The St. Louis Cardinals’ 50 greatest players

USA Today Sports Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most historic franchises in all of sports, but who are the best players to ever play for them?

One of the best things about being a St. Louis Cardinals’ fan is the rich history of the franchise. All of the hall of famers, all of the great memories, and of course all of the championships.

One of the great things about this franchise is that there are so many great players, that it can be fun to think about yet hard to narrow who the best players are. Balancing not only who we enjoyed seeing play, but who the truly great ones were.

Here at Redbird Rants, we have been doing this all month long. We have covered the best all time roster, the top starting pitchers, the top hitters, and the worst players. For me, it’s been a lot of fun looking up the stats and thinking back to the players who I got to see play.

Like our worst players and best hitters, this is going to be a combo piece, with Dan Buffa and Paul Layton taking part in the action as well. Their work on this piece will be linked to their page, where you can check out their work.

This list is going to be a lot of fun, it’s going to be hard to keep it down to 50, but I am up to the challenge. Much like the worst players list, we are going to use fWAR as our guide. It won’t be 100% based off of fWAR, but it will be a big factor on our list.

Next: Curt Simmons

Embed from Getty Images

#49 George Hendrick OF

Here at the bottom of the list, there were a number of players right around the same level of performance, but I had to include an underrated name here in Hendrick. As we mentioned before in our top hitters list, Hendrick was a staple of consistency throughout his career as a Cardinal.

Hendrick played with the team from 1978-1984. In those years Hendrick had two years that particularly stood out, in 1980 Hendrick posted a slash of .302/.342/.498, with a wRC+ of 131 and an fWAR of 3.9 (his highest as a Cardinal). His numbers in 1980 were good enough to earn him the silver slugger award that year.

Hendrick also had a pretty good season in 1983, when he hit .318/.373/.493 and had an wRC+ of 136, while being worth 3.5 fWAR. Hendrick’s 1983 season also saw him wind up with the silver slugger award at the end of the season.

Hendrick was also a key player in the 1982 postseason with the Cardinals when he helped the team when the World Series title. Overall, Hendrcik had a vary good career with the Cardinals and should be regarded as one of the best ever.

Despite his fWAR of 18.8 landing him outside the top 30 in position players in Cardinals’ history, Hendrick was a valuable player and will continue to be thought of as one of the best players in Cardinals’ history.

Next: He's no Sallee

#48 Slim Sallee SP

You’re probably sitting here wondering, how can a guy with a career FIP of 2.85 be so low on your list. Sallee played for the Cardinals from 1908-1916 in the first and probably most impactful “dead ball” era in baseball. So, despite his FIP of 2.85 Sallee makes it in at #48 on our list.

Sallee was really good in his time as a Cardinal, as he finished with an fWAR of 21.1 in his nine and a half seasons as a Cardinals’ pitcher. Sallee like most pitchers in his era, was a starter and a reliever fro the Cardinals, as he regularly posted over 40 appearances in his career.

In terms of fWAR, Sallee’s best season came in 1912 when he went 16-17 with a 2.60 ERA (3.18 FIP), keeping hitters at bay with a .258 average against in that season. sale that season finished with a n fWAR of 3.9. Sallee also finished three seasons a Cardinal with and FIP under three, which is pretty darn good.

Despite these great numbers, Sallee never was able to win a World Series with the Cardinals. However, when you can post five consecutive seasons with an fWAR over three, you are definitely going to make this list of best Cardinals’ ever.

Next: Walter McGee

Embed from Getty Images

#47 Willie McGee OF

There’s good reason for why McGee is so far down on this list, so please do not think we are McGee haters here. McGee normally makes any Cardinals’ all time list and has his fans who believe his #51 should be retired. However, he almost doesn’t even make this list.

In his first eight seasons as a Cardinal, McGee posted an fWAR of 18.1, when you add in baseball reference’s 4.4 WAR they apply to his 1990 season with the Cardinals before he was traded to Oakland that season, and you have a 22.5 WAR number, that is pretty darn good for anyone.

However, McGee’s numbers are buoyed by his 1990 season and his 1985 season where he posted a 7.1 fWAR. So, when you subtract those numbers from his total you are looking at a rather pedestrian 11.0 fWAR. However, McGee gets to keep these seasons, which makes him one of the better Cardinals’ of all time.

His 1985 season is his best season, and it’s not even close. In 1985, McGee hit .353/.384/.503 with 54 extra base-hits (26 doubles, 18 triples, 10 homers), posting a wRC+ of 151. That year McGee posted an offensive value of 42.3 runs above average.

But, the reason why McGee finishes so low on this list is that McGee finished his career being worth just 20.5 runs above average, showing that aside from his spectacular 1985 season, McGee was rather average.

Next: Matty Mo

Embed from Getty Images

#46 Matt Morris SP

Matt was one of those guys who when he was on, every fifth day was a joy. You knew he was going to bring his A game and that the Cardinals were likely going to win that day. However, the problem for Matt was his his consistency. Morris had a stellar rookie campaign, when he went 12-9 with a 3.19 ERA (3.51 FIP) in 1997, making him worth a 4.6 fWAR.

However, the next season Matt went down with an injury in April that kept him out until July and limited him to making just 17 starts that year, finishing with an ERA of 2.52 and a fWAR of 2.1. Morris then went down to a torn elbow ligament in spring training in 1999, limiting him to not only missing the entire season, but also limiting him to just 31 appearances out of the bullpen in the 2000 season.

Morris returned to the rotation in 2001, making 34 starts and finishing 22-8, with an ERA of 3.16 (3.05 FIP). Morris also finished with his best K/9 totals of his career at 7.70. All of these numbers led to Morris finishing with his best fWAR of his career at 6.1.

Unfortunately for Morris, his effectiveness went down from there, finishing with a 4.2 fWAR in 2002 and 2.8 fWAR in 2003. Morris went under the knife again after the 2004 season that saw him post an ERA of 4.72 in the Cardinals World Series year. Morris saw a rebound in his numbers in 2005 with a 4.11 ERA and 3.99 FIP, giving him a 2.7 fWAR.

However, this just wasn’t good enough for the Cardinals to keep him around as he followed his catcher Mike Matheny to the Giants after the 2005 season. Morris really only had three good seasons with the club, and is often though of as a pitcher that could have been better had it not been for all of the injuries in his career.

However, his 24.6 fWAR ranks 13th best among all starting pitchers in Cardinals’ history, which is what puts him on this list.

Next: The dead ball era

Embed from Getty Images

#45 Miller Huggins 2B

At first glance Huggins doesn’t look like that great of a player. However, when you take a bit of a deeper look you see that the second baseman posted three straight seasons with a wRC+ over 120, as well as only one season with an fWAR under 2.9.

He did all of this from the 1910-1915 in the “dead ball” era. Huggins finished his career as a Cardinal with a slash of .270/.402/.319 and a wRC+ of 116.

To put his numbers into perspective here, Huggins finished with an OBP over .400, a feat that can only be claimed by five other hitters among the top 30 position players in fWAR.

Those hitters are (Musial, Hornsby, Pujols, Mize and McGwire), all players that we will be covering in this list. Not only that, but Huggins did this in a pitching rich era. Something that only Rogers Hornsby can say he did.

Overall, Huggins could be much higher on this list for this feat alone, however his lack of power and 20.9 fWAR as a Cardinal are what puts him here at #45. Regardless, Huggins was one the best to wear the Cardinals’ uniform and is a player that I wish I had known about before.

Next: Mr. Consistent

Embed from Getty Images

#44 Bob Forsch SP

Bob Forsch is probably one of the most consistent Cardinals’ pitchers of all time. No he doesn’t have the flashy ERA or the flashy K/9 numbers that guys like Wainwright or Carpenter have, but what he did have was consistency. He regularly posted ERA numbers under 4.00, and had a career FIP of 3.82.

Forsch broke into the league in 1974 going 7-4 with a 2.97 ERA (3.50 FIP) in just 14 starts and five appearances out of the bullpen, posting an fWAR of 1.1 as a rookie. The very next season, Forsch went 15-10, with a 2.86 ERA (3.59 FIP) and posted a 3.0 fWAR.

One would think that Forsch’s best season for the Cardinals was in 1977 when he went 20-7 with a 3.48 ERA. However, that season isn’t even one of his top three seasons according to fWAR.

As, in 1980 the right hander went 11-10 with a 3.77 ERA, but the righty must not have had the best defense behind him as he finished with a FIP of 3.19 that season, helping him to a 3.5 fWAR, which was the best of his career. This was all largely due to a career low in BB/9 of 1.38, a number he wouldn’t come near to again.

