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Cardinals: Why does national media seem to be higher on St. Louis than their fans?
National media tends to like the Cardinals more than their fans for 2023
The St. Louis Cardinals are a perennial contender in the National League and appear to be the clear favorites in the NL Central going into the 2023 season. Still, even after signing former Chicago Cub Willson Contreras to be their new starting catcher, fans seem to be frustrated and low on the team's ceiling.
While I do not disagree that the club could have done more, whether it was pursuing a star shortstop or acquiring a front-line starting pitcher, national media seems to think St. Louis is in better shape than Cardinals fans believe.
ESPN ranks the Cardinals as a top 4 team in NL
After MLB.com listed the St. Louis Cardinals as the 5th best lineup in baseball for the 2023 season, ESPN came out with their power rankings of MLB clubs, listing the Cardinals as the 7th best team in baseball.
What may come as a surprise to some is the teams they have them ranked above, such as the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Guardians, Brewers, and Phillies. They have St. Louis projected at 92 wins and an 84% chance to make the playoffs. Here is what ESPN had to say about the Cardinals.
The Cardinals are rarely aggressive when it comes to a quantity of moves to add players from outside the organization. However, St. Louis has been opportunistic when it comes to making a targeted move, and generally those have paid off. The latest maneuver to fit that bill is the signing of catcher Willson Contreras. It's the only move that as of now figures to impact the big league depth chart in a significant way. Yet it appears to have been enough to give the Redbirds a strong offseason grade, as the roster looks solid. Another starting pitcher would be a good idea, but don't we always say that about St. Louis?
Sure, it is not like ESPN is calling the Cardinals a super team by any means. I am sure they would be a tier below the Braves, Mets, and Padres in their eyes, but I am not sure enough Cardinals fans understand how good this team could be in 2023, and how they stack up against the best in the NL. The Dodgers lost a lot of key contributors this off-season and did little to replace many of them. The Phillies will be without Bryce Harper for a large chunk of 2023, and even with the addition of Trea Turner, the Phillies barely made the playoffs in 2022.
The point is, the Cardinals are viewed by people in baseball as a legitimate threat, and that's even with some question marks on the roster. There is a lot of potential on the roster to be even better than projected right now, and the front office could go out and make some moves as well mid-season to shore up any holes.
I feel like a lot of people are overlooking the Cardinals. They won 93 games last season and are bringing back the whole team, plus a big upgrade at catcher from Yadi to Contreras. Don’t be surprised if they get close to 100 wins next season.
— MLB Metrics (@MLBMetrics) December 29, 2022
What is it that makes people feel so down on this team then? Well, it seems more to do with how ownership and the front office are operating than the team itself.
So, why does it feel like fans are down on the team?
It's clear that there is a ton of frustration among Cardinals fans at the lack of spending right now. St. Louis currently ranks 16th in projected payroll for the 2023 season, which is frustrating when you consider a smaller market like San Diego has a top 5 payroll. There are real questions about whether or not the team can truly compete year in and year out with the best in the game at a smaller payroll.
Yes, the club is relying on some projections and rebound seasons from their lineup as well. They lack the depth of stars in their lineup that other contenders have. St. Louis also lacks a true ace in their rotation, and are now hoping that Jack Flaherty can step up and be the ace they need in 2023.
All of these things are true, but I think Cardinals Nation is still lowering on this club than they need to be. As things currently stand, I really like their chances in 2023. You can say it's foolish optimism, but I have a hard time believing that the club will not get high-level seasons from even just a few of Flaherty, Tyler O'Neill, Dylan Carlson, Nolan Gorman, Juan Yepez, and Jordan Walker. Just a few of these players making steps forward from 2022 puts the Cardinals in an excellent position to compete with the best in the NL.
Had it not been for a very odd meltdown from star closer Ryan Helsley and the club's elite defense in the 9th inning of Game 1 in the Wild Card Series against the Phillies, the Cardinals may have been the team that made a run this last postseason. Even if they only made it to the NLDS or NLCS, perceptions about this club would be much different. The Cardinals do need to do a better job positioning themselves to make deeper runs, but just ask teams like the Mets, Dodgers, and Braves how their postseasons went last year. Money does not guarantee success.
We all want this club to succeed and do well. Keep pushing the front office and ownership to make significant moves, but don't lose sight of the potential this team has in the process, Cardinal Nation.
Next. Breakout Cardinals from this past season. dark