gibson’s postseason numbers, as Gibson made nine world series starts and was 7-2 with 1.89 ERA in those starts, with 1968 obviously being the most disappointing of those series’, despite his 1.67 ERA in that series. Gibson will be a great addition to this team.

Next: Starting Pitcher #2 - Chris Carpenter

Oct 22, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter is interviewed during practice the day before game one of the 2013 World Series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Image Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

#2 Starting Pitcher – Chris Carpenter

I may be in the minority here and it may be my age showing, but aside from Gibson there hasn’t been a starting pitcher more valuable than Chris Carpenter. If you missed my top ten Cardinals’ free agents of all time, in which Carpenter was listed, please check that out. Had carpenter not missed so much of his career to injury we could be talking about a potential Hall of Fame caliber pitcher here. But, due to the fact that Carpenter only pitched in six complete seasons for the Cardinals and four uninspiring complete seasons with the Blue Jays, Carpenter will just be a very good pitcher.

Carpenter’s numbers as a Cardinal won’t blow you away, as he finished his career in St. Louis at 95-44 with an ERA 3.07 and an ERA+ of 116. However, where Carpenter stands out the most is looking at some of his individual seasons as a Cardinals’ pitcher. Carpenter had one of the greatest seasons in team history in 2009, as he went 17-9 with a 2.24 ERA, 182 ERA+, and a 5.5 fWAR. Not quite as great as Bob Gibson’s 1968 season, but as we mentioned before that’s a tough season to match. However, Carpenter was good enough to etch his name in Cardinals’ history that season by winning the Cy Young award.

However, Carpenter had already begun to do that before that season, as with Carpenter, you have to bring up his postseason numbers. Carpenter finished his postseason career 10-4, with a 3.00 ERA and two World Series rings. The most impressive postseason games came in 2011, when he out-dueled former teammate and good friend Roy Halladay, and impressively pitched in three World Series games that year, notably winning Game 7 on short rest.  Carpenter also shut down the Tigers through eight innings en route to the 2006 World Championship. This makes Carpenter worth having as my #2 starter on this roster.

Next: Starting Pitcher #3 - Steve Carlton

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#3 Starting Pitcher – Steve Carlton

This is definitely a case of what could’ve been. Steve Carlton was signed by the Cardinals in 1963 as an amateur free agent and was a budding star after the 1967 season when he went 14-9 with 2.98 ERA (2.47 FIP), with a 7.8 K/9. After winning the World Series with the Cardinals in ’67, Carlton went 13-11 with a 2.99 ERA (2.43 FIP) the next season, making the all star team. However, surprisingly was left out of the starting rotation for the 1968 World Series, appearing only in relief in two games, not helping the team with his 6.75 ERA over four innings.

Carlton went on to have an even better year the next year going 17-11 with a 2.17 ERA, again making an all-star appearance. However, after a record of 30-28 and a 3.64 ERA in 1970-71, and after demanding a $65,000 salary. The Cardinals shipped Carlton off to the Phillies for Rick Wise who was a pretty comparable pitcher at the time. However, the Cardinals paid for it big time, as Carlton went on to total four Cy Young awards including his sparkling 1972 season when he went 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA.

Carlton finished his career with four different teams, but as a Phillie he went 241-161 with a 3.09 ERA (3.05 FIP), 120 ERA+, all these numbers combined led to Carlton being elected to the Hall of Fame in 1994. Carlton is one of the all time greats and credit should be given to the Cardinals for finding him and producing him.

Next: Starting Pitcher #4 - Dizzy Dean

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Starting Pitcher #4 – Dizzy Dean

These last two starting spots were really hard. There have been a lot of good Cardinals’ starting pitchers over the years, but a lot of underwhelming top candidates. Admittedly, I am not too familiar with Dizzy Dean, other than his election to the Hall of Fame in 1953 and place on the Cardinals’ LF “wall of fame”.

However, that’s what is so awesome about the internet, I can learn about a player who last played for the Cardinals almost 80 years ago. What we know is that like Gibson and Carlton, Dean had one of the better pitching seasons of all time in 1934. Dean went 30-7 that year, with seven saves, an ERA of 2.66 (3.23 FIP), and totaling a 6.6 fWAR that year, and being named the NL MVP. Remarkably Dean appeared in 50 games for the Cardinals’ that year, making 33 starts, and 17 appearances out of the bullpen.