However, despite posting a 4.7 fWAR from 1986-1987 Forsch was traded away to the Houston Astros. Forsch would retire in 1989 with the Astros and passed away unexpectedly in November of 2011, just days after throwing out the first pitch in Game 7 of the 2011 World Series. Forsch was definitely one of the best.

Next: Bill Sherdel

Oct 10, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; The Budweiser Clydesdales parade around the warning track before game two of the NLDS between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

#43 Bill Sherdel

Sherdel didn’t become a full-time pitcher until 1922. That year he went 17-13, with a 3.87 ERA (3.83 FIP), while totaling a 2.8 fWAR. Looking at his career numbers shows that Sherdel was much like Forsch in that he was consistent in his 12 seasons as a Cardinal, posting an ERA of 3.64 and 3.71 FIP. He finished with a fWAR of 26.1 in his career.

This was due to posting ERA numbers under 4.00 in nine of his 12 seasons as a Cardinal, and as a full time starter he only once finished with a fWAR under 2.0. Sherdel’s best season as a Cardinal came in 1928 when the lefty finished with a record of 21-10 and a 2.86 ERA (3.91 FIP), while being worth 3.3 fWAR.

Sherdel may not be that lights out starter that blew through his opponents, but you can’t argue with consistency, and his fWAR is the best barometer of this success, as he ranks 10th in all time fWAR among Cardinals’ pitchers, as well as owning one of the best LOB% in team history at 68.3%.

Next: The other Whitey

Embed from Getty Images

#42 Whitey Kurowski 3B

Whitey is one of those guys who’s beginning and end of his career aren’t great, but what he did was post some solid numbers in between those years. Whitey was apart of the great teams of the 40s, as he played from 1941-1949 with the Cardinals, being apart of three world championship teams.

From 1942-1947, Kurowski had a wRC+ of 107 or better in each season, only having one season in which he didn’t improve upon the previous season. That season was in 1946, when Kurowski still posted an impressive fWAR of 4.7 and 144 wRC+.

For his career, Kurowski slashed .286/.366/.455 with a wRC+ of 127 and 24.7 fWAR. These are all very good numbers for a guy who only played in a total of six full seasons. However, it is Kurowski’s -0.2 fWAR that he posted in 1948 and 1949 in his final two seasons that has him so low on this list.

However, you cannot ignore Kurowski’s run from 1942-1947, when during this time his lowest fWAR total was 3.0 (1942) and highest was 5.9 (1947). Besides not getting to play much more after 1947, I am sure Kurowski would have loved to improve upon his .251 career average in his four World Series appearances.

Next: Second great first baseman

Embed from Getty Images

#41 Bill White 1B

Unlike Mr. Kurowski, White had a career that had consistency, playing with the Cardinals from 1959-1965 and 1969, playing a full season in each year of his first stint with the Cardinals and posting five seasons with a fWAR over 4.0.

White posted a .308/.382/.458 slash line in his seven seasons as a Cardinal. One would think that White’s best overall season was in 1962, when the left-handed first baseman slashed .325/.386/.482 with a 125 wRC+.

However, despite his 20.3 runs above average on offense, -o.3 defensive runs above average and 4.4 fWAR, this was not his best season.

His best season came the very next season in 1963 when he posted a slash of .303/.360/.491 and a wRC+ of 136. This was party due to his career high 27 homers and 106 runs. That year White was worth his highest fWAR total of his career at 5.1, a number that went down 4.7 and 4.5 in ’64 and ’65.

All told, White finished his Cardinals’ career with a 24.8 fWAR. a number that puts him at 24th overall amongst position players and makes him one of the best in Cardinals’ history.

Next: He's no chick

Embed from Getty Images

#40 Chick Hafey OF

T
his was a tough one, Hafey only finished his career as a Cardinal with a 23.4 fWAR. What is impressive about Hafey is that he posted those numbers in just six seasons.

Chick Hafey played from 1924-1931 with the Cardinals and while he posted unimpressive numbers in this first three years posting a fWAR of just 0.1. He was really good for the next six years of his career.

Hafey wound up hitting .326/.379/.568 with 136 wRC+. What sets Hafey apart from some of those before him is his isolated power numbers. Hafey in his nine seasons posted an ISO of .242, much better than any of those before him. This ISO number put him above all on this list, with exception to Mize, McGwire and Edmonds.

While he doesn’t have the base running numbers of some of the best, Hafey did post a respectable number of 7.9 base running runs above average. That number is better than many on this list.

All of these numbers combined makes Hafey one of the best in Cardinals’ history.

Next: The best manager of all time?

Embed from Getty Images

#39 Joe Torre C/1B/3B

Torre was probably the Cardinals first great player who consistently played a variety of positions for the team, as in 1969 Torre saw time at catcher and first base, and then playing the majority of his games at catcher and third base in 1970. Torre didn’t play catcher for the Cardinals or any other team after that season, and split time at third and first for the rest of his career.

For younger fans it may be hard to think of Torre as a player, but before Torre became a hall of fame manager, he was a very good player and certainly one of the best to play for the Cardinals.

Torre’s numbers as a Cardinal are pretty impressive as he slashed .308/.382/.458 with a 132 wRC+ as a Cardinal. These numbers made Torre worth 25.4 fWAR throughout his six seasons as a Cardinal (1969-1974).

Only once in his career did Torre post an fWAR under 3.0 (2.6 in 1973), with his best season coming in 1971 (6.9 fWAR). In this season, Torre slashed .363/.421/.555 hitting 66 extra base-hits (34 doubles, 24 homers, eight triples), and a wRC+ of 173. Torre was named the NL MVP that year, as he led the league in average, hits, and RBI that year.

That season he posted a career high 57.2 runs above average on offense, coincidently he was also worth a career low -21.0 runs above average on defense that year playing all of his games at third and prompting the club to try him out at first again in 1973.

Torre posted an fWAR of 9.2 in his final three seasons with the Cardinals, before signing as a free agent with the Mets for the 1975 season, and finally retiring as a player after the 1977 season. The 1977 season also started Torre’s managerial career as he served as the Mets’ player manager that year and managed the Mets up until 1980.

After a stint as a manager of the Braves and a Broadcaster from 1982-1990, Torre became the manager of the Cardinals. Had Torre had the ownership group of the Dewitts behind him I firmly believe his stint with the Yankees never would have happened.

But, Torre was with the team during the final years of the Busch ownership that were dreadful years and he never got the shot he deserved because of the ownership holding him back and looking to sell instead of winning.

Next: The Kitten

Embed from Getty Images

#38 Harvey Haddix SP

The inclusion of Haddix here is largely due to the fWAR he compiled in such a short time. In his first year as a Cardinal, Haddix only pitched in seven games, with six of them being starts. He totaled a 2-2 record and a 2.79 ERA (3.01 FIP), all being worth a 0.8 fWAR.

However, it’s what he did the next three seasons that put him on this list. In his “rookie” season in 1953, Haddix went 20-9 with a 3.06 ERA (3.40 FIP), while leading the league with six shutouts, and being nominated to the all star team. In this 1953 season, Haddix posted a 5.5 fWAR.

The very next season, Haddix got even better going 18-13, with a 3.57 ERA. His FIP was even better this year at 3.21, and Haddix was once again an All-Star, as he led the league in K/9 at 6.4. As a result of these numbers, Haddix posted an even better fWAR of 5.7.

Haddix posted a 3.58 FIP and 3.8 fWAR in his next season. Unfortunately, that was his last full season as a Cardinal, as he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies after a rough start to his 1955 campaign. So, in total Haddix was 53-40, with a 3.65 ERA (3.38 FIP), making the All-Star team in each of his three full seasons.

Overall, he was worth a 16.1 fWAR through mainly three and a half seasons (if that). Haddix went on to post a total of 23.6 fWAR with the Phillies, Reds, Pirates, and Orioles for the rest of his career. Had he not been traded away, we certainly could be talking about Haddix much higher.

Next: Dead ball pitcher

Embed from Getty Images

#37 Bill Doak SP

Bill Doak was one of the team’s first great starting pitchers, pitching with the Cardinals from 1913-1924 with the team and totaling an ERA 2.93 and 3.06 FIP with the club, while totaling a fWAR of 25.4.

When looking at ERA and FIP, you’d think that his 1914 season with the Cardinals would be his best season. You wouldn’t be far off as his 1.72 ERA and 2.72 FIP are extremely good, as his 3.4 fWAR. However his 1921 season was his best season, as he went 15-6 with a 2.59 ERA (3.08 FIP), posting a fWAR of 4.0.

