5 reasons to be excited about the St. Louis Cardinals in 2023

2. The changing of the guard at catcher

The Cardinals had a gaping hole behind the plate after 19-year veteran Molina called it a career. The front office sprang into action in the offseason, inking former Chicago Cub Willson Contreras to a five-year, $87.5 million contract. Contreras should provide a spark at the plate not seen since Molina's prime years, although opinions on his defense are mixed.

While stolen bases aren't a big part of the game these days, fans will still have to get used to more teams attempting to steal against the Cardinals. In a stat well known to fans, the Cardinals allowed by far the fewest stolen bases of any team during Molina's tenure. With another catcher and larger bases, basestealing attempts will likely rise drastically. The Cardinals hope that Contreras' bat will mitigate that drawback.

It will take some time for fans to adjust to not having Molina behind the plate, but Contreras seemed excited to take the reins. He should be able to adjust to a new pitching staff, and games against the Cubs should have some renewed tension between the two fanbases now that the Cubs' former catching cornerstone wears the birds on the bat.

3. Adam Wainwright's last ride

The Cardinals' last link to the 2011 World Series-winning team (and the 2006 one, for that matter), Adam Wainwright announced last year that he will return for one more season. After a mechanical flaw at the tail end of 2022 hurt his production and knocked him out of the running as a postseason starter, Wainwright wants to go out on the right note.

Wainwright has turned himself into a pitcher who relies on wits and guile, which is somewhat novel in today's game given the prevalence of pitchers who can throw baseballs upward of 100 mph. His pitching knowledge should once again help younger hurlers hone their craft, and he should be able to be among the leaders in innings pitched at the end of the season once again, even at age 42.

Wainwright needs five wins to reach 200 for his career. His Hall of Fame chances might not be especially high given the seasons he missed to injury and the lack of a Cy Young Award, but another productive season could put him over the edge. At the least, fans will be watching a no-doubt Cardinals Hall of Famer and an outstanding ambassador for the sport one last time.

4. The progression of second-year players

It's always interesting to see how players can build on their rookie seasons. For 2023, the focus will be on Nolan Gorman and Brendan Donovan. Gorman's 2022 season was somewhat of a disappointment, earning him a demotion at one point. Donovan's season, on the other hand, was a resounding success; he hit .281 and displayed his utility, playing all over the field.

The question for Gorman is whether he can tap into the stats that show he has a lot of promise. His hard-hit percentage and exit velocity are much higher than the average player's, and his launch angle is solid; he minimizes pop-ups and doesn't hit the ball on the ground too often. Another question regarding Gorman, and perhaps a more pressing one, is whether he can improve his bottom-tier fielding at second base.

It could be a tough task for Donovan to repeat his rookie season. With his lack of power, pitchers shouldn't be afraid to go after him, and his low exit velocity portends a dip in his .330 BABIP from last year. Nevertheless, he will provide value for being able to play nearly anywhere, and even if he takes a step back at the plate, he should continue to contribute in some manner.

5. The philosophies of the new coaches

Jeff Albert and Mike Maddux departed for other teams after last season, and the Cardinals replaced them with new hitting coach Turner Ward and new pitching coach Dusty Blake. These new coaches and their approaches could be a breath of fresh air for the Cardinals.

Paul Goldschmidt has a history with Ward, who worked in the Arizona Diamondbacks' system when Goldschmidt was ascending the ladder to the major leagues, and he served as the Cardinals' assistant hitting coach in 2022. Goldschmidt was often seeing consulting with Ward late last season as well. Manager Oliver Marmol waxed poetic about Ward, saying Ward knows swings well and knows how to mentally prepare a hitter. His ability to explain analytics to hitters could be a big improvement from that of Jeff Albert.

Blake was the Cardinals' pitching strategist for two seasons before his promotion to pitching coach. His analytical mindset comes from his days as the pitching coach at Duke University, where he began using technology such as Trackman to help his pitchers succeed. Whether Blake continues Maddux's pitch-to-contact philosophy or blazes a new trail is worth watching.

If you're an avid Cardinals viewer, there is ample reason to be excited about 2023. It will be fascinating to see how these stories play out during the season, so prepare to settle in and watch another 162-game odyssey unfold