Surprisingly, the five seasons over 45 appearances is not what did Dean in. According to Baseball Almanac, during the 1937 All-Star game, Dean suffered an injury to his toe on a line drive. Dean, living in the “Great Depression” era probably was a little rushed to comeback, and came back too soon. According to the piece by Baseball Almanac, he altered his mechanics to avoid the pain in his toe and unfortunately hurt his arm, never being the same again, as he finished the last five years of his career with the Cubs and Browns making just 44 starts during that time.

Next: Starting Pitcher #5 - Adam Wainwright

Oct 11, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright throws a pitch against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning in game one of the 2014 NLCS playoff baseball game at Busch Stadium. Image Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Starting Pitcher #5 – Adam Wainwright

I could get a lot of flack for this, but remember we are creating a roster that is going out with the intent to dominate. This is no place for hand outs to guys like Bob Forsch, who never consistently put together “great” seasons. Adam Wainwright on the other hand is absolutely lights out when he’s on and healthy. Unfortunately, Wainwright has missed quite a bit of time due to injury in his career.

The fact that the Cardinals’ best starting pitcher of the last five years is #5 on this list, makes me realize how good we have it with Waino. However, let’s get into what makes Waino great.

Waino first came onto the scene as a September call-up in 2005, and appeared in two games and allowed three earned runs over two innings. Wainwright tells a pretty cool story about what being left off of the 2005 postseason roster meant to him. In 2006 Waino made the team out of spring training as a late innings setup man, kind of in the way that Carlos Martinez was used before this year.

In September of 2006, Jason Isringhausen was shut down due to a hip injury, and Wainwright was given the chance to become the team’s closer and he ran with it into the playoffs. This is where Waino proved he was ready to become the next great pitcher, in nine appearances that year Waino didn’t allow a single run, notching four saves, and one victory.

He closed out two of the most memorable series ending games in team history against the Mets’ Carlos Beltran and Tigers’ Brandon Inge. I will forever remember Wainwright getting Beltran to go down looking on Wainwright’s famous curveball.

The very next season Wainwright was thrust into the rotation, going 14-12 with a 3.70 ERA (3.90 FIP). He could have been better, but so could have the whole team that year. Wainwright got better though, in 2009 after an injury shortened 2008, he went 19-8 with a 2.63 ERA (3.11 FIP), and a 5.7 fWAR.

He finished third in Cy Young voting that year, as his teammate Chris Carpenter won the award. Wainwright continually improved though, finishing second the next year with an ERA of 2.42 (2.86 FIP), and an fWAR of 5.6.

Unfortunately Wainwright’s 2011 season was washed away due to Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow. As a result of the surgery recovery, Wainwright had a down year in 2012 with an ERA of 3.94 and didn’t really look himself that year struggling throughout the season and into the playoffs.

Wainwright came back to form in 2013 and 2014 with ERAs of 2.94 and 2.38 and a total fWAR of 11.4. Wainwright was off to a flying start in this past year until he went down with the Achilles injury. Remarkably, Wainwright made it back way ahead of schedule to pitch out of the bullpen in September and October.

An overall ERA of 2.98, despite a little over two total years lost to injury is amazing and is reason to believe Adam could have his number retired by the end of his career. Hopefully, that is a few years away and Wainwright builds up a potential Hall of Fame case.

Next: Bullpen Slot #1 - John Tudor

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Bullpen Slot #1 – John Tudor

It really was hard to leave John Tudor out of the rotation, but Tudor will be the first to slide into the rotation if need be. Tudor was like Edmonds and Rolen, one of the better trade acquisitions in team history. Tudor started his career with the Red Sox and had just one season with an ERA under 3.50, when he made just 13 starts and finished with an ERA of 3.02. Tudor was then traded to the Pirates in the offseason of 1983 and sported a 12-11 record with 3.27 ERA over 32 starts.

The Pirates then decided to send him and Brian Harper to the Cardinals in exchange for OF George Hendrick. At the time the two teams were not the rivals they are today, so it was not as wild as one would think for these two to hook up for a trade.