You may be wondering why this is his best season, its the same reason why Miller Huggins even makes this list. The “dead ball” era. Doak, pitching from 1913-1924 pitched in the height of this era. When you look at his stats from his seasons in 1913-1920.

Doak’s best seasons are highlighted by Baseball Reference’s ERA+ statistic which accounts for the era in which a pitcher pitches, he only post two greatly above average ERA totals in those years, despite regularly having an ERA under 3.00 (162 in 1914 and 121 in 1920.

While his ERA+ for 1921 is at 140, the fWAR difference shows us that the 1921 season was better mostly due to being out of the “dead ball” era. With a fWAR total of 25.4 through a total of 12 seasons, showing that his career fWAR total is largely accumulated by pitching for the club for so long.

Making him not better than some of the guys that will be ahead of him, but when you take into effect his career ERA of 2.93 with the Cardinals, he is still one of the best.

Next: Getting the right Tudor

Embed from Getty Images

#36 John Tudor SP

John Tudor reminds me a lot of the case of his Cardinals’ teammate Bob Forsch. Tudor didn’t have the years with the Cardinals that Forsch had, but he had the numbers throughout his time as a Cardinal to make his way onto this list.

In about four and a half seasons as a Cardinal, Tudor went 62-26 with a sparkling ERA of 2.52 and an impressive FIP of 3.36. While Tudor only posts a fWAR of 14.1, its that sparkling ERA and remarkably low BB/9 of 1.99 that gets him on this list, as opposed to someone like a Joe Magrane who has a 14.2 fWAR.

Tudor’s best season without a doubt came in 1985, his first season with the Cardinals. That year Tudor went 21-8 with a 1.93 ERA (2.71 FIP), a 185 ERA+, a remarkable league leading 10 shutouts, and a league leading WHIP of 0.938.

All of these numbers weren’t quite good enough for Tudor to outlast Dwight Gooden‘s spectacular 1985 season as the NL Cy Young award winner, as Tudor finished second.

That year Tudor was worth a really good 6.4 fWAR, adding to his 25.1 fWAR over his entire career. If you count the 4.0 WAR that Baseball Reference gives to his 1988 season and add that to his 14.2fWAR, Tudor was worth 18.2 WAR in his career as a Cardinal.

Putting that in reference to the fact that Tudor spent less than five total seasons in St. Louis is incredibly impressive and not only makes him one of the best pitchers in Cardinals’ history, but one of the best overall players in Cardinals’ history.

Next: postwar ace

Embed from Getty Images

#35 Howie Pollet SP

Here we have the ace of the postwar Cardinals. As a part time starter in 1941-1943, Pollet posted a fWAR of 5.1 through just 25 starts and 27 appearances out of the bullpen. These numbers earned Pollet the rank of ace when he returned from the war in 1946.

That year he went 21-10 with a 2.10 ERA (3.19 FIP), he kept hitters at bay with a .247 BABIP that year and a fWAR of 3.9. Things normalized on him the next two seasons as his ERA and FIP number rose.

However, Pollet got control of things again in 1949, when he posted his best season as a Cardinal. That year he went 20-9, posting an ERA of 2.77 and his best FIP as a full time starter of 2.87, and led the league with his five shutouts. That year Pollet’s numbers netted him a 6.0 fWAR, easily one of the best seasons by a starter in Cardinals’ history.

Pollet went on to post a 4.7 fWAR the next season in what would be his final full season as a Cardinal, as he was traded to the Pirates in June of the 1951 season. Altogether, Pollet went 97-65, with a 3.06 ERA and 3.34 FIP, while posting a 25.2 fWAR.

Next: One of the best closers ever

Embed from Getty Images

#34 Lee Smith CP

This is our list and on our list records matter. Smith is second all time on the Cardinals’ saves list, and third on the all time major league saves list, and was so until Trevor Hoffman passed him by.

Doing so in just under 3.5 seasons, as Smith broke the record 11 saves into his 43 save season in 1993, the year in which he was traded away to the Yankees.

Smith’s best season as a Cardinal came in his first season, as the closer saved 27 in 53 games for the Cardinals while posting an impressive 2.1o ERA and a 2.21 FIP, while posting a 182 ERA+.

Smith would then go on to set the NL record for saves in a single season the very next season with 47 breaking the record previously held by Rollie Fingers, while posting a 2.34 ERA (2.45 FIP), with an ERA+ of 158. He finished second in the Cy Young race that year and eighth in MVP voting.

Smith went on to save 86 games with the Cardinals in 1992 and 1993, setting a record for Cardinals’ saves at 160, before the trade in 1993, as well as breaking the major league record for saves in a career.

While many don’t like the save statistic and think it has ruined baseball to an extent. I believe we can find some value in it. To discount what Smith did in an era when hitters were regularly post 40-50 home runs seasons, would be ridiculous.

The Cardinals blew through a number of closers before they eventually found someone to close games consistently at a level like Smith did.

Next: The most dominant reliever

Embed from Getty Images

#33 Bruce Sutter CP

Here we have perhaps the most dominant reliever to ever wear a Cardinals’ uniform. While Sutter only pitched in four seasons with the Cardinals his dominance is well known.

In four seasons with the Cardinals, Sutter dominated totaling an ERA of 2.72 and FIP of 3.28 and 127 saves in his time as a Cardinal (a record at the time), setting the record for NL saves in a season in 1984 with 45.

What made Sutter so dominant, is that he wasn’t your typical closer. He didn’t just pitch one inning. He would sometimes pitch two or three innings at a time limiting you to just 6-7 innings to get a lead. He cut the game down and made things easy for his manager.

This is easily evident by his performance in the 1982 postseason in which he pitched a total of 12 innings in just six appearances. He didn’t allow a single baserunner in his 4.1 innings. He struggled a bit in the World Series allowing four runs on six hits, but still notching two saves and helping the Cardinals to defeat the Brewers to win the title.

Sutter’s split fingered fastball revolutionized the game, and while his fWAR isn’t close to some of the greats, his impact on the game and in Cardinals’ history is easily known as he is a member of the Hall of Fame, Cardinals’ Hall of Fame, and has his number retired by the Cardinals. Making him easily one of the 50 best Cardinals of all time.

Next: Izzy

Embed from Getty Images

#32 Jason Isringhausen CP

As closers go, one could make the argument that Isringhausen deserves to be up there with Sutter for his ability to close games. Isringhausen was for all intents and purposes the best at closing games for the Cardinals as is evident by his numbers. In seven years with the Cardinals, Isringhausen saved a record 217 games while posting an ERA of 2.98 (3.59 FIP).

What you want get from guys like Isringhausen, Lee, Sutter is much value in the way of fWAR of baseball-reference’s WAR, but when you can shorten a game down to eight innings by the way of having a dominant closer, it changes things. Isringhausen proved that over and over again throughout his career with the Cardinals.

Isringhausen had a number of really good seasons in his career, as he posted an ERA under 3.00 in each of his first four seasons in St. Louis. However, the two that stick out the most to me are his 2004 and 2005 campaigns. In 2004, Isringhausen posted a 2.87 ERA (3.02 FIP), while saving a career high and league leading 47 saves.

In 2005, Isringhuasen was just as good, finishing his season with a 2.14 ERA (3.60 FIP), while saving 39 games for the Cardinals. Isringhausen had numerous injury problems after that season and really only had more one effective season in 2007 as he saved 32 games while posting a 2.48 ERA.

His 2008 season was the worst of his Cardinals’ career, posting a 5.70 ERA and notching just 12 saves. After that season the Cardinals did not resign the aging closer, bringing an end to Cardinals’ career. However, Isringhausen definitely is one of the 50 best players on this team.

Next: The first defensive wizard

Embed from Getty Images

#31 Marty Marion SS

Here we have the Cardinals’ first great defensive player in Marty Marion. Marion played all but 70 games of his career with the Cardinals. While Marion only slashed .264/.323/.345 with a career wRC+ of 83 for his Cardinals’ career, he was best known of what he did with his glove.

For his career, Marion was worth 223.6 runs above average on defense, which was the best of any Cardinal until “The Wizard” came around. While Marion wasn’t that great on offense, he didn’t strikeout a ton as he had a career K% of 8.7%. His best season of his career came in 1942 in what was his third season in the big leagues.

That year Marion had his career best wRC+ of 107, slashing .276/.343/.375 and hitting a career high 38 doubles. Not only that, but that season was the only season in which Marion posted a positive offensive value, as he was worth 5.9 runs above average that year. This all led to his career high fWAR of 4.8 that year.

