Redbird Rants
FanSided

5 standout performers from St. Louis Cardinals first half

By Miranda Remaklus

ST LOUIS, MO - JULY 10: Members of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate their team's 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium on July 10, 2022 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO - JULY 10: Members of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate their team's 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium on July 10, 2022 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 6
Next
ST LOUIS, MO – JULY 10: Members of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate their team’s 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium on July 10, 2022 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO – JULY 10: Members of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate their team’s 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium on July 10, 2022 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) /

It’s not the dominant first-half fans hoped for, but the St. Louis Cardinals have battled and are in contention in the NL Central.

With the second half of the 2022 season getting underway, it’s important to take a look back and reflect on the good that the St. Louis Cardinals have done so far.

Under the direction of a new manager who was developed in the St. Louis Cardinals system, the team is a perfect mix of veteran leadership, a new guard, and a promising group of youngsters. But, the team is in the midst of another season where the health of key players has become a hindrance.

For a second consecutive season, the team has been brought to its knees after the club’s ace apparent, Jack Flaherty, has been shelved. This time due to shoulder issues. After being placed on the  60-day injured list, it became clear that even if back to full health, Flaherty won’t be able to return to the roster until mid-August.

Gold Glove center fielder Harrison Bader has been on the injured list for several weeks. While his defense and speed are missed, Dylan Carlson has stepped up to provide stellar defense and has improved at the plate.

Yadier Molina, who plans to retire at the end of the season, arrived to spring training late and slowly became ready. As time went along, Molina developed some knee soreness that has kept him on the injured list. Molina’s absence has definitely been felt as the club has struggled to find a sense of stability from the catching position via Andrew Knizner, Austin Romine, and prospect Ivan Herrera.

The team welcomed two of their top prospects in Nolan Gorman and Matthew Liberatore. With Tommy Edman moving from second base to shortstop in place of Paul DeJong, who was being demoted after a terrible start to his season, this gave Gorman the opportunity he needed to get everyday play. While he’s been streaky at the plate, Gorman has provided very good defense.

Now let’s take a look at the accomplishments of some of this team’s top performers during the first half.

Home/St Louis Cardinals News