4 perplexing mysteries that the Cardinals must unravel

Jordan Walker's loss of power

Jordan Walker was the Cardinals' hotshot top prospect who razed the minor leagues in 2021 and 2022, hitting 33 home runs across the two levels. After raking throughout Spring Training in 2023, Walker forced his way onto the roster and hit 16 more bombs.

The Cardinals sent Walker down to Memphis in late April of last season to work on his launch angle, and while the action was widely criticized, his adjustments seemed to bear results. However, Walker's power has evaporated in 2024: He failed to hit a home run in 67 major league plate appearances, and in Memphis, he has only hit one home run in 118 plate appearances.

In the Cardinals' effort to change Walker's swing to have him the ball in the air more often, they might have done lasting damage to his power production. His ISO in St. Louis before his latest demotion was only .103, and he had a whopping 50% ground ball rate. He also showed issues with pitch recognition, particularly fastballs and sliders that were low and away.

Walker's power drain is extremely concerning, and he'll need to find that lost thump before earning a promotion to St. Louis. Walker needs to play every day and receive regular at-bats to develop well at the major league level, but if he can't find his stroke in the minor leagues, the Cardinals' most hyped prospect since Oscar Taveras could wind up falling far short of fans' expectations.

Nolan Arenado's defensive degradation

For 10 years, Nolan Arenado was the epitome of perfection at the hot corner, winning a Gold Glove every year in his first decade in the major leagues. For his career, he has 149 defensive runs saved. But in 2023, Arenado's defense cratered, decreasing from an elite 19 defensive runs saved in 2022 to only one in 2023.

Arenado mentioned last season that his back had been bothering him throughout the year, and many people understandably assumed that his back injury was the cause of his defensive collapse. But in 2024, Arenado's fielding has continued to slide, and he is now seven runs below average at third base.

At 33 years old, Arenado should still be a strong defender, even if not at his peak levels. This fall-off is extreme, and it's possible that Arenado is still concealing an injury. That could also partially explain his hitting woes, as he is hitting .257 with only five home runs and a career-low ISO of .115.

Masyn Winn has also come under scrutiny for his 10 errors, tied with Oneil Cruz for second among shortstops behind Elly de la Cruz, but some of that can be misleading, as Winn is able to get to more balls and make chances out of more plays than most other players.

Arenado's contract with the Cardinals runs through 2027, and if the aging cliff has arrived sooner than anticipated and he continues to slip in the field, he may be an expensive obstacle that the Cardinals will have to work around.

Yadier Molina's whereabouts

Cardinals fans were ecstatic when John Mozeliak announced before the 2024 season that longtime Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was going to serve as a special assistant in the front office. Molina had just finished managing the Puerto Rican team Criollos de Caguas in the Caribbean Series and was expected to provide guidance to Cardinals major league and minor league players throughout the season.

But as Spring Training came and went and Molina failed to show up, fans began to wonder if Molina's role with the team was overhyped. Now, in early June, Molina has yet to make his presence in St. Louis, and there is a distinct possibility that he won't show up at all during the season.

It's likely that the front office knew that Molina wouldn't have a major role with the team, but Molina's continued absence places Mozeliak and company in a negative light. It's been speculated that Molina is interested in a managerial position with the Cardinals, but he's unlikely to earn the job if he won't be present for other engagements with the team.

There is precious little information online about where Molina is or why he hasn't appeared in St. Louis. He may still be active with the Puerto Rican basketball team he purchased, Vaqueros de Bayamon, or he could be dealing with family matters. Regardless of his location, the fact that Molina hasn't been with the club is frustrating Cardinals fans in his post-playing career.

The sleuths within the Cardinals organization have their hands full when it comes to figuring out the answers to these burning questions, and fans will be impatiently drumming their fingers to see them solved before the season concludes.