Tudor thrived in St. Louis in parts of five seasons, his best coming in 1985 when he went 21-8 with an ERA of 1.93 (FIP 2.71), and an fWAR of 6.4. Tudor was traded yet again for Pedro Guererro of the Los Angeles Dodgers (who never hit over 20 homers for the Cardinals in parts of five seasons). Tudor made it back to the Cardinals for one more year in 1990, where he went 12-4 with an ERA of 2.40 (FIP 3.49), over 22 starts that year.

Next: Bullpen Slot #2 - Harry Brecheen

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Bullpen Slot #2 – Harry Brecheen

I will admit that before writing this, I had never heard of this guy. I am not sure why, as he has some incredible numbers for his Cardinals’ career. He definitely had a shot at making this rotation, but like Dean he is a guy who made a lot of appearances out of the pen in his career. This actually makes him a good bullpen guy, he has experience and has success.

For his career, he was 128-79 with a 2.91 ERA with the Cardinals, and was worth a combined 33.7 fWAR in 12 years with the Cardinals. Harry Brecheen‘s best season came in 1948, when he went 20-7, with a 2.24 ERA (2.37 FIP) over 30 starts and three relief appearances. Brecheen led the league in ERA, strikeouts, ERA+, WHIP, K/9, and K/BB that year and finished fifth in MVP voting, in what was just his second and last all-star season.

Numbers wise, he had a pretty good career that has kind of gone under the radar amongst Cardinals’ fans. His number isn’t retired, he’s not a Hall of Famer, and he’s never talked about when we talk about the great pitchers in Cardinals’ history. However, Brecheen makes my bullpen and will be a solid addition to such with his career 2.91 ERA and five out of his first six seasons with an ERA under 3.00.

Next: Bullpen Slot #3 - Bob Forsch

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Bullpen Slot #3 – Bob Forsch

Bob Forsch almost made the rotation, but upon further consideration simply didn’t have better numbers than Dean or Wainwright. Forsch was what you would call consistent, he finished his career with a total line of 163-127 with an ERA of 3.67 (3.82 FIP). Forsch started his career with two really good seasons in 1974 and 1975 with ERAs of 2.97 and 2.86.

He then pitched seven more seasons with an ERA under 4.00 giving him nine straight to start his career. In 1983 a year after winning the 1982 World Series, Forsch started his decline. He had a record of 10-12, with an ERA of 4.28, his worst as a starter so far.

In 1984 Forsch suffered through an injury shortened year, going 2-5 with a 6.02 ERA over 16 total appearances. Forsch would rebound with two straight seasons with an ERA under 4.00 in 1985 and 1986, but his down year in 1987 led to him being featured in the postseason bullpen that year, where he allowed 11 earned runs in 9.1 innings out  and ultimately traded to the Astros in August of 1988 due to the team not wanting him back in 1989.

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Bullpen Slot #4 – Todd Worrell

A career 2.56 ERA and 145 ERA + for Worrell as a Cardinal is what gets him on this list. Worrell burst onto the scene in the second half of 1985, becoming the team’s closer and notching a 2.91 ERA and 125 ERA+ over 17 games for the Cardinals. He then helped the Cardinals’ get to the World Series against the Royals in 1985 by allowing just one run over 6.1 innings in the NLCS. In the World Series, Worrell pitched four games allowing just two runs over his 4.2 innings pitched.

Worrell then pitched the best of his five seasons as a Cardinal in 1986, when he pitched in 74 games, with an ERA of 2.08 (3.71 FIP), and an ERA+ of 176. Allowing him to notch a league best 36 saves that year, and earning him the NL Rookie of the Year award. Worrell would go on to pitch two more seasons for the Cardinals, notching an ERA at or below 3.00 in each season. Including getting back to the playoffs in 1987, when he allowed just two earned runs in 11.1 innings pitched.

Unfortunately for Worrell, he suffered a torn ligament in his elbow in September of 1989, when going for the club record in saves. He missed all of the 1990 season, and then the 1991 season when he suffered a torn rotator cuff when trying to rehab his elbow. Worrell came back in the 1992 season and was reduced to being the setup man in 67 appearances for the Cardinals, where he finished with an ERA of 2.11.

That was not good enough to save his Cardinals’ career, as he signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers to be their closer for the next five seasons. At his height, Worrell was a dominant reliever and would be a nasty sixth/seventh inning guy on this roster.

