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Comparing the St. Louis Cardinals lineup to playoff teams

By Josh Jacobs

PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 11: Albert Pujols #5 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the ninth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 11, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The home run was the 697th of Pujols career, moving him to 4th place all time in MLB home runs. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 11: Albert Pujols #5 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the ninth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 11, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The home run was the 697th of Pujols career, moving him to 4th place all time in MLB home runs. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /
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Heading into the 2022 postseason, how does the Cardinals lineup stack up against NL Contenders?

The St. Louis Cardinals are close to clinching the NL Central division title and a trip to the postseason. St. Louis has seen their World Series odds rise during the second half of the season as they caught fire over the last few months. The team’s strongest unit for most of the season has been the lineup, that ranks top 5 in MLB in runs scored, OPS, and OBP, as well as top 10 in most other categories. 

Even with a mostly cold September from the Cardinals bats, the club will still live or die by their ability to put up runs. Their rotation is much improved and bullpen has been solid as of late, but they still are built to win with contributions from their best hitters.

Once the postseason begins, regular seasons stats don’t matter. Teams cannot afford to go through slumps, as a few bad games spells the end of their postseason run. Postseason success tends to hinge on a mix of production from your main stars and some smaller names stepping up to provide huge hits down the stretch.

This St. Louis offense has the talent to compete with anyone, but how does their lineup stack up head to head with other National League playoff teams?  I ranked the Cardinals rotation against other NL contenders earlier this month, and will give one team the edge or a “push” if its even when comparing the offenses.

Philadelphia Phillies

  1. LF Kyle Schwarber 
  2. 1B Rhys Hoskins
  3. DH Bryce Harper
  4. C J.T. Realmuto 
  5. RF Nick Castellanos 
  6. 3B Alec Bohm
  7. CF Brandon Marsh
  8. 2B Jean Segura
  9. SS Bryson Stott 

The Philadelphia Phillies have star power in their lineup, headlined by perennial MVP candidate Bryce Harper.  Like the Cardinals offense, they have the potential to put up runs in a hurry, but have also been known to go ice cold at times.

Harper specifically is ending September in a slump, hitting just .200/.317/.333 with 3 HR and 13 RBI in his last 30 games. Nick Castellanos has been disappointing in his first season with the Phillies, but players like Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, and Rhys Hoskins have provided consistent forces for the lineup.

Although the Phillies have arguably more “stars” than St. Louis, the presence of two top MVP candidates and a variety of options in their lineup puts the Cardinals in a similar category as the Phillies. They rank very similar in most offensive categories this season, and with both lineups being streaky, it’s tough to give either the edge.

Verdict: Push

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