5 Cardinals who've shown great improvement through May, 2 who must improve

The St. Louis Cardinals have made a dramatic improvement in recent days. There's much speculation about what is behind the fire lit under this team, but it's great to see and we hope it continues into June and beyond.

The team is now 23-26 after completing their first sweep of the season over a young Baltimore Orioles squad, who had not been swept since May 2022. They are now closer to .500 baseball and a full game ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates in third place. It seems like the best baseball we've seen from the team in ages—or at least two years ago.

The most improvement has come from a core of young players who will be Cardinal mainstays for years. However, improvement is desperately needed from a couple of players who are signature pieces to this team. Seeing these young stars shine should boost the improvement of veterans.

Masyn Winn has improved

Management received a lot of criticism at the beginning of the season for how they were handling Winn. The team signed veteran shortstop Brandon Crawford to mentor and back up the young star, who has some lower back issues.

As time has gone by this season, Winn has gained more consistent playing time, finally showing some benefit. He hit his second home run of the season in the seventh inning of Wednesday afternoon's game. The home run traveled 375 feet at 99.8 mph on a 78.6 mph slider from Cole Irvin. The hit had a launch angle of 21, which indicates he is not trying to go up into the range where more pop-ups are possible. Winn generally hits with an angle to get fly balls and is getting good results.

On Friday, Winn had a homer travel 402 feet at 102.8 mph on an 83.4 mph sweeper from Cam Booser of the Boston Red Sox. The hit had a launch angle of 28 and was still within flyball range.

With a career-best 13-game hitting streak, he is getting on base more and contributing with his speed. Winn is a good case study for backing off and gaining a launch angle on hits.

Paul Goldschmidt needs to improve

In one moment, Goldschmidt looks like he has his MVP-caliber stuff back; the next moment, he's striking out with the bases loaded. Goldschmidt has had a frustrating season so far. It is time for him to shake things up and make some improvements.

It's easy to see that he is overthinking things at the plate because he desperately wants to contribute positively to this team. Days off and time as the team's designated hitter do not help. Because the team so desperately needs him, Goldschmidt is working on the fly to regain the spark needed to put back up MVP numbers.

He is hitting .211/.291/.303 with an OPS of .594. In 46 games, he has five doubles, four home runs, 23 runs scored, and 16 RBIs. He does have three stolen bases. These are just different from the numbers you expect to see from Goldschmidt.

He is in the final year of a five-year contract worth $130 million. He has become a beloved fan favorite in St. Louis. Hopefully, he can turn things around over the next few weeks to help himself and the Cardinals.

Brendan Donovan has improved

Nothing compares to having a healthy and contributing player like Brendan Donovan on the roster. While he had a rough streak, Donovan has picked up the pace and is making great contributions to the base path.

Check out this from Wednesday's game:

The one-time Gold Glove-winning utility player has worked to come back after a season-ending surgery in 2023. While he's had his ups and downs, Donovan has reminded fans of what's been missing from the Cardinals this week. Donovan is showing off his scrappiness and grit and allowing everyone to see what a valuable player he is for the Cardinals organization.

This season, he's already had time in left field, third base, second base, and as the team's designated hitter. In each spot, he's excelled at defense, and he's starting to make waves on offense. He's hitting .230/.311/.366 with 11 doubles, a triple, four home runs, 21 runs scored, 21 RBI, and 17 walks.

Here's hoping Donovan continues to improve and reclaims the title of Gold Glove-winning utility player.

Nolan Arenado needs to improve

Arenado is another player for whom fans have high expectations for a successful season. However, much like last season, the talented third baseman needs help getting back on track.

He's hitting .269/.322/.371 with ten doubles, three home runs, 20 runs scored, 21 RBIs and 14 walks. He is averaging a launch angle of 17, so he's getting more line drives. He's never averaged as a fly-ball hitter but has gotten more lift from his swings in the past. When he first joined the Cardinals, he averaged an angle of 20-21.

It's obvious Arenado is working to improve his swing. After experiencing lower back tightness last season, he's making adjustments. Hopefully, Arenado can zero in on the key to getting more production from his swing.

He's still the best when it comes to defense.

Lars Nootbaar has improved

Those aren't boos you're hearing when Nootbaar is at the plate. You're hearing a loud chorus of NOOOOT!

The international superstar started the season off slow after a rib injury set back his start. Something clicked for Nootbaar in May, and the talented youngster is getting hits and making spectacular plays in the outfield, like this play from Wednesday.

Nootbaar is hitting .213/.329/.386 with seven doubles, five home runs, 22 walks, 13 runs scored, 22 RBI and two stolen bases. He is a dynamic player and a fan-favorite clubhouse presence. Hopefully, Nootbaar will keep up the great work and increase his superstar power.