Next: Bullpen Slot #5 - Steve Kline

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Bullpen Slot #5 – Steve Kline

For the four years Steve Kline was a Cardinal, he was dominant. His overall numbers even show it as well, he was 12-11 with a dominant 2.69 ERA (3.78 FIP), 21 saves, and an ERA+ of 156. However, these numbers don’t even do Kline justice. The best way to see how good Kline was is to look at the individual seasons in which he pitched for the Cardinals.

In 2001, Kline had an ERA of 1.80 (Career Low), a WHIP of 1.094 (Career low at the time), 6.4 H9 (Career Low), 0.4 HR/9 (Career Low), and a crazy good ERA+ of 241. Not to mention that during the 2001 campaign, Kline held hitters to a .203 average, which included allowing just 10 hits to left-handed hitters all season long for a .149 average. Kline was so good that year that he even got MVP votes, which for a non closer is near impossible.

In 2002, Kline had a ERA of 3.39 much closer to his FIP numbers in 2001 of 3.46, so not surprising that things normalized. Digging deeper shows that Kline still had a good year that year, as he had a 118 ERA+, held hitters to a .251 average and still kept lefties in check at a .230 average. Not as good as his 2001 season, but still a very good season for a left-handed reliever.

In 2003, Kline had a bit of down year by his standards as he finished with an ERA of 3.82 (4.63 FIP). Despite the down year in terms of ERA, Kline still held hitters to .237 average, actually keeping right handed hitters at bay more than left handed hitters (.233 to .243). This was largely due to the fact that right handed hitters had a .234 BABIP against him, whereas left handed hitters had a .275 BABIP against him.

However in 2004, Kline was back at it again. He finished with a new career low ERA of 1.79 (3.68 FIP), a 238 ERA +, 1.073 WHIP (Career Low). He also held hitters to another low batting average of .209, mostly due to the fact that left handed hitters only managed to hit .143 against him that year. In perfect Cardinals’ fashion the team cut bait at the right time, letting Kline go as a free agent, as he posted an ERA over 4.00 in two out of his last three seasons.

Kline when healthy and at his prime, is one of the most dominant non closer relievers the Cardinals’ have had, and since this is purely fictional and fantasy that is when we get him on our roster.

Next: Bullpen Slot #6 - Jason Isringhausen

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Bullpen Slot #6 – Jason Isringhausen

The greatest Cardinals’ closer in team history doesn’t get to be the closer? Wow what a pen this must be. In an effort to create the best bullpen of all time, even one better than that pen of that Kansas City team, sacrifices have to be made. That sacrifice is Jason Isringhausen as a seventh inning guy to set up two of the greatest closers in league history.

In his prime, Isringhausen was automatic and lethal. He wasted no time in 2002 when he first came on as the Cardinals’ closer, he finished the season with 32 saves and an ERA of 2.48 and an even more impressive FIP of 1.75 and an ERA+ of 162. That year Izzy, struck out a prodigious 9.4 batters per nine innings, which was his career best number in that department.

It is hard to really pin point a best year for Isringhausen, as from 2003-2005 the closer had an ERA of 2.36 (FIP 2.98) and 176 ERA+ in 2003, 2.87 (3.02 FIP) and 148 ERA+ in 2004, leading up to a 2.14 (3.60 FIP) and 199 ERA+ in 2005. In those three seasons, Isringhausen also totaled 108 saves.

After the injury in 2006, Isringhausen returned with a 2.48 ERA (3.76 FIP) in 2007, saving 32 games for the Cardinals, before his last season with the Cardinals in 2008, where he struggled with a 5.20 ERA (4.87 FIP) in 42 appearances that year. This was the last of Isringhausen as we knew him, but without a doubt from 2001-2006 he was one of the most dominant closers in the game and he will fit well into this bullpen.

Isringhausen’s 217 saves as a Cardinal are the most in team history and stand as a record that could be hard to pass, with the shelf life of closers in these days. However, with few more 40-50 save seasons by Trevor Rosenthal, that record could be gone before we know it. He could also make it onto this all-time roster in a few years.

Next: Bullpen Slot #7 - Lee Smith

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Bullpen Slot #7 – Lee Smith

At first glance, I wanted to leave Lee Smith off of this roster. However, his best years of his career came while wearing a Cardinals’ uniform. Smith spent parts of four seasons with the team and had an overall ERA of 2.90 while collecting 160 of his 478 saves which was tops in the league until Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera passed him up.

