St. Louis Cardinals: Jedd Gyorko’s Value Rising As Hot Corner Regular

He’s not the typical cleanup hitter or hot corner specialist, but he fits the needs of the 2017 St. Louis Cardinals. His name is Jedd Gyorko.

With a sixth-inning solo home run and multi-hit performance in Friday’s 7-5 St. Louis Cardinals victory over the Cincinnati Reds, Jedd Gyorko shares the team-lead with four round trippers and nine extra-base hits. Among major league third basemen, Gyorko places within the Top 20 for hits (16), runs scored (10) and RBIs (8).

Gyorko’s surge comes at a time where he has started all but two of the team’s last nine games at the hot corner, a stretch during which the Cardinals have won seven games to move above .500 for the first time since Opening Night.

The 28 year-old’s rise has been timely following Jhonny Peralta‘s trip to the 10-day disabled list last week. Gyorko has never started more than 28 games at third base in a season between the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals, but faces an opportunity for the lion’s share of the hot corner for the foreseeable future.

If recent history is an indicator, Gyorko may be able to build off of one of St. Louis’s best post-All-Star break presences from last year. He started 67 of the Cardinals’ final 74 games between three different positions, helped by a .301/.354/.603 statline from July.

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Gyorko finished with the Cardinals’ first 30 home run campaign since 2012, accomplishing this feat with with fewer than two RBIs per home run and less than 100 hits. And this season’s small sample size shows he could very well pace himself for St. Louis’s first back-to-back 30 home run seasons since Albert Pujols‘s final two seasons with the Cardinals.

His power and on-base abilities are established as demonstrated with a 1.040 OPS, but Gyorko’s improvements aside from his strengths show last summer’s breakout may not be questioned as a fluke much longer. Most notably, Gyorko kicked tires for a little-league home run (see below) in the latest road series against Milwaukee.

Defense remains an area of concern for a Cardinals team that has committed 21 errors, including one from Gyorko. Playing at least 11 games at each of the infield positions last year is a testament to Gyorko’s defensive versatility, and more starting time could help him find a niche at a hot corner where he has already turned seven double plays and compiled a 2.53 range factor this season.

A trade involving utility infielder transitioned starter for Jon Jay may have been one of the better acquisitions in recent team history. Although the Cardinals still owe Gyorko $28 million until a team option for 2020, having him near an age where most ball players reach their athletic prime could certainly make the next few years of his contract more valuable.

Next: St. Louis Cardinals: Trevor Rosenthal In Familiar Territory

The “next man up” philosophy has been crucial for the St. Louis Cardinals’ six postseason trips over the past decade. Right now, Jedd Gyorko is embracing this philosophy and the Cardinals need to keep rolling the dice with him.