3 St. Louis Cardinals with disappointing second halves

This season, there have been very few positive moments for the St. Louis Cardinals. Even their most exciting wins of the season, back-to-back walk-off wins against Josh Hader and the San Diego Padres, were marred by their place in the standings. Since they took three of four from the Dodgers in late May, only one moment has served to generate any positivity in the fanbase.

That moment was the All-Star Break. The Cardinals entered the break playing solid ball. They seemed to be rebounding from an awful June, and though many still saw a playoff berth as an impossibility, it seemed that the Cardinals could at least finish with a winning record. The Cardinals absolutely had to play well just after the break. A strong stretch meant the difference between buying and selling at the deadline. Unfortunately, they sunk, prompting a fire sale of sorts, which ultimately doomed the 2023 Cardinals to an unceremonious finish. They've mostly played .500 ball since then, but still remain in 5th place in the NL Central. They also never seriously challenged for a playoff spot.

As previously mentioned, this stretch was critical. Obviously, winning just after the break and through August and September was dependent on a few key things. It required the healthy (and effective) return of Adam Wainwright. The Cardinals needed to be able to rely on their other established starters, including Miles Mikolas, Steven Matz, and Jordan Montgomery. Perhaps most importantly, a return to form for some of the team's position players was necessary. Ultimately, these things didn't happen, and now the Cardinals are 66-83. Today, we'll discuss 3 players who experienced particularly disappointing second halves.

1. Tyler O'Neill

Since absolutely crushing it in 2021, Tyler O'Neill has struggled. A disappointing 2022 season was blamed on injuries, and the Cardinals assured fans that O'Neill would be ready to go for 2023. That simply wasn't the case. After a sluggish start, O'Neill went down in early May. He would miss the next ten weeks of action. He returned in late July with many speculating that he may be moved at the deadline. Instead, O'Neill remained with the team. Other teams likely aren't interested in trading for him, as he has shown a serious inability to stay on the field.

Now, please don't confuse this with me saying I don't like Tyler O'Neill. I've traditionally been a huge O'Neill fan, and part of me hopes he gets another shot in 2024. O'Neill may be that big bat the Cardinals always seem to be searching for. His 2021 season didn't and doesn't seem like a fluke. He broke out and proved to the world that he was a talented player, capable of contributing in a number of ways. As long as O'Neill remains in St. Louis, he remains a critical piece on the roster. To be at their best, the Cardinals will need O'Neill to be at his best.

Unfortunately, O'Neill is hurt yet again. This comes on the heels of a stretch in which he sat out a number of games due to lingering issues and discomforts. It's left a number of fans upset with the powerful outfielder, and his future with the Cardinals is in serious doubt. He'll also have no more opportunities to prove his worth to Cardinals executives and fans, leaving them with a sour taste in their mouths. Hopefully, if he remains on the roster through the winter, he'll be ready to play by spring. A healthy Tyler O'Neill would go a long way toward fixing this team.

3. Dylan Carlson

Like the other two, Carlson had both a disappointing year and a more disappointing second half. Carlson was, no matter how you look at it, a bad hitter in 2023. Considering the fact that this was his fourth season, many fans believe it's time to move on. He hasn't shown much growth since a promising rookie season, and his 2023 was actually a huge step in the wrong direction. Carlson's power, once an exciting emerging tool, seems to have dried up completely. He endured a months-long power outage in 2023, which only seemed to build on a frustrating 2022.

Like O'Neill, Carlson has also struggled to stay healthy. He's again on the IL, though, like O'Neill again, this isn't his first trip in 2023. Carlson's season ended in early August. He will now receive zero opportunities to prove to the fans that he's anything other than a 4th outfielder. Also like O'Neill, Carlson's value is probably at an all-time low. Neither of them currently has the ability to fetch a starter with any real upside. This may convince the Cardinals to keep both players, rotating them to distribute playing time in 2024.

It's difficult to see how Carlson fits into the Cardinals' plans at this point in time. It seems that Edman, Nootbaar, and eventually Victor Scott II will each be a factor in center. That doesn't leave much room for Carlson, who struggled much more at the plate in 2023 than the others on this list did. Perhaps Carlson could return to his native position as a corner outfielder, but there he'd have to contend with Walker, Burlseon, Donovan, Yepez, and others. It also doesn't help Carlson's case that many fans see him as the reason Juan Soto isn't currently a Cardinal. Even though those fans are wrong, they're unlikely to change their minds any time soon.

I believe O'Neill has a higher ceiling than Carlson, leaving me slightly less hopeful that he'll remain with the team. However, it's difficult to forget just how good both players were in 2021. They each seemed to be an integral part of the team's core. Now, in 2023, they're fringe players with unknown and non-guaranteed futures. A strong second half may have changed that for both players.