Smith was traded to the Cardinals in 199o for Tom Brunansky after just 11 games for the Red Sox, that year Smith had an ERA of 2.10 (2.21 FIP) and an ERA+ of 182 with the Cardinals, saving 27 games during their only last place finish since 1918. His ERA numbers were at their lowest since his 1983 season with the Cubs.

In his first full season as a Cardinal, Smith did not disappoint, as he had yet another great year. He finished with an ERA 2.34 (2.45 FIP), while saving a career high 47 games for the Cardinals in 1991 and totaling an ERA+ of 158. Smith’s ERA started to balloon from that season on as he finished with 3.12 ERA in 1992 and a 4.50 ERA in 1993, before being traded to the Yankees for Rich Batchelor, a minor league pitcher who made his Major League debut for the Cardinals in 1993 but never stuck with a big league team long enough to record a full season, last appearing in a July game for the Padres in 1997.

Smith’s 160 career saves for the Cardinals were a team record until the aforementioned Jason Isringhausen passed him in 2006.

Next: Bullpen Slot #8 - Bruce Sutter

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Bullpen Slot #8 Bruce Sutter

Worrel/Kline to Isringhuasen to Smith to Sutter? Tell me that’s not a vaunted bullpen combination. Bruce Sutter, like Smith and Kline had a brief albeit magnificent career as a Cardinal. Sutter came to the Cardinals via the rival Chicago Cubs and like Lou Brock was rewarded with a World Series ring. Sutter was traded for the combination of Leon Durham and Ken Reitz in the 1980 0ffseason.

I will warn you that while Sutter doesn’t have the numbers of a Lee Smith or a Jason Isringhausen, Sutter is one of the greatest closers to ever play the game. In the words of manager Whitey Herzog, “He had the best makeup of any closer I’ve ever seen”. Sutter wasn’t the traditional closer like an Isringhausen or Smith was.

Sutter was most often used for two innings at a time and sometimes three innings, as was evidenced by Sutter’s 396.2 innings as the Cardinals’ closer. Singlehandedly being both the setup man and closer, shutting the door down and limiting teams to 21 outs instead of 27 outs.

In just four years, Sutter saved 127 games and had a 2.83 ERA (2.94 FIP) with the Cardinals, a record at the time he left the team after the 1984 season. A record that Todd Worrell would break in 1992. As a Cardinal Sutter had his absolute best season of his career in 1984, where he pitched to a sparkling 1.54 ERA (3.05 FIP) and saved 45 games, which was good for the NL record at the time.

Sutter’s split fingered fastball jumpstarted what was a languishing minor league career into a Hall of Fame career, as Sutter was eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006, a whopping 13 seasons after first becoming eligible in 1993. While many trivialize what it takes to be a closer, Sutter was truly one of the best and did it the hard way by pitching as many innings as he did. I firmly believe that had Sutter done it like closers do today and how Lee Smith was eventually used, he would have pitched a few seasons longer and probably had set the bar a little higher for Smith.

The fact that Sutter is sitting in the Hall of Fame and Smith and Trevor Hoffman are well on the outside looking in tells me that people generally feel that Sutter was without a doubt one of the best guys to ever do the job.

Next: Bench Spot #1 - OF Joe Medwick

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Bench Spot #1 – OF Joe Medwick

When you think about what you want off the bench. You want a mixture of pop, contact, and the ability to get on base at a consistent rate. You’d prefer your OF to be able to play all three spots, but Joe Medwick is a solid choice here, despite only playing LF for most of his career. He is not likely going to get much time out in RF, as Musial was the Iron Man before Cal Ripken made it cool. However, Medwick will be a solid bat off the bench and will be able to spell Brock out in left.

In his career as a Cardinal, Medwick had the solid and consistent numbers you want out of a corner outfielder in the 30s and 40s not named Stan Musial. Medwick slashed .335/.372/.545, with 610 extra-base hits (377 doubles, 81 triples, and 152 homers) in his career as a Cardinal.

