Grading the Cardinals’ elite defense with Gold Gloves seemingly everywhere

The St. Louis Cardinals continue to surprise the league compared to the expectations they entered the season with. They’re even getting attention and plaudits from national sources. All this is to say that the season has been quite fun so far, and even in a “rebuilding year,” winning can come quicker than many expected.

Believe it or not, the Cardinals are roughly 40 games into the season, which is a good time to pass out first-quarter grades. I dished out grades to the offense earlier this week — and sparked some controversies along the way. It’s time to turn our attention to an underrated part of baseball and a secret to the Cardinals' success so far — the defense.

Before we start dishing out letter grades, no pluses or minuses on this list, we talked about the defense as a whole over on Redbird Rundown with Joe Roderick from STL Sports Central. It was a good conversation and will help add overall context to this list below. Check it out if audio is your thing — Apple and Spotify.

Gold Glove contenders - A 

For the first quarter, there’s a whole pack of Cardinals on this list: Masyn Winn, JJ Wetherholt, Nathan Church, Pedro Pages, Nolan Gorman (!!), and Victor Scott II. Yes, all of them. The single biggest reason this team is winning is because of the offensive production, but the defense (and baserunning!) is the unsung hero of a surprisingly competitive team.

Winn is probably not at his platinum glove peak so far in the season but is still excellent and will likely return to (even better) form as he goes. Wetherholt is flat-out one of the best defenders in baseball. He makes the easy plays. He makes the spectacular plays. Let’s get this guy in a Cardinals uniform for life – now! Gorman has had a shocking defensive metamorphosis at third base. He has made a few plays this season that border on spectacular and had me saying “Which Nolan is playing third?” a few times this season.

Pages has turned into a bit of a lightning rod for the roster with his offensive struggles, but it’s hard to argue about his defensive value. Scott and Church both patrol the outfield with grace and speed. The fact that Church is on this list in the same category as Scott, though, should terrify Vic because of the better offensive performance that Church has turned in thus far.

This defense is a unit that, once again, could have multiple Gold Gloves in the offing by the end of the season. That matters. A lot.

Above average - B

Honestly, this is where the rest of the defenders (except for one) slot in: Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker. They both receive mixed signals from defensive metrics. Fangraphs hates the defensive value of both Burleson and Walker, but the Fielding Bible see them as both above average defenders. Burleson has obviously benefited from a position change at first that prioritizes footwork over raw speed. And Walker has once again transformed himself from a player that looks lost in the outfield to a competent defender with a certified weapon for a throwing arm. In all phases of the game (baserunning included), Walker has transformed himself as a player. What an incredible year it’s been for him so far.

Average - C

This is where Ivan Herrera slots in. Framing metrics and basestealing numbers both see him as one of the worst defensive catchers in baseball (we can all see the lack of ability to throw out baserunners by watching the games). But his “catcher ERA” is a full run lower than Pages', though that might have something to do with whom each guy catches, too. Herrera, though, does have one elite skill as a catcher (and as a hitter, frankly): He’s a genius at ABS challenges. 

I’ve staked out a position for a long time that Herrera’s bat is too elite to keep him behind the plate where defense and injuries will sap his offensive value, especially in an organization with so many highly touted catching prospects. But he’s passable behind the plate, and it’s hard to tell just how good of a game he calls.

All told, this may be the single greatest strength for this Cardinals team. It’s a hard thing to value because most of the production is “quiet.” You don’t really notice the defense unless there’s a spectacular play — both good and bad. Most of the value comes in simply being sure-handed and covering ground. It’s clear this team has real strength in this area. It’s a strength that is sure to sustain through the season, too.

Let me know what you think of the grades for the defense. And, as always, thanks for reading!

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