It was the next two seasons were when Marion was at his best defensively, as he posted 29.9 and 32.9 defensive runs above average in the two seasons respectively. His league leading fielding percentage in 1944 is what catapulted him to the NL MVP that year. For more information on how Marion wound up winning that award check out Retro Simba’s piece on that season.

Next: The ultimate Cardinal

Embed from Getty Images

#30 Red Schoendienst 2B

Here we have another great defensive player in Red. He wasn’t quite at the level of Marion, but Marion also wasn’t at the level of Red offensively. Red was with the Cardinals a total of 15 years, only playing a full season in 11 of those years, as he was traded in 1956 and was traded back to the Cardinals in 1961, never playing a full season in the next three years.

In his Cardinals’ career Red slashed .289/.338/.388 with a wRC+ of 93, Red’s claim to fame offensively is in his doubles, as in his 1,795 games with the team Red is fifth in doubles in team history with 367.

Red’s best season came in 1953, when he finished with a slash of .342/.405/.502 with a 134 wRC+. That year he finished with a career high 15 homers, pitching in 35 doubles as well. This was in the middle of Red’s best three seasons as a Cardinal as he finished with a 5.3 fWAR that year, a 4.5 the year before, and a 4.3 the year after.

These three seasons were a bit of anomaly for him offensively being the only three seasons he posted positive offensive values, as in his career with the Cardinals, Red was worth a total of 29.2 fWAR and -57.0 runs above average on offense.

For most of his career the ten time all-star’s defense provided a good amount of his value, as he was worth 107.9 runs above average defensively in his career, posting seven seasons with a defensive runs above average above 10.0. So, if you’re wondering why Red is so far down on this list, it’s because while Red spent a lot of time with the team, he wasn’t any better than #30 on this list.

Next: Mr. Free Agency

Embed from Getty Images

#29 Curt Flood OF

It’s no secret what Flood did for the game of baseball off the field, paving the way for players to own the rights to their futures. He helped created free agency, taking control from the team and placing it inside the player’s hands.

Imagine if John Mozeliak and Bill DeWitt Jr. could just determine how long they wanted Adam Wainwright to pitch for them and Waino had zero say in the matter. That will always be Flood’s biggest impact, but he was also a marvelous centerfielder, winning seven straight gold gloves from 1963-71.

Flood came to the Cardinals in 1958 and played 12 seasons in St. Louis, averaging a 3.5 WAR, including six seasons of 4.0 or more. He played in 150 games or more in seven seasons. He wasn’t a slugger by trade, but he finished with a .293 lifetime mark as a Cardinal and posted a .343 on base percentage.

Flood ended his career, of course, in controversy, refusing to play in 1970 due to the player rights battle. He came back in 1971 with Washington but was a shade of his former self, playing in only 15 games before retiring.

He did not go into the Hall of Fame, even though his defense was game changing at an important position. He made his MLB debut against the Cardinals and put together his best years in St. Louis. Flood was a great player but his legacy making mark came off the field.

Dan Buffa

Next: Ed Koney

Embed from Getty Images

#28 Ed Konetchy 1B

Ed Konetchy was an interesting player for the Cardinals, when you look at the numbers you probably wonder why he’s on this list. He didn’t have power and wasn’t that great defensively.

We talked before about this with Huggins and Doak, Konetchy played with the Cardinals from 1907-1913, playing in baseball’s first “dead ball era”. During those seven seasons, Konetchy was worth a total fWAR of 28.1. Mind you it took much longer for Marion and Red to reach similar fWAR totals. Konetchy did this in 982 games as a Cardinal.

In those 982 games, Konetchy slashed .283/.362/.409, with a wRC+ of 125, hitting 158 doubles and 94 triples, and 403 walks. All in a time when hitting was scarce and pitching was dominant.

What is most impressive about Konetchy is the total fWAR of 49.3 he accumulated for his entire career, a number that would easily slate him amongst the top six Cardinals. While Konetchy may not be as high on this list as he could be, he is without a doubt one of the more impressive players to ever play for the Cardinals.

Next: Ray

Embed from Getty Images

#27 Ray Lankford

Until a knee injury hampered his career in St. Louis, Lankford was a hidden gem and multi-tool player for many years. He could lace a triple, lift a home run or spray singles all over the field. Like a chef salad for a hungry diet addict, Ray offered many different virtues for the Cards.

From 1990-2001 and a brief return at the end of his career in 2004, Lankford averaged a .365 on base percentage and .481 slugging percentage. Sure, he got caught stealing 24 times in 1992 and struck out 147 times, but he also put together eight seasons of 19 home runs or more and six seasons of 30 doubles or more.

Lankford’s best stretch came in a four year period, from 1995-98, capping it off with a 6.2 fWAR, 31 HR, 105 RBI and a .932 OPS in 1998, largely overshadowed by someone named Mark McGwire. During that time, Lankford compiled a fWAR of 4.3, 5.5, 5.6 and the 1998 6.2 mark, before the knee injury hampered his 1999 season.

He was traded in 2001 when the strikeouts piled up and the defense (once average) turned bad with the loss flexibility in the knees. He also got the surgery on his knees done without team consent, leading to some salty wounds. He returned in 2004 to finish in St. Louis.

Overall, Ray is underrated. Until Big Mac came along and slugged home runs right and left, Ray owned the highest HR mark at Busch Stadium II. His 238 career home runs as a Cardinal puts him on a respectable list.

He may not be remembered by most but Ray was great, especially for a tight four year stretch. His fWAR of 40.4 places him 10th among Cardinals’ position players.

Dan Buffa

Next: Happy Hollidays

Holliday adds to his already stout legacy. Mandatory Credit Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

#26 Matt Holliday LF

Here we have a current player who will wind up being one of the greatest players to ever play for the Cardinals. While you may think that I am biased because I have seen him play every year of his career, you cannot discount what Holliday has done in just six years in a Cardinals’ uniform.

His fWAR of 26.3 only places him 22nd overall among position players, but he has played in almost half of the games that Lankford played in as a Cardinal. Adding in his Colorado and Oakland totals gives him a 49.3 fWAR through 1,663 games, almost ten wins higher than Lankford’s total through 1701 games of 39.8.

Holliday has been a staple of consistency throughout his career as a Cardinal posting a wRC+ of 140 0r above in each every year except for the past two years as a Cardinal and we all know that his 2014 was hampered by the quad injury.

While many may be pining for the club to rid the club of his contract after this year to give way to the youth coming. Holliday’s career slash of .298/.386/.498 will be sorely missed whenever he does leave.

Holliday is not done yet, as I believe he will total at least a 3.0 fWAR next season, which will push him into the top 20, making him a strong case to have his number retired and become a member of Cardinals’ Hall of Fame someday.

Next: The best third baseman

Embed from Getty Images

#25 Scott Rolen 3B

Here we have one of the best third basemen to ever play the game and yes he was better defensively than another third baseman that will appear on the list later. Rolen was widely regarded as potentially the second best to ever play the position behind Mike Schmidt.

Rolen for his Cardinals’ career had a fWAR of 27.1 in only 661 games, playing from 2002-2007 with the Cardinals, and having some really good years with the club, being named an all-star in four out of his six seasons with the club, and a gold glove winner in three of those seasons.

For his career Rolen slashed .286/.370/.510, with a wRC+ of 128, while also being worth 81.7 runs above average on defense in his Cardinals’ career.

What’s impressive about this is that Rolen only played in 55 games with the Cardinals in 2002 after being traded from Philadelphia and 56 games in 2005 due to an injury. Had he played full seasons that year, his defensive and offensive value could have been even greater, in turn also making his fWAR greater.

Rolen was an absolute monster for the Cardinals in 2004, he slashed .314/.409/.598, with a wRC+ of 159. That year he had 34 homers and 32 doubles, while totaling 124 RBI. These numbers were only good enough to have him finish fourth in MVP voting that year, but his fWAR was at an all time high at 9.0.

Had Rolen played longer with the Cardinals, we could be talking about him higher on this list. But, still he’s one of the greatest players to ever play the game, and I will always remember watching him man the hot corner.

Next: The one that got away

Embed from Getty Images

#24 Steve Carlton SP

Steve Carlton, or “Lefty” started his famed career with the St Louis Cardinals in 1965 and has to be the biggest losses the club ever felt. He posted excellent numbers in the 1967 World Series with six scoreless innings pitched.

As a member of the starting rotation from 1967 through 1971 he posted a 3.10 ERA (3.11 FIP) and a 1.279 walks-and-hits per innings pitched, winning 77 games and totaling a fWAR of 21.2 in roughly five and a half seasons as a starter with the club.