Medwick’s best season as Cardinal came in 1937 when he won the triple crown, practically leading the league in every offensive category. The only categories he didn’t lead the league in that year were stolen bases, OBP, and walks. Medwick was also worth 8.5 WAR that season, again making it one of the better seasons in baseball history. Everything else he was league best that year, earning himself his only MVP award

Medwick was a really good player, just not quite good enough to beat out Brock, but definitely able to platoon a bit to give the bench the speed threat.

Next: Bench Spot #2 - C Ted Simmons

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Bench Spot #2 – C Ted Simmons

It was really hard to give Molina the spot over the offensive juggernaut that was Ted Simmons, who is the better offensive catcher. But, with the staff that we have on hand, there’s nobody I want behind that plate besides Yadier Molina. Simmons playing all over the diamond in his 21 year career shows that he was not known for his defensive abilities behind that plate. However, when needed Simmons will provide a spark like no other backup catcher can provide.

Simmons spent parts of 13 seasons in St. Louis, and had a great Cardinals’ career. Simmons slashed .298/.366/.459 with 541 extra-base hits (332 doubles, 172 homers, 37 triples) and a career OPS+ of 127. So, clearly a valuable commodity of power, contact, and patience as he never struck out more than 57 times and routinely walked over 50 times in his career. This will be much needed off of the bench.

Simmons’ best season came in 1977, as he finished the year slashing .318/.408/.500 with 49 extra-base hits (25 doubles, 21 homers, and three triples) with a wRC+ of 138 (according to Fangraphs). While I picked the ’77 season, you could have picked any of his mid 70s seasons and not have been too off base, as each season was uniquely great.

Simmons, will be a great option to fill in various spots on the field to get more at-bats. He spent time at first, third and in left and right field in various times of his career. So, it’s not crazy to think of Simmons as a bit of a utility man on this roster.

Next: Bench Spot #3 - IF Frankie Frisch

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Bench Spot #3 – IF Frankie Frisch

Look, as great as Smith and Hornsby are, they are both going to need someone to take some starts from them and be competent. So, we need a backup 2B who has some experience playing shortstop as well. So, we dig for another “Gashouse Gang” member here in Frankie Frisch.

Frisch spent 11 of his 19 seasons with the Cardinals, after spending his first 8 seasons with the New York Giants. If you are a Cardinals’ fan and don’t know the scenario behind the 1926 trade between the Giants and Cardinals involving two franchise players in Frisch and Hornsby, I highly suggest you read this piece from the Christian Science Monitor.

Frisch came on and immediately proved his worth slashing .337/.387/.472 with 52 extra-base hits (31 doubles, 11 triples, and 10 homers), a wRC+ of 129 (according to Fangraphs), 48 stolen bases, and an fWAR of 9.7 (highest of his career) in 1927. However, this wasn’t even good enough for him to outlast Paul Warner in his quest for the MVP that year. Frisch would eventually win the award in 1931, despite some underwhelming stats, especially in comparison to the second place finisher in Chuck Klein, who beat him out in just about every stat except for stolen bases.

Frisch ended his career with the Cardinals with a slash of .312/.370/.423, 398 extra-base hits (286 doubles, 61 triples, 51 homers), 195 stolen bases, and two World Series titles in his 11 seasons. Without a doubt, one of the better bench options on this team, and had it not been for the guy he was traded for, he would have been the starting second baseman on this team easily.

Next: Bench Spot #4 - 3B Ken Boyer

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Bench Spot #4 – Ken Boyer

As I said before, we are creating a great roster here. That is why Boyer didn’t make the starting lineup. It doesn’t mean that Boyer wasn’t a great player, it just means that for the purposes of this roster, he’s better served in a backup role. However, let’s look into what gets Boyer onto this roster.

In 11 years as a Cardinal Boyer slashed .293/.356/.475, with 585 extra-base hits (269 doubles, 255 homers, and 61 triples). Solid numbers for the third baseman who was able to win the 1964 World Series with the Cardinals. The interesting thing here is that in his career Boyer played CF in 1957 for 105 games and again in 1958 for six games. Given that we don’t have any advanced metrics on how Boyer played in CF, I am not sure how good he was at that position. He did not play there ever again in his career after 1958.

