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Grading every St. Louis Cardinals player so far: The good, the bad, and the ugly
We're halfway through the MLB regular season. Which Cardinals players have performed the best?
We're at around the midway point of the season for the St. Louis Cardinals, and as the All-Star Break approaches, it's the perfect time to reflect upon player performances. Recently, I ranked every Cardinals player to make an appearance this season with Josh Jacobs and Sandy McMillan on the Dealin' the Cards Podcast. To get some more context on this ranking, check out the episode linked below.
Unranked - Adam Kloffenstein
Kloffenstein threw just one inning for the Cardinals at the game at Rickwood Field. It feels a bit unfair to assign him a grade with such a small sample size. For what it's worth, Kloffenstein earned a hold and set up the save for Ryan Helsley in a special game. He'd probably get a B, but one inning in one appearance is really nothing to go off.
F - Jose Fermin, Dylan Carlson, and Giovanny