He was a 20 game winner for the Cardinals in 1971, after struggling through a league leading 19 losses in 1970 as salary strife seemingly trumped performance.

The salary battles and eventual loss of Carlton started the reputation of the Cardinals being thrify (or cheap for some observers) that continued for decades. He wanted $50k in 1970 and the Cardinals offered $31k, the result of which was skipping out on Spring training that year.

Gussie Busch wanted him gone, so he was traded to the Phillies for Rick Wise who won 16 games for the club in 1972 and 1973. Carlton played in two of his ten all star games wearing the birds on the bat with the St Louis Cardinals.

He won four Cy Young awards total with the Phillies. This is including the first season after he left the Cardinals in 1972, when Carlton went 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA (2.01 FIP) and was worth 11.1 fWAR, eventually finishing his career worth 96.5 fWAR, proving that he was one that got away.

Paul Layton

Next: Coop

Embed from Getty Images

#23 Mort Cooper SP

While I did not list Cooper on my top ten starting pitchers of all time piece, Cooper was without a doubt one of the best pitchers to ever pitch for the Cardinals. For his Cardinals’ career, Cooper was 105-50, with a ERA of 2.77 (3.10 FIP) from 1938-1945 with the Cardinals, posting a fWAR of 28.5 during that time. Really good numbers for a guy who only pitched in six full seasons with the club.

Cooper’s best season without a doubt came in 1942, when he went 22-7, with a 1.78 ERA (2.53 FIP), posting a fWAR of 6.7. That season was good enough to win Cooper the NL MVP, giving the Cardinals their first of three straight MVP awards and first of five overall MVP awards in the 1940s.

Cooper went on to finish with an fWAR total over 5.0 the next two seasons, as well as posting ERA totals under 2.50. Giving him three straight seasons with an ERA under 2.50 and fWAR above 5.0, and a total fWAR of 17.9 in those three seasons, one of the best stretches in Cardinals’ history.

Cooper was traded in 1945 due to a contract dispute. He would go on to pitch for the Braves and Cubs from 1945-1949, struggling to replicate his numbers as a Cardinal due to injuries totaling a fWAR of 5.0.

Next: Max

Embed from Getty Images

#22 Max Lanier

Lanier pitched for some great teams from 1938-1950 with the Cardinals. He pitched alongside some fellow list members and posted some similar numbers with the club. He like many pitchers in that era pitched both out of the bullpen and as a starter.

In his career Lanier was 101-69 with a 2.84 ERA and 3.06 FIP, and while his numbers are a bit lower than his teammate who follows him on this list, he pitched in less games and totaled a lesser fWAR at 29.0.

Still Lanier was extremely valuable for the Cardinals during his career, as from 1938-1944 Lanier posted a fWAR of 19.3. His best seasons came in 1943-1944 when he led the league in ERA one year (1943) and won a total of 32 games, totaling 10.1 fWAR.

According to the Society for American Baseball Research, after appearing in just four games in 1945 (due to military service) and six games in 1946, Lanier defected to play for the Mexican League for more money in 1946, missing the rest of the ’46 season.

According to SABR, after spending 1946 and 1947 in Mexico, Lanier attempted to come back in 1948, but wasn’t allowed due to a rule that suspended players who jumped ship for five years. Lanier challenged this in court and was reinstated in 1949, when he went 5-4 in 15 starts and posting a 3.82 ERA.

Lanier would finish his career with the Cardinals posting a fWAR of 7.4 in 1949-1951. Had Lanier not struggled with injuries and not jumped ship in the prime of his career, we could be talking about this lefty a lot higher. He is definitely a perplexing case for one of the best players to ever wear a Cardinals’ uniform.

Next: The Cat

Embed from Getty Images

#21 Harry Brecheen

Brecheen has been talked about quite a bit through this series, making both the 28 man roster and the top ten pitchers list. Brecheen pitched with the Cardinals from 1940-1952.

He didn’t become a full-time member of the rotation until 1946 really, as he started under 25 games in his first three full seasons with the club, still posting an fWAR of 8.8 in that time.

As a Cardinal, Brecheen was 128-79 with a 2.91 ERA (3.22 FIP). During that time he was worth a total of 33.7 fWAR and was a two time all-star. Brecheen’s best season came in 1948, when he led the league in almost every pitching category, finishing with a record of 20-7 and 2.24 ERA (2.37 FIP), and a fWAR of 7.9.

Brecheen had a record low ERA in the World Series of 0.83, a record that stood for 30 years from 1946-1976. Making him one of the best clutch pitchers in league history.

Brecheen could be higher on this list, but as you already know this is a tough list to make and although Brecheen was great in his career, there were pitchers who were better.

Next: Bottoms up

Embed from Getty Images

#20 Jim Bottomley 1B

The husky first baseman played for 11 seasons in St. Louis before departing for Cincinnati and was a model of consistency. Bottomley drove in 100 runners in six straight seasons, slugged 30 or more doubles in nine straight seasons and seven straight seasons of 160 hits or more. He slugged, got on base, and hit for average, and posted a 36.5 fWAR.

Bottomley hit .325 in his time as a Cardinal and had an 11 year average OPS of .925. The guy could hit, and did so from 1922 until 1937.

The best of those seasons coming in 1925 when he slashed .367/.413/.578, knocking 77 extra base-hits (44 doubles, 21 homers, 12 triples), and knocked in 128 RBI. That year brought him a value of 6.0 fWAR and a wRC+ of 149, despite the fact that he won the MVP in 1928, cranking 93 extra base-hits (42 doubles, 31 homers, 15 triples).

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974. He wasn’t a remarkable first baseman and declined rapidly after 1930 and even further when he was traded to the Reds.

Looking at Bottomley stats, it may be hard to see the merit for the HOF but he was a great Cardinal, putting together his best seasons in St. Louis.

Dan Buffa

Next: Mr. Met

Embed from Getty Images

#19 Keith Hernandez

Keith Hernandez anchored the Cardinals at first base from 1974 through mid-1983 when he was traded to the Mets for minor league pitcher Rick Ownbey and pitcher Neil Allen who won 9 games in 1984 and ended up being sold to the Yankees.

Hernandez was a Cardinal fan favorite as the league’s MVP in 1979, but a rift formed between Hernandez and Whitey Herzog who wanted him gone. Herzog maintains it was a good move to trade Hernandez despite his success as a member of the Mets as a later drug suspension proved Whitey’s point.

Until 1979, Hernandez posted respectable fWARs between 2.2 and 3.2, but the switch flipped as he posted a 7.4 fWAR in his MVP year – the highest in his career. Over the next 7 seasons (1980-1986) he posted fWARs primarily in the 5+ range, with a high of 6.9 and a low of 4.1.

With the St Louis Cardinals he hit .299 with a .385 on-base and .448 slugging percentage. Known for having a keen plate presence, Hernandez posted a career 12.5% walk rate (14.4% in 1982), and had a career wRC+ of 131.

Hernandez won six of his eleven gold gloves while a member of the Cardinals. 11 gold gloves is the most by any first baseman in MLB history. He won the silver slugger award in 1980 and 1984 and was a 5-time all-star.

In addition to his MVP selection in 1979, he also came in second in 1984. He also forced a rule change as he would squat in foul territory in order to make tags faster. Now all players other than the catcher must be positioned in fair territory when the pitch is delivered.

Paul Layton

Next: Fordham Flash

Embed from Getty Images

#18 Frankie Frisch 2B

Frankie Frisch, known as “The Fordham Flash” as he demonstrated speed in multiple sports at both Fordham Prep school in the Bronx, and then Fordham University in New York City, before being picked up as a free agent by the Giants in 1919. He played for the St Louis Cardinals from 1927-1937 after playing nine seasons for the New York Giants.

Oddly, the most notable aspect of Frankie Frisch and his history with the St Louis Cardinals lies off-field with his arrival. Frisch was traded for the great Rogers Hornsby in December of 1926 as the Giants and Cardinals made an epic swap.

The beloved Hornsby hit .370+ between 1920-1925 and played excellent defense at second, but he argued incessantly with management and they wanted him out. How could they trade an MVP? They found another team with another star who needed to go. Frisch’s relationship with manager McGraw had also deteriorated and that’s how the biggest sports trade in all of history went down.

Known for his excellent batting ability, he posted a batting average of .312 while in St Louis with an on-base percentage of .370 while slugging .423. His career numbers were even higher with a .316/.369/.432 line. It seemed that Frisch worked hard to win over St Louis fans as he amassed an amazing 9.7 fWAR in 1927, his first year with the team.