Like Frisch, Boyer’s best season did not come in his MVP year. In 1960, Boyer slashed .304/.370/.562 with 68 extra-base hits (32 homers, 26 doubles, 10 triples). Two numbers that really stand out in this season are his ISO (Isolated Power) of .257 and his wRC+ of 144 (according to Fangraphs), both being career high numbers.

His ISO was the highest of his career by 53 points, including 63 points better than his 1964 MVP season. Boyer finished sixth in the MVP vote in 1960 behind Dick Groat, Don Hoak, Willie Mays, Ernie Banks, and fellow teammate Lindy McDaniel. Again, bringing questions to MVP voting in the not so modern era. In ’64 Boyer won the award and curiously Willie Mays’ 41 HR and 11.0 WAR finished sixth that year.

Boyer is a proud owner of five gold gloves at third base, so the defensive difference between him and Rolen won’t be that great. So, it will be nice to have Boyer on the bench to switch off with Rolen.

Next: Bench Spot #5 - 1B Mark McGwire

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Bench Spot #5 – 1B Mark McGwire

How can you not want this guy on your bench? 220 home runs as a Cardinal, off the bench you say? Sign me up! Look, we all know he took PED’s to enhance his performance and it showed big time when he hit the wall after the 1999 season. However, my all-time roster does not discriminate, and Mark was such a critical figure at a time when Cardinals’ baseball as a whole was not all the exciting.

McGwire finished his brief Cardinals’ career with a slash of .270/.427/.683 translating into a ridiculous OPS of 1.111, with 278 extra-base hits (220 homers, 57 doubles, and one triple). If you notice the lack of a high average and doubles, that is what kept him out of a starting spot. He is in no way, shape, or form better than Pujols who did it all for the Cardinals and actually helped the Cardinals win two titles.

However, off of the bench McGwire will be lethal. We all know McGwire’s best season was 1998, when he hit his 70 home runs and drove in 147. Looking deeper shows some incredible numbers for McGwire’s season.

He had an incredible ISO of .454 that year as well as an incredible wRC+ of 205 (both stats according to Fangraphs), which were of course both career highs. The fact that he finished second in the MVP race that year to Sosa, who played in an easier park to hit homers in and struck out more than McGwire that year, is crazy.

Some would leave McGwire off of this roster, but not me, I cannot ignore his “lights out” power.

Next: Bench Spot #6 - OF Curt Flood

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Bench Spot #6 – OF Curt Flood

I had to get Flood on here, as relying on a guy without a full season in experience to patrol center in Busch Stadium III on a part time basis is not a good idea, and I would rather Boyer stick at third, where he is a Gold Glover.

Curt Flood was a really really good player. No he is not a Hall of Famer like Edmonds hopefully will be, but he definitely deserves to back up Jimmy. Flood was a really good center fielder and that’s the important part here. Flood won seven straight gold gloves from 1963-1969.

Offensively, Flood finished with a slash of .293/.343/.390 with 399 extra-base hits (271 doubles, 84 homers, and 44 triples). No, the slugging and extra-base hits aren’t great. But, the .293/.343 average/OBP is a good thing to have off of the bench.

Flood’s best season came in 1965, the year after winning his first World Series with the club, where he slashed .310/.366/.421 with 44 extra-base hits (30 doubles, 11 homers, three triples). Flood was worth 3.7 fWAR that season, which wasn’t his best, as he had 4.8 in 1963 and 1967. Flood’s season in 1965 is even more impressive when you consider his overall numbers combined into his third highest plate appearance total at 683.

Regardless, Flood will be extremely valuable in relief of Edmonds. Off the bench it will be nice to have his contact as well.

Next: Bench Spot #7 Edgar Renteria

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Bench Spot #7 – SS Edgar Renteria

There were a number of candidates I thought of for this last spot. I originally though Frisch could hold down the shortstop spot if needed. However, I figured Frisch didn’t have the experience needed at short, to consistently back up Smith, and I may need a player to play more if and when Ozzie’s offense is a drag to the club.

So, I threw out a couple names to start. I looked up Marty Marion and the player the Cardinals’ traded for Ozzie Smith in Garry Templeton, but ultimately I went with Edgar Renteria. Renteria was a consistent player for the Cardinals in his six years there. Renteria slashed .290/.347/.420, with 287 extra-base hits (207 doubles, 71 homers, and nine triples), as well as winning the Gold Glove in 2002 and 2003.

