6 Cardinals who should be regulars down the stretch

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The St. Louis Cardinals are in desperate need of star performances. The output from their expected stars -- Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and even Sonny Gray -- hasn't been optimal, and the team as a whole has felt those effects.

Additionally, role players like Nolan Gorman and Lars Nootbaar haven't been performing to the level that was expected of them either. Due to lackluster performances from key players, others have had to step up and fill the void. These are players who should continue to play regularly or pitch often regardless of matchups.

The Cardinals are in desperate need of a run to end the season. They're now two games below .500, and they're slowly fading in the playoff picture. Several players need to step up to help the team make the push. More importantly, however, the front office and coaching staff have to trust these players to go out and perform each day. If Oliver Marmol -- or the front office members -- choose to sit these players or boot them out of their current roles, the Cardinals could be watching the playoffs from home once again.

LHP Matthew Liberatore

For the last three seasons, left-handed pitcher Matthew Liberatore has been yo-yoed between the rotation, the bullpen, and the minor leagues. The team has tried him in a variety of roles throughout his professional career, but he's found a home as a reliever this year.

In 43 appearances (67.1 innings), Libby has a 4.54 ERA, 4.02 FIP, and he's struck out 21.5% of the batters he's faced. Those numbers are a bit misleading, as they're inflated due to his six starts this year.

As a reliever, Liberatore has thrown 44.2 innings with a 3.63 ERA. Opposing batters have a slash line of .224/.287/.329 against him in relief appearances, and his 1.12 WHIP as a reliever is significantly lower than his WHIP as a starter; don't be fooled by Liberatore's overall stats.

With Ryan Fernandez and Andrew Kittredge struggling out of the bullpen lately, Liberatore's ascendance in relief appearances has been necessary. He is able to pitch multiple innings, and he's been excellent against left-handed batters. His slider generates whiffs at a 41.8% rate, and it has a 31.6% K rate. Libby's deep arsenal has been baffling hitters all year, and he should continue to be utilized in high-leverage situations as a reliever.

SS Masyn Winn

Masyn Winn is slowly vaulting himself into Rookie of the Year conversations. Oddsmakers would disagree, but he's been one of the three or four best rookies in the National League all year with Jackson Merrill, Paul Skenes, and Shota Imanaga. After a brief showing last year, Winn has made the best of his chances here in 2024.

Winn's calling card across the minors was his glove and his arm; he was frequently touted as the best defensive shortstop among all prospects in his class, and he's proven that. He currently ranks 11th in all of baseball according to defensive runs saved, and he's tied with Brayan Rocchio of the Cleveland Guardians among all shortstops.

Offensively, Winn has proven more than capable of holding his own at the plate. He is slashing .274/.324/.419 on the year with a 106 OPS+. Winn's 11 home runs are a pleasant surprise, and he has 10 steals to go along with it in 114 games and 430 at-bats. He's striking out at a rate better than league average, and he's not whiffing at pitches (85th percentile whiff rate). Winn is also a bit split-proof, as he has a .729 OPS against right-handed pitchers and a .791 OPS against left-handed pitchers.

While one would like to see a touch more power, particularly doubles, from Winn, these offensive numbers are great for a player with his defensive profile.

Winn has tapped into some power in August, as he has a .531 slugging percentage in the month. His batting average has dropped each month, but his power output in August has been promising. He has four home runs this month alone, and he's walked as many times as he's struck out. If he continues this pace this month, there's no reason to take him out of the lineup barring a necessary day for injury rest here and there.

Masyn Winn's defense and revamped offensive profile this month should make him a mainstay down the stretch this year for the Cardinals.

OF/DH Alec Burleson

Alec Burleson has been the team's best offensive player for most of the year. He trails only Willson Contreras on the roster in wRC+ among players with at least 300 at-bats, and his 21 home runs are also at the top of the team's leaderboard.

Burly's .277/.309/.463 slash line is admirable, and he's been a potent hitter in the #2 spot for most of the year for the Cardinals. He's in just the sixth percentile for walk rate, but he's in the 95th percentile for strikeout rate, the 91st percentile for expected batting average, and the 91st percentile in squared-up percentage. The only metrics he's below average in offensively are barrel rate (46th percentile), bat speed (37th percentile), and chase rate (14th percentile).

Where Burleson can be knocked is defensively. He sits at -8 defensive runs saved with a -5.7 ultimate zone rating, and -8 outs above average in the outfield this year. He's been a neutral defender at first base in just 76 innings, however. Despite efforts this offseason to improve his outfield defense, Burly has not quite seen the results he may have wanted this year.

