3 right-handed hitters in the minors who could help the Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals' struggles against left-handed pitching have been well documented. Prior to games on August 7th, the team was 27th in all of baseball with a wRC+ of just 83 against left-handed pitchers. Their team OPS of .643 is the 3rd-worst in the league. No matter which stat you turn to, the Cardinals are one of the worst-hitting teams against left-handed pitching in baseball.

Teams are taking note of this, as the Cardinals have faced a left-handed starter in eight of their last 13 games; they are 5-8 in said games. John Mozeliak attempted to correct this weakness during the trade deadline by acquiring Tommy Pham, a player who is slashing .279/.372/.529 against lefties.

However, Pham's inclusion alone hasn't been enough to boost the team's output against southpaws. While more production from cornerstones Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado would be ideal, that doesn't seem to be coming anytime soon. Also, there will be no further outside acquisitions by the team since the trade deadline has already passed.

Therefore, the team will have to look from within to solve their woes against left-handed pitchers. The organization has plenty of capable players in the minor leagues who have hit quite well against lefties, and some have even already made their major league debuts. Finding a spot on the major league roster for said prospects could get tricky, but moves can be made on the 26-man roster to make space.

I've opted not to include Ivan Herrera and Jose Fermin on this list. Both players could easily find a spot on the roster, as Fermin could replace Nolan Gorman, and Herrera could join the catching duo of Willson Contreras and Pedro Pages. In fact, Herrera could swap directly with Pages. However, Herrera has a .650 OPS against lefties in the majors this year and a .643 OPS against lefties at AAA. Fermin has just a .630 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Neither would make a dramatic change to the team's fortunes against southpaws.

Here are 3 players in the minor leagues who could be promoted to finish the season and help the St. Louis Cardinals see more success against left-handed pitchers.

INF Thomas Saggese

There is one major factor that plays against Thomas Saggese when considering him for a call-up this year: he's not on the 40-man roster. That's not a huge problem, as the Cardinals have some players who could be removed pretty easily, but it is a hurdle nonetheless.

Saggese was an offensive monster last year in Double-A. He's struggled more on the offensive side of the ball this year, as he has just an 82 wRC+ in Triple-A Memphis thus far. The ability to be a plus player on the offensive side is absolutely present in Saggese still. He has a .254/.313/.434 slash line against left-handed pitchers this year for a .747 OPS.

While AAA numbers rarely transfer directly to the majors at a comparable rate, that OPS would rank 3rd among Cardinal hitters in the majors with at least 100 plate appearances against lefties. Don't expect to see an OPS in the mid-700s right when he is promoted, though. Given time, Saggese could replicate his minor-league success to the majors.

Saggese has a versatile defensive profile. He's played third base, shortstop, and second base in the minors this year, and he's most frequently been used at shortstop. His best fielding percentage is at second base, and Nolan Gorman could easily be supplanted by Saggese. Don't be alarmed; Thomas Saggese wouldn't replace Masyn Winn.

If Thomas Saggese were to be called up this year to help the Cardinals hit against left-handed pitchers, Nolan Gorman feels like the most likely candidate to be demoted. The two play a very similar position, and Gorman's valleys have been much lower than his peaks have been in height this year. A reset in Memphis could do Nolan Gorman some good to end the year.

1B/DH Luken Baker

For years, Luken Baker has done nothing but hit in Triple-A Memphis for the Redbirds. He had a 180 wRC+ last year, and he has a 121 wRC+ this year. He hit 33 home runs in 2023, and he's already hit 30 this year. He walks at an above-average clip while striking out at a bit of a below-average rate, and his slugging percentage was .720 last year. It sits at .546 this year. For the last two years, Baker has been Memphis's best hitter.

Yet he hasn't gotten a substantial run at the major league level despite already being 27 years old. The primary detractor from Baker's playtime in St. Louis has been Paul Goldschmidt, the veteran first baseman who has a chance at becoming a Hall of Famer. If Goldy weren't manning first base, Luken Baker would have already gotten his fair share of plate appearances there.

This year, in 111 at-bats against left-handed pitchers, Baker is slashing .279/.404/.694 for an OPS of 1.098! 12 of his 30 home runs have come against lefties despite him seeing a left-handed pitcher only 32% of the time. Should Baker be promoted, he would immediately make an impact against southpaws at the major league level.

The issue would be roster construction following Luken Baker's promotion. Goldschmidt has shown some life recently, and it's highly unlikely he's benched, especially against left-handed pitchers, a group he prefers hitting against. If Goldy stays, that gives the team three options at first base: Goldschmidt, Alec Burleson, and now Luken Baker. While Burly can play the corner outfield, having two other guys who can play first base and only DH limits roster flexibility.

Baker could be used solely off the bench, but then he isn't getting the necessary reps to stay fresh. Promoting Luken Baker would help the team against left-handed pitchers, but there isn't much space on the roster for a player who is as one-dimensional defensively as he is.