While that’s a number he never repeated, he maintained solid 3+ fWAR most of his career in St Louis, including the 1931 World Series and as a member of the 1934 World Series winning Gas House Gang, finishing with an fWAR of 35.7 with the Cardinals.

Frisch also managed the Cardinals from 1933-1938, won the MVP in 1931 and finished in top 20 of MVP voting 9 times. He was a three time all-star, being named all of the first three seasons the award was available.

He led the NL in stolen bases in both the 1927 and 1931 seasons. With the Giants, he won two additional World Series titles and led the NL in stolen bases in 1921.

Paul Layton

Next: Waino

Embed from Getty Images

#17 Adam Wainwright

I may be crazy for including Waino so high on this list, but in my opinion he’s one of the best. You should know his story by now, as he has been included on the 28 Man Roster and top ten pitchers list already.

He has been with the team since the very end of the 2005 season and despite missing all of 2011 and most of 2015 to injuries, has been very good over his career in St. Louis.

Wainwright boasts a career record of 121-67, with an ERA of 2.98 (3.11 FIP) and a 35.3 fWAR. Waino also boasts K/9 of 7.60 in his 287 games pitched. That number ranks as the best among the top 30 pitchers, but in almost half the games of the best pitcher this team has ever seen, it needs to be taken as a bit of a distant second.

Wainwright’s 2013 season was highlighted by his 8.16 K/9, 2.55 FIP, and 6.6 fWAR. That was easily Waino’s best season, but it’s not the only really good season he had, as he had a 5.7 fWAR in 2009 and a 5.6 fWAR in 2010. In 2014 Waino had a FIP of 2.88 and a fWAR of 4.8 showing how great he could still be.

Wainwright was off to a great start in 2015 before rupturing his achilles, and then came back in record time to contribute out of the bullpen in the end of the season and playoffs. With a rested arm and resilient will, Wainwright will add to his already great career next season, making a case to move further up this list.

Next: Big Mac

Embed from Getty Images

#16 Mark McGwire

McGwire was traded to the Cardinals during the 1997 season and the rest was history. He totaled 24 of his 220 homers that first half season with the Cardinals, and then proceeded on a mission to break the single season home run record in 1998.

As you know, McGwire did break and set the record in 1998, as he finished the season with a .299/.470/.752 slash and wRC+ of 205 to go along with his record setting 70 home runs that year. Most importantly, what McGwire did that year is bring baseball back to relevancy. He got us excited about the game we love again by bashing home run after home run and posting historic numbers.

While McGwire may have been a bit of a one trick pony for the Cardinals, one cannot ignore his 8.5 fWAR in that 1998 season as well as his total fWAR of 21.9 in just 5454 games. Yes, we all found out later that McGwire was doping, but what McGwire did for the game of baseball and for Cardinals’ fans during a tough decade, was remarkable.

Among those with at least 1000 plate appearances McGwire ranks second in wRC+ with 173. A number that could have been a lot different had he not struggled with injuries his last two seasons as a Cardinal.

I was and still am a big fan of the slugger and remember watching his at bats during that 1998 season with anticipation to see if he could ultimately break that record. I can tell you to this day where I was and what I was doing during that game, and how I remember Jack Buck’s call that day, making the Big Mac easily one of the greatest Cardinals’ of all time.

Next: The best catcher ever

Jul 7, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina (4) walks off the field as rain falls during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

#15 Yadier Molina C

Ok, the teaser may be a bit of a reach. However, we all know how valuable Yadier Molina is to the St. Louis Cardinals. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest catchers to ever play the game, let alone play for the Cardinals.

The numbers can’t really do much justice for Molina’s career, but what stands out is his 30.9 fWAR. This is a number that stands for 17th among all Cardinal’s position players, but is largely based on Molina’s play after the 2006 season, when his offense finally came to life.

From 2007-2014 Molina finished with a fWAR under 2.0 only once with his 1.4 fWAR in 2007, rebounding from his -0.3 fWAR in 2006. Not having the ability to really valuate Molina’s abilities in calling a game or handling a staff does hamper Molina’s value some.

However, Molina’s current defensive value of 223.6 runs above average is something we do have to see where Molina ranks defensively. That number stands as second in team history among position players, with there being over 500 games difference between him and Ozzie Smith, who holds a 300.3 runs above average defensive value.

Molina’s .283/.336/.397 slash is still pretty good, and Molina does have one really good offensive season to hang his hat on, as in 2012 Molina slashed .315/.373/.501 hitting 22 homers and posting a wRC+ of 133. This was the second of three consecutive season that saw Molina post a wRC+ of 125 or better, totaling a 15.8 fWAR during those three seasons.

Molina still has time to add on to his already great resume and potential Hall of Fame case. Hopefully the thumb heals up and Molina can stick behind the plate a few more years. Regardless, Molina will retire as the greatest catcher to ever play for the Cardinals, and probably will end up being a top 10 player.

Next: Sweet Lou

Embed from Getty Images

#14 Lou Brock OF

As has been mentioned several times by now, Brock is a legend as a Cardinal and always will be. His 888 stolen bases is a record that no Cardinals’ player will come close to for a long long time if ever. However, at times Brock’s ability to handle the stick is at times underrated.

Brock finished his career, slashing .297/.347/.414 with a 112 wRC+. While the wRC+ could be better, the slash is really good for a player who is known primarily for his speed. Brock did manage to finish his career with 434 doubles (3rd all time), but he played in over 2200 games, so with his speed that’s not a hard number to reach.

Brock was a key player among the 1960s Cardinals that won 2 World Series titles, not posting a fWAR below 3.2 during that time. The most impressive stat for me comes in Brock’s 1967 season, a season that saw Brock hit over 20 homers for the only time in his career.

That year Brock posted the second highest wRC+ of his career at 128, during what is regarded as baseball’s second “dead ball” era, stealing 52 bases in that same season. Brock also posted a 124 wRC+ in 1968, the season before MLB lowered the mound to take away the stark advantage that pitchers had during that time.

While Brock’s numbers are inflated by the fact that he spent 15+ seasons with the Cardinals, he cannot be forgotten about, and is one of the best base stealers to ever play the game and is one of the best to ever play for the Cardinals.

Next: Carp 1.0

Embed from Getty Images

#13 Chris Carpenter SP

Call me biased if you want, but you cannot keep Chris Carpenter out of the top 15 on this list. He was one of the best starting pitchers this team has ever seen, and as you know by now, there has been a lot of them to play for this team.

I’ve given you his story several times as he has made the top ten free agents, 28 man roster, and the top ten pitchers list. So, I will try and stay stats driven here and give you my case of Carpenter’s inclusion here.

Carpenter finished his Cardinals’ career with a record of 95-44 and an ERA of 3.06 and FIP of 3.28, while being worth 28.7 fWAR. While his fWAR number is less than Brecheen, Lanier, and Waino, its not about the total with Carp here. Carp pitched for the Cardinals during the great Tony Larussa run of the 200os, being a member of the team from 2004-2012.

During this time Carpenter missed a small chunk at the end of his 3.1 fWAR season in 2004, missed all but a total of four starts and one bullpen appearance in the 2007-2008 seasons totaling just 0.5 fWAR, as well as missing all but three starts in his 2012 season.

When healthy in 2009-2011 Carpenter posted a 13.6 fWAR on top of his 14.4 fWAR from 2004-2006. So, the majority of Carp’s fWAR totals come from just six seasons, with the lowest fWAR total being 3.1 in an injury shortened 2004 season, and his highest ERA coming in 2011 at 3.45.

That’s pretty impressive for Carpenter, and it makes you wonder where he could have finished had he not missed so much time due to injury.

Plus we all know of Carpenter’s performances in the postseason including two World Series titles, including the 2011 season that was dominated by Carpenter and teammate David Freese‘s great performances. All things considered, Carpenter will go down as one of the best to ever play for this great team.

Next: The Big Cat

Embed from Getty Images

#12 Johnny Mize 1B

Mize had the face of a boxer and made his debut at first base for the Cardinals in 1936, sharing the field with Medwick on some great teams. He played six seasons with the Cardinals and compiled a slash of .336/.419/.600 with 158 homers in those half a dozen seasons, earning a 37.8 fWAR in just 854 games, with at least 200 games less than every player ahead of him in fWAR.

He finished 2nd in the MVP race twice. Mize collected over 10 triples three different times in St. Louis, slugged over .600 in three seasons, and drove in 100 runners or more in six straight seasons.

Laugh at the stat because this is 80 years ago, but Mize’s wRC+ was 170 or more in four straight seasons from 1937-1940. Miles above average. Unfortunately for the team but fortunate for the country, Mize served in the military during World War II from 1943-45, missing out on the prime seasons of his career in St. Louis.

