6 Cardinals players who need to improve before it's too late

The lowly Cincinnati Reds have swept the St. Louis Cardinals and have fallen below .500 for the first time in months. It may already be too late for them, but this upcoming stretch against the Dodgers and Brewers may truly sink their hopes. After recording the best record in the National League since May 12 for an extended stretch, they've scuffled since the All-Star Break and trade deadline. Josh Jacobs and Sandy McMillan updated the Dealin' the Cards player grades through the end of the trade deadline, and many of the top Cardinals players took significant steps back this time around.

Many of their other key players are once again underperforming and the Cardinals will need them at full strength to continue playing well. Here are 6 Cardinals players who need to improve before it's too late.

Nolan Arenado needs to improve before it's too late

We've already seen a bit of improvement from Nolan Arenado in the second half, but the power outage is still very concerning. While the All-Star third baseman is once again hitting for a high average, and coming through with runners in scoring position more in recent games, his 11 homers and .394 slugging percentage don't match up to his career norms at all.

The Cardinals lack a true middle-of-the-order power bat like Arenado was in previous years, with not a single player over the 20-homer plateau yet. While homers aren't everything, they are a crucial part of any playoff contender, and if Arenado can improve his power numbers, the Cardinals will be much better positioned to make a run.

Moreover, Arenado's body language and inability to make tougher defensive plays he's done easily in years past indicate there may be an easy solution to these problems. Many have questioned his effort this season, and it's possible a shift in his motivation could lead to a return to form for the former All-Star.

Paul Goldschmidt needs to improve before it's too late

Amidst Paul Goldschmidt's struggles, rumors of an extension have been brewing, leaving many fans puzzled and frustrated that the team would bring back the former MVP amidst the worst year of his career. Goldschmidt has been a below-league-average hitter this year by OPS+, and his situational hitting has been extremely poor, with just a .513 OPS with runners in scoring position.

Though he regressed significantly from his MVP year in 2022, Goldschmidt was still a productive bat for the Cardinals last year. While many feared age would cause him to regress even further, the team still counted on him to be one of the anchors of a powerful lineup.

This expectation has been anything but real this season, and the Cardinals lineup has suffered greatly for it. Despite finally being moved lower in the order at one point, Paul Goldschmidt has still seen his share of important high-leverage moments go to waste, and his play with runners in scoring position is simply unacceptable.

If Paul Goldschmidt can reclaim even part of his 2023 form and find himself with runners in scoring position, the Cardinals lineup would gain a huge boost. Time's running out for Goldy in his Cardinals career, and it would be extremely unfortunate to see it end like this. Of all the players on this list, I'm least hopeful that we'll see meaningful improvements from Goldy throughout the stretch, as it truly does seem like age has caught up with the future Hall of Famer. However, if he can find some of his MVP magic left in the tank, it would be truly great for the floundering Cardinals offense.

The bullpen needs to improve before it's too late

It's impossible to really pinpoint one or two relievers for this list that need to get better to save the Cardinals' season, but the overall unit has been underwhelming in the second half. The Cardinals' bullpen has largely been the team's calling card throughout the year, and the team is relying upon them to perform well throughout the stretch given the number of close games it plays.

Now, if the hitters on this list can step up, it may make the jobs of the relievers easier, but the bullpen still needs to step up in big situations for the team to continue its success. Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley has not been as dominant in the second half, and other key contributors such as JoJo Romero and Ryan Fernandez have wavered as well.

They also failed to bring in meaningful reinforcements at the trade deadline, so it doesn't seem like they'll be getting much help externally. The Cardinals did bring in Shawn Armstrong from Tampa Bay in the Dylan Carlson trade, but it doesn't seem that he can be an impact bullpen piece. The Cardinals have deferred to other names, such as Kyle Leahy and Chris Roycroft, in high-leverage situations over Armstrong, so a more impactful move could've been beneficial.

Riley O'Brien was recently activated off the injured list, but rather than return to St. Louis to help the Major League club, he was optioned to Memphis. O'Brien showed off his tantalizing fastball in Spring Training, but again, he feels like a name the Cardinals don't have the most trust in. In order for the Cardinals to have any chance of contending throughout the second half, they'll need their bullpen to be razor-sharp with very little margin for error. They did it in the first half, so it's not impossible.

Lars Nootbaar needs to improve before it's too late

Lars Nootbaar was red-hot when he went down with an injury at the end of May, and it was a huge blow to a Cardinals team just beginning to find itself throughout a hot run. However, it seems once he got back, he went cold, as did the Cardinals' offense. In his last 30 games, Nootbaar has slashed just .212/.284/.318, and it's been even worse recently, with a sub-.350 OPS in his last 7 games. For a lineup in desperate need of right-handed bats and a logjam of left-handed hitters like Nootbaar, he's quickly playing himself out of a role.

With Jordan Walker back on the team, it looked like some of the weight could be lifted off Nootbaar's shoulders, but with Walker strictly platooning against left-handed hitters, Noot will need to carry his weight against the righties. While underlying metrics indicate he's getting a bit unlucky, the results must show quickly if the Cardinals hope to get back into contention. It's been yet another disappointing season in Lars Nootbaar's career, and it would be great if he could live up to his immense potential, at least in the final stretch of 2024.

Alec Burleson needs to improve before it's too late

Speaking of another left-handed bat that's ice cold right now, Alec Burleson's latest slump could not have come at a worse time. While Burleson was the Cardinals' most productive bat in the first half, his recent skid has been quite untimely for St. Louis. Throughout his past 15 games, Burleson has slashed .200/.250/.317, and his season OPS has dropped to .764. He was an All-Star-worthy player in the first half, but he's been quite disappointing since the trade deadline.

Nobody was expecting Burleson to be a key contributor as he was viewed as a fourth outfielder in Spring Training, but he's been one reason the Cardinals were competitive in the first half. Despite his overall struggles against left-handed pitching, the Cardinals will need Burleson once again to step up. He was one of the best hitters in the NL until the All-Star Break, and it would be great to have him keep up the production.