Renteria was consistent offensively and defensively in his career with the Cardinals and played a nice role on those early 2000s teams, unfortunately Renteria left via free-agency after the 2004 season, unable to win the World Series with what I believe was the best team he ever played with. Renteria’s best season came in 2003, where he slashed .330/.394/.480 with his highest extra-base hits total of his career of 61 (47 doubles, 13 homers, and one triple), with a wRC+ of 128 (according to Fangraphs), again highest of his career.

Renteria is the best choice for a backup here. His pop, contact, and defense will be solid to back up the Hall of Famer in Smith.

Next: Management Staff

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Management Staff

Manager – Tony Larussa

This is a no brainer, Tony is second to only Connie Mack on the all time win list and made the playoffs in 1996, 2000-2002, 2004-2006, 2009, and 2011. He built an amazing tradition of success and led two amazing teams to titles in 2006 and 2011, two teams that every one counted out multiple times. There’s a long list of great managers for this team and Tony without a doubt the best in my opinion.

Pitching Coach – Dave Duncan

Do I have to even prove anything here? Jeff Weaver, Jeff Suppan, Kyle Lohse, Joel Piniero, Chris Carpenter, all on the list of pitchers that Duncan managed to turn around and get the best out of. Duncan also mentored his eventual replacement in Derek Lilliquist who has turned into a solid pitching coach. Duncan can handle this staff of All-Stars and make them into something great.

Hitting Coach – Whitey Herzog

Whitey led the 1980s teams to some amazing feats, he has to make this staff somehow, and the fact that he led the 1982 team to a Championship, definitely puts him on this list. “Whitey Ball” combined with Larussa and Duncan, along with all of these power hitters sure will be fun.

Bench Coach – Red Schoendienst and Mike Matheny

Red has been apart of pretty much everything the Cardinals have done in the last 70 years, as a manager he won the 67 World Series, won two as a player, and has been a part of the coaching staff since 1980. Making him a part of the last three championships, so Red is an easy pick here.

Matheny has his doubters out there, but nobody can discount what he has done the past four seasons as manager of the Cardinals. I looked back a while ago at the multiple issues he has had to deal with as a manager in each season he’s been here and with his most recent season, there’s no doubt on my mind that he is one of the best clubhouse/bench managers in the game.

If Matheny can provide that for this team and unite these stars and Hall of Famers, as well as work together with his mentor Larussa, we’ve got one heck of a staff on our hands.

Next: Front Office

General manager John Mozeliak (right) is surely feeling hot under the collar after Alex Reyes’ suspension. Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Front Office: Branch Rickey/Walt Jocketty/John Mozeliak/Jeff Luhnow

Let’s hope Jocketty and Mo can bury the hatchet here. Without a doubt these four guys are the best at what they have done in the Cardinals’ front office. Each of them have titles attributed to their success and have shined at different eras and different skills.

Mo has done a great job with this farm system. Luhnow did a great job developing what we have today. Walt did a masterful job of pulling the wool over the eyes of other GMs and acquiring almost half of this roster, as well as trusting in Larussa/Duncan when they wanted to dumpster dive for guys like Carpenter and Lohse.

More from St Louis Cardinals All-Time Lists

• Cardinals: Was Albert Pujols really inferior to Derek Jeter?
• Picking the five best St. Louis Cardinals third basemen since 1967
• St. Louis Cardinals: From Oz to McGee, 51 iconic uni numbers
• The St. Louis Cardinals’ 29 greatest (and slightest) rivals
• St. Louis Cardinals’ top 10 greatest one-year wonders

Rickey was a cornerstone figure in this league and established the early history and success of the Cardinals. Rickey managed guys like Horsnby and found talent like Dizzy Dean, Joe Medwick, Stan Musial, and Enos Slaughter, and led this team to a total of four titles during his time with the team.

Recap

There you have it folks, the absolute best St. Louis Cardinals 28-Man Roster. I expect this team to go 162-0 and sweep the playoffs. It doesn’t get any better than this! If only we could really gather this team together and see them play at least one game.

Next: Five southpaws to consider pursuing

I hope you enjoyed reading this list and hope it enriches your knowledge of the history of this great franchise. If you feel I got someone wrong, please let me know in the comments! I would love to discuss this with you!

Thanks for reading!