When he returned, Mize went to play for the New York Giants and then the Yankees. Mize played until he was 40. The Georgia native was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981. Despite the championships he didn’t win with the Cardinals, Mize is one of the best in Cardinals’ history.

Dan Buffa

Next: Ducky

Embed from Getty Images

#11 Joe Medwick OF

The dude played his first game in 1932, so pardon me if this is a far off look at a legendary Cardinal. When you look at Medwick’s stats, it’s hard to not be impressed with this guy.

This ruffled hairy armed New Jersey native played 16 seasons in the Majors, and 11 of them in St. Louis. He started with the Birds before departing to play elsewhere and returning in 1947 to finish his years in red.

What did he do? Well, what did he NOT do is more like it. These days, 100 RBI is respectable and nice for most players. Medwick was a run driving in monster, driving in nearly 570 runners in just four seasons.

He drove in 154 in his MVP season in 1937, slashing 97 extra base hits (56 doubles, 31 homers) in a single season. Some players do that in two. Joe got it done in one. He also won the Triple Crown award, the last National League player to do so.

The Triple Crown award goes to the player who leads the league in home runs, RBI and batting average. The last player to do it was Miguel Cabrera in 2012 and before him, it was Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.

Medwick’s lifetime .917 OPS as a Cardinal and 8.3 fWAR in 1937 are legendary marks, as is 11th best fWAR of 39.4 and when you consider most in front of him have at least 300 games on him, he’s definitely one of the best.

You may or may not have seen Medwick play (hat tip if you did) but the man could hit. He wasn’t a good defensive player, but Medwick was the signature left fielder power hitting type who was versatile with his array of hits.

Next: Country

Dan Buffa

Embed from Getty Images

#10 Enos Slaughter

Here we have the player famous for the “Mad Dash” when he scored from first on a single by Harry Walker to win the 1946 World Series. Enos Slaughter was as old school of a player as there probably ever was for the Cardinals. He ran out hits and walks, hustled in the field and was as tough as they came back then. He was the kind of player Pete Rose was, but 20 years before.

Slaughter doesn’t have the gaudy power numbers that some had on this list, but what he was was consistent as any of them. He finished with a slash of .3o5/.384/.463 with the Cardinals over the course of 13 seasons with the club, and a fWAR of 47.0 over his 1,820 games.

Slaughter despite his lack of power was a good compliment to players like Stan Musial and Joe Medwick, helping the team to win titles in in 1942 and 1946. Like Mize and Medwick, you wonder what he could have done had he not missed the seasons from 1943-1945, as he was off at war.

Despite that, his 2,064 hits with the Cardinals ranks third among all Cardinals, further making the case that Slaughter was without a doubt one of the best Cardinals of all time.

Slaughter was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1985 by way of the “Veterans Committee”, had his #9 retired by the Cardinals in 1996, and was one of the initial inductees into the Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum in January of 2014.

Next: Jimmy Baseball

Embed from Getty Images

#9 Jim Edmonds

Jim Edmonds, known as “Jimmy Baseball”, played from 2000-2007 for the St Louis Cardinals after being traded from the Angels for Kent Bottenfield and Adam Kennedy (what a steal). After playing 8 seasons for the Cards, he was traded to the Padres for David Freese. Edmonds contributions in two of his peak seasons led to the 2004 & 2006 World Series appearances and a 2006 title.

In an earlier piece we compared Edmonds to the current outfield Hall-of-Famers and found he ranks 5th, behind only Mays (660), Mantle (536), Dawson (438) and Snyder (407). Edmonds hit more home runs than DiMaggio and more than Ty Cobb and Kirby Puckett combined.

His epic walk-off home run to end Game 6 of the 2004 NLCS stands as just one of his dingers. Having a clutch post-season walk-off along with a high overall tally of 393 home runs and hit 30 or more in 5 seasons. In slugging percentage he ranks 7th on the list of HOFers in front of Ty Cobb and Andre Dawson.

While Jimmy Baseball’s offense stands out, his defense was even better. Authors of best of lists and directors of highlight reels always include Edmonds’ catches. In the clutch during Game 7 of the NLCS, down one run to Houston in the second inning with runners on first and second, Brad Ausmus cracked a sure hit into the left field gap.

Edmonds made an incredible catch to rob him of two RBIs. Ausmus later said, “It was a spectacular play. It was not out of the ordinary for Jimmy Edmonds. That may have saved the game for them.”

In 2000 he came in 4th in MVP voting and in 2004 finished 5th. He won 8 gold gloves, was a 4-time all-star and won the silver slugger in 2004 while batting .301 and slugging .643.

Edmonds posted a fWAR of 6.1 or higher in six straight seasons, peaking at 8.3 in 2004. Edmonds hit 241 of his career 393 home runs with the Cardinals. His total fWAR of 42.4 ranks eighth all time amongst Cardinals’ position players. Like Medwick and Mize, the players in front of Edmonds have a lot of games on him, making his fWAR total even better.

Paul Layton

Next: Simba

Embed from Getty Images

#8 Ted Simmons C

Ted Simmons, belovedly known as “Simba” played 21 seasons in the big leagues, most for the St Louis Cardinals from 1968-1980 where he hit .298, with an on-base percentage of .366 and a slugging percentage of .459.

He was a first round draft pick of the Cardinals that played well during many dark seasons in the seventies with no chance to see the post season.

During the 1980 offseason, Simmons was included in a terrible trade to the Milwaukee Brewers along with Rollie Fingers” href=”http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=fingero01″>Rollie Fingers and Pete Vuckovich in exchange for Sixto Lezcano” href=”http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lezcasi01.shtml”>Sixto Lezcano, David Green” href=”http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/greenda03.shtml”>David Green, Lary Sorensen” href=”http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sorenla01.shtml”>Lary Sorensen and Dave LaPoint” href=”http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lapoida01.shtml”>Dave LaPoint.

Fingers won the Cy Young award in 1981 and Vuckovich won it in 1982, while the only player to make an impact for the Cardinals was LaPoint, who won 12 games in 1982 and 1983.

After making it to the World Series in 1982, he lost to the very Cardinals that traded him away. Simba hit home runs in game one and two of that contest, but only hit .174 in the 7-game series. After playing in Milwaukee for five seasons, Simmons was traded again to Atlanta where he ended his career.

In addition to being an 8-time all-star, he finished in the top 20 of MVP voting 7 times and won the silver slugger in his final year in St. Louis while batting .303 and slugging .505. Simmons also hit 174 of his career 248 home runs with the Cardinals.

Simmons posted a fWAR of 5.7 or higher in four of his seasons with the Cards and never posted less than a 3.7 fWAR over his last 10 seasons with the team, eventually totaling 49.2 fWAR for his Cardinals’ career, ranking sixth among all position players.

Paul Layton

Next: Kent

Embed from Getty Images

#7 Ken Boyer

Here we have another great third baseman and a top five position player in terms of fWAR in Ken Boyer. Boyer was Scott Rolen before Rolen was even alive, and Boyer spent the majority of his career with the Cardinals, unlike Rolen.

Boyer burst onto the scene as a rookie in 1955 with the Cardinals slashing .264/.311/.425, with his lowest fWAR of his Cardinals’ career at 0.9. Despite the low fWAR and wRC+ of only 91 that year, Boyer showed promise with his 47 extra base-hits (27 doubles, 18 homers, and two triples), also stealing a career high 22 stolen bases.

After that season Boyer took off, he hit over 20 homers in every season except two and posted a fWAR total above 5.0 in eight of the next nine seasons. Overall, Boyer slashed .293/.356/.475 with a wRC+ of 119, with a total fWAR of 50.7 for his Cardinals’ career. Boyer finished his career with the third most homers in Cardinals’ history with 255, although he’s a far away from the top two.

Boyer was also really good defensively as a Cardinal as he won five gold gloves at third base and posted 100.5 runs above average on defense, as well as spending a good season as a center fielder in 1957. Boyer’s 1964 season won him the MVP, as he led the NL with 119 RBI, while hitting .295 that year and bringing in 6.0 fWAR.

Boyer was a solid player for the Cardinals and is definitely one of the best ever to play for them.

Next: The Wizard

Embed from Getty Images

#6 Ozzie Smith

Here we have one of the greatest players to ever play the short stop position, and quite possibly the best ever. Ozzie came to the Cardinals via trade before the 1982 season and the Cardinals reaped the benefits of having a Hall of Fame SS for the next 13 seasons.

