Defense is an overlooked aspect of the Cardinals' developmental degradation

The St. Louis Cardinals have backslid in their ability to develop offense and pitching, but their defensive deficits are less recognized.

Milwaukee Brewers v St. Louis Cardinals
Milwaukee Brewers v St. Louis Cardinals | Joe Puetz/GettyImages

St. Louis Cardinals fans and baseball analysts have written at length about the Cardinals' drastic drop-off in their ability to develop talent in the minor leagues and unlock young players' full potential. But as they pore over players such as Dylan Carlson, who never hit well after a strong rookie season, and Zack Thompson, a first-round pick who looked to be a valuable swingman but suffered a colossal step back in 2024, they too often look past another critical area in which the Cardinals have stumbled.

The Cardinals have lost the ability to help players reach their peaks on defense.

In prior seasons, the Cardinals would draft hitters without clear positions and figure out where they fit in the field. And more often than not, it worked, with many of their developmental projects flourishing at positions that are higher on the defensive spectrum than many expected from them.

Matt Carpenter developed the ability to play at first base, second base and third base; Paul DeJong played mostly second base and third base in college but became a solid defensive shortstop in St. Louis; and Harrison Bader, who blossomed into one of the best defensive center fielders in the sport, played left field in college and was projected as a third baseman in the pros.

Switching players' positions isn't new for the Cardinals, but they are now struggling to get results out of players they move around the diamond. Jordan Walker came up through the minor leagues as a third baseman but was moved to the outfield after the Cardinals traded for Nolan Arenado in 2022. Bizarrely, Walker continued to play third base until August. In 2023 with the Cardinals, Walker was among the worst defensive players in the sport, owning a horrific 14 outs below average, although he improved to four below average in 2024.

Nolan Gorman is another player who has sputtered defensively. Drafted as a third baseman, Gorman was moved to second base in deference to Arenado. At the keystone, Gorman has been 20 outs below average in his career. Finally, Alec Burleson, who has said that he is more comfortable playing first base than the outfield, has totaled 17 outs below average in his career while patrolling left field and right field.

One potential reason for the defensive downturn is the rapid ascent to the major leagues that so many prospects now experience. With less time to work on fundamentals at lower levels, these players are not as refined when they reach the big leagues.

The Cardinals have to get their developmental pipeline humming again, and they can't forget to emphasize defense as a part of that. For a team that has long prided itself on fundamentals, ensuring strong glove work should be a priority, not a secondary goal.

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