2 St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training aberrations and 2 players who were legit

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Many fans of the St. Louis Cardinals and around baseball have learned over the years not to trust Spring Training statistics. Paul DeJong went ballistic in Spring Training last season and ended up hitting a pathetic .157. Nevertheless, the temptation to feel excited about a player performing well and feel dejected about someone doing poorly is often too much to overcome. Fans are overjoyed that baseball is back, and deep analyses of small sample sizes reign supreme.

In 2023, the Cardinals contained more unknowns coming out of Spring Training than any other team because of the number of players who participated in the World Baseball Classic. Many players had abbreviated springs, only receiving the opportunity to participate in a few games and not having the ability to consult with team coaches. Some players made no secret of the theory that the World Baseball Classic threw off their preparation for the season and hurt their performance early on.

Despite many players' absences, there was plenty of information that fans took away from Spring Training this season. That information, of course, hasn't carried over to the regular season for many players. While some Cardinals' performances in Spring Training proved prescient for better or worse, several other players didn't translate their strong production to the games that counted once the calendar flipped to April.

Two of these players have so far proven their performance in Spring Training to be a fluke, and two of them have shown themselves to be the real deal.

Fluke: Steven Matz

After an injury-plagued 2022 season where he only managed 48 innings, Steven Matz was splendid in Spring Training this year, leading fans to hope that he could be a fixture in the rotation. During Spring Training, Matz had a 1.53 ERA in 17.2 innings with 17 strikeouts.

However, Matz lost his touch when the regular season came around. In his first start, he surrendered 10 hits and four earned runs in 5.1 innings, and it was a sign of things to come. After 10 starts, an 0-6 record, and a 5.72 ERA, Matz was banished to the bullpen, where he has fared better.

The Cardinals expected a lot out of Matz after awarding him a four-year contract before he threw a single pitch for the team. Even though Matz has improved upon his change in roles, it's hard to see his contract with the Cardinals as anything more than a failure.

Legit: Nolan Gorman

Although Nolan Gorman is currently enduring a frigid spell at the plate, hitting .122 in his last 100 plate appearances, he was the Cardinals' best hitter throughout April and much of May. He arrived at Spring Training in great condition, and his stats reflected that, as he hit .288 with four home runs.

Gorman has the profile of a player who will be prone to cold streaks throughout his career because of his high strikeout total and propensity to swing and miss, but his hot streaks should put him on par with some of the best players in the game.

Gorman's defense is another trait that has carried over from Spring Training. Previously a liability at second base, Gorman showed major improvement at the keystone this spring, and that has carried over the regular season, allowing other players to serve as designated hitters and letting Gorman get time in the field.

Fluke: Jake Woodford

Jake Woodford tied Steven Matz with the most innings pitched for the Cardinals in Spring Training, with 17.2. During that time, Woodford had a 2.04 ERA and 18 whiffs. With Adam Wainwright on the injured list to begin the season, it was logical for the Cardinals to see if Woodford could serve aptly in Wainwright's absence.

It wasn't to be, as Woodford struggled to a 5.72 ERA and an opponent batting average of .316 in his six starts. The Cardinals demoted Woodford to Memphis in May but brought him up again in June, where he has pitched out of the bullpen to less-than-stellar results so far.

Although his spring stats suggested that a breakout was coming, Woodford has failed to flourish in the major leagues. The 39th overall pick in the 2015 draft, Woodford is increasingly looking like a Quadruple-A pitcher.

Legit: Jordan Walker

After an outstanding start to his Spring Training, highly touted rookie Jordan Walker fell off a bit in the second half of spring. Still, he hit .277 and made the major league roster, and he then proceeded to embark on a historic 12-game hitting streak to start his career. Pitchers found his weaknesses, though, and the Cardinals sent him to Memphis to get him more seasoning.

Upon Walker finding his footing in Triple-A, the Cardinals promoted him after an injury to Lars Nootbaar, and he has since gone on another tear, collecting hits in 13 consecutive games. Walker still needs to improve in the outfield; with -10 defensive runs saved, he has graded out as one of the major leagues' worst outfielders this season.

But offensively, Walker has proven that his performance in Spring Training was not a casualty of the small-sample-size effect. If he can continue to improve on hitting the ball in the air more often, he should be a beast for over a decade.

Spring Training is one of the most misleading times of year for baseball fans when it comes to players' performances, but sometimes players are able to bring their new skills over to the regular season. It's impossible to predict who will prosper and who will falter coming out of spring, but that's just another one of the beautiful parts of baseball.

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