Additionally, Burleson is prone to heavy splits. While he mashes righties, he struggles mightily against left-handed pitchers. He has a .308/.343/.535 slash line against right-handed pitchers and a .203/.228/.288 slash line against left-handed pitchers. The differences are stark.

My only caveat with Alec Burleson on this list would be his platoon splits. I'm not concerned about his defense, as the Cardinals have Victor Scott II and Lars Nootbaar in the outfield to offset Burleson's weakness in the grass -- and he should probably see more time at first base. His split tendencies would worry me. Playing Burly strictly against right-handed pitchers -- or lefties with reverse splits -- would be ideal. Luckily, the bulk of pitchers in baseball are right-handed, so he should see plenty of playing time down the stretch.

RHP Andre Pallante

Who would you say has been the Cardinals' best starter since the calendar flipped to June? Sonny Gray perhaps? Maybe even Kyle Gibson? The answer, in fact, is Andre Pallante.

Since May 29th, Andre Pallante's first start at the majors this year, he's led the team starting pitchers in ERA, he's second in FIP, second in fWAR, and he leads the staff in home runs per nine innings. Also, hitters are hitting just .232 against him, a figure that is greater than every other starter who has thrown more than 20 innings in that time span.

Andre Pallante has been the Cardinals' best-starting pitcher since June, and that's not hyperbolic. His most recent start against the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers, a team that smoked the Cardinals in the first series all season, featured him cruising through seven innings with five strikeouts and two walks. He gave up four hits and allowed only two runs against one of the best offenses in the league.

What has made Andre Pallante so effective is his ability to generate soft contact and groundballs. He's in the 80th percentile in average exit velocity, the 95th percentile in barrel rate, and the 98th percentile in groundball rate. Sure, Andre has been blessed with a strong defense behind him, but he's taking full advantage of it.

With Steven Matz and Lance Lynn set to return in the near future, space in the rotation will have to be cleared up soon. There's a chance Andre Pallante would be booted, but that should not be the case. Rather, Miles Mikolas should be taken out of the rotation, and Steven Matz should find a home as a long reliever, a role he thrived in late last year. Pallante could be playing himself into the 2025 rotation.

C/DH Willson Contreras

Had Willson Contreras not fractured his arm in May, he could be seeing down-ballot MVP votes this year; he's been that good. Contreras has a .261/.375/.475 slash line this year for a 141 wRC+. He has hit 15 home runs, driven in 35 runners, and he has a well-above-average walk rate on the year. His .215 ISO is one of the best figures of his career.

Contreras has been in the lineup quite often whether it be at catcher or designated hitter, and that's great. It should remain that way, as he's been the team's most complete player all year. Whether it be against left-handed pitchers or right-handed pitchers, Conteras has been able to hit all year. He's done better against lefties (.907 OPS), but he's also no slouch against righties (.840 OPS).

Defensively has been where Contreras has received the most flak for his career. He is a neutral defender according to defensive runs saved, and he is seen as an above average blocker. Where he's struggled the most has been with framing and caught stealing, though he's virtually average this year at both of those met

After the PR debacle last year surrounding Contreras, he needed some reprieve this year. There have been little to no reports surrounding his game calling this year, so he has been able to settle in well with the pitching staff.

Willson Contreras provides a fire that is necessary to this lineup. He can hit in the middle of the lineup, and he's been excellent at getting on base this year. His high walk rate paired with above average contact rates makes him an integral part of the lineup. If he can maintain average defensive metrics, then Contreras has a chance to be the team's most valuable player this year.

OF Jordan Walker

Jordan Walker was once the team's best prospect. He's fallen a bit from grace, but he's still only 22 years old. Most players at that age are still figuring out their games in Double-A or Triple-A. Walker was recalled after infielder Matt Carpenter was placed on the Injured List about a week ago.

Thus far, Walker has been used exclusively as a platoon hitter against left-handed pitchers. There are two problems with that strategy: first, Walker actually has hit better against right-handed pitchers this year, and second, promoting him just to be a platoon hitter will hamper his development. Walker was raking throughout August in Memphis, and his promotion quickly put a halt to that progress.

I'm not saying Jordan Walker is the best hitter on the team and that he therefore needs to play everyday. Instead, it would be best for Walker's development if he did play every day.

Walker has logged only 12 plate appearances since being recalled last week, and his slash line sits at a lowly .091/.167/.258; he has just one hit, a single. Prior to his promotion, Walker was hitting much better at Triple-A Memphis. His recall could possibly stall whatever progress he was making. For the first time all year, Walker was lifting the ball in the air with authority, and the results were promising.

If the Cardinals intend to keep Walker as a fixture for the future, they need to let him play as often as possible at the majors. That is why he belongs in the everyday lineup. Hopefully, consistent reps will allow him to find success at the highest level once again.

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