During that time, Ozzie wasn’t just a good defensive player, he was pretty good with the bat as well posting seven seasons with a wRC+ above 100. Through his Cardinals’ career, Ozzie ranks fourth among position players with his 59.5 fWAR. In those 13 seasons, Ozzie finished with a fWAR above 4.0 nine times.

His best season came in 1989, when the SS posted a career best 40.2 runs above average and hit .273, while hitting 30 doubles and stealing 29 bases, netting him a fWAR of 6.7 that year.

Not only did Smith bring a stellar defensive prowess to the team and a decent bat, Smith also was an incredibly good base runner. He posted positive base running values in every season except for the last three seasons of his career, netting him a 43.4 base running runs above average for his Cardinals’ career.

Not only that but Smith stole 433 bases in his career, placing him third all time in his Cardinals’ career, with 57 of them coming in his 1988 season. This is just another  feather in the cap of the Hall of Fame shortstop, making him one of the top ten best players in team history.

Next: Dizzy

Embed from Getty Images

#5 Dizzy Dean

Here we have the Cardinals second best pitcher of all time. One who could have been the best had it not been for a freak injury. Dean pitched for the Cardinals from 1932-1937, a total of six seasons. During that time, Dean went 134-75 in a total 273 games (196 starts), with an ERA of 2.99 (3.15 FIP). He had a 37.1 fWAR during that time, which is second most in Cardinals’ history.

Dean only pitched six seasons with the Cardinals, yet still had a fWAR of 37.1, which is extremely impressive. In those six seasons Dean’s lowest fWAR total was 4.8 in 1937, which was his final season in a Cardinal uniform.

The fantastic righty had a freak injury in the 1937 All-Star game, that he and the team mishandled. He came back too quickly, adjusting his delivery to account for the pain, and hurt his shoulder.

He was traded to the Cubs after the 1937 season and spent four seasons there totaling just 33 starts over the next four seasons. Overall, Dean’s most impressive feat was appearing in over 50 games from 1934-1936, with over 30 starts in each season. Dean was one of the best for sure.

Next: The Machine

Embed from Getty Images

#4 Albert Pujols  1B

What can’t be said about this guy’s eleven seasons in St. Louis. He was the best player on the planet for a time when baseball needed a clean star, he was a charitable man off the field, he played the game the right way, and was absolutely amazing to watch.

I can’t tell you how many times I stopped what I was doing when this man came put to bat, what I can tell you is that for eleven seasons this man had a fWAR of 81.4, and a career wRC+ of 167, while bringing in the second best offensive value at 629.3 runs above average.

He was absolutely a “Machine”, his number were so ridiculous that they seemed like video game created numbers. Among these impressive numbers is the fact that Albert finished with a fWAR of above 7.0 in eight of his eleven seasons as a Cardinal.

He also regularly struck out less than 10% of the time in eight of those eleven seasons, posting an increasing walk rate from his rookie year on until his 2010 season when it dropped to 14.7% from 16.4%.

Albert also only finished one season with less 100 runs scored and only one season with less than 100 RBI. The sure fire Hall of Famer never hit under 32 homers for the Cardinals either.

All of these numbers only scratch the surface to tell you how great he was, look at the black hole the Cardinals’ offense has been since he left, while they have still been successful, the offense hasn’t been the same since his departure.

While I miss seeing “El Hombre”, I understand this is a business, but I can’t help but think Pujols made one of the worst “business” decisions in baseball history.

Next: Hoot

Embed from Getty Images

#3 Bob Gibson SP

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the greatest Cardinals’ starting pitcher of all time, Mr. Bob Gibson. Every statistic screams the Bob was the best, and that no other pitcher comes near him in Cardinals’ lore.

The fact remains that no pitcher comes within 45 wins of Gibby in terms of fWAR, with Gibson having a 82.3 fWAR that is 45.2 wins better than that of Dizzy Dean’s 37.1 fWAR.

You can tell me that Gibby pitched during the second “dead ball” era till you’re blue in the face, that’s not going to change the fact that Gibson actually had his two best seasons in terms of fWAR right after this “dead ball” era.

As in 1969, Gibby posted a 2.30 FIP and 7.71 K/9 earning him a 8.8 fWAR. In 1970, he had a 2.29 FIP and career best 8.39 K/9, with a career high 9.8 fWAR.

I realize that no starting pitcher has posted an ERA as low as Gibson’s 1.12 ERA in 1968, and I am not discounting this amazing season at any rate, as that still goes down in history as one of the best seasons ever by a starting pitcher.

Of all of the players who have come before my era, Gibson is definitely the player I wish I could have seen pitch, as he was absolutely not just the best Cardinals’ pitcher, but one of the best pitchers ever.

Next: The Man

Embed from Getty Images

#2 Stan Musial OF

This was the hardest decision to make on this whole list, putting the player that most people consider the best at #2 on this list of all time best players. However, my reasoning lies in that Stan played in almost double the amount of games that our #1 guy played in, only posting a fWAR that is 33.3 wins better.

However, enough knocking on Stan. Let’s get into what makes him great. Musial slashed .331/417/.559, with a wRC+ of 158 for his career. Musial was worth 901.2 runs above average on offense, a number that only Pujols and our #1 guy can claim to even come close to in Cardinals’ history.

Musial played in four World Series’ winning three out of the four, but posting an interestingly pedestrian 105 wRC+ over his his 99 plate appearances. In his career, Musial posted four seasons with a fWAR above 9.2, with his best season coming in his 1948 MVP season.

That year Musial slashed .376/.450/.702, with a career best 201 wRC+. Musial also hit a career high 103 extra base-hits that year (46 doubles, 39 homers, and 18 triples).

While he never had the 50 home run seasons of Albert Pujols, he posted 50 doubles or more three times in his career with several seasons in the 40s, which ultimately puts his 725 doubles as the team’s highest double total.

If we are nitpicking at anything of Musial’s outstanding career it is his defense. In his career Musial was worth -77.1 runs above average on defense, but his offense and his 3 MVP awards, more than makes up for that for the 1969 Hall of Fame inductee.

Musial was one of the best to ever play the game and is revered by many as the Cardinal of all Cardinals, a true legend.

Next: The Rajah

Embed from Getty Images

#1 Rogers Hornsby 2B

Ok, for those of you wondering why Hornsby is here and not Musial, take a look at the games played by the two players. Hornsby played in 1580 games and had a fWAR of 93.5, as opposed to 3,026 games for Musial’s 126.8 fWAR.

If you were to double Hornsby’s games as a Cardinal, he would likely surpass Musial’s 126.8 fWAR, in fact his overall fWAR (taking into effect his 1927-1937 years away from St. Louis) is a few wins above Musial’s at 130.3.

However, don’t let that make you think that I think any less of Musial’s status in Cardinal’s lore. If I could I would label them as 1 and 1a, but I am not going to do that. Hornsby was without a doubt one of the greatest players to ever play the game of baseball.

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

We talked before about the impact the “dead ball” era had on hitting and, it’s just as evident in Hornsby’s numbers as his first five seasons with the Cardinals were from 1916-1920.

In those seasons, Hornsby hit over .300 in each season but the 1918 season when he hit .281, and slugged over .400 each season. His lowest OBP during that stretch was .349, and he had a .431 OBP at the turn of the era in 1920.

After 1920, Hornsby saw a dramatic increase in power hitting over 20 homers in four of six seasons from 1921-1926, including hitting 42 homers in 1922. During that time he also led the league in all three slash categories and posted an OBP over .400 every year except for 1926.

While Musial’s four seasons with a fWAR above 9.2 are impressive, Hornsby posted six seasons with a fWAR above 9.5, including four above 10.6. That includes Hornsby’s incredible 1924 season of 12.5 fWAR, a season that also saw him post a wRC+ of 221 (20 points better than Musial’s best).

During his stretch with the Cardinals, Hornsby also posted a defensive value of  96.1 runs above average at second base. I could go on and on about why the 1942 Hall of Fame elect is the best Cardinal ever, but what Musial does have above Hornsby is character.

Hornsby’s character was so bad in 1926 that it forced Branch Rickey to trade him for Frisch after the season. Musial is said to have been one of the nicer men to ever play the game, and was regarded as a high character man even after playing. However, this doesn’t change the fact that Hornsby was the best to ever play for the Cardinals.

This list was a lot of fun, it was hard, and took a lot of time. We may have missed a few things, but everybody does. I hope you enjoyed reading this and if you have something we missed, just drop a line in the comments!

Next: The 30 worst player in Cardinals' history

This concludes our historical series for December, if you missed any of these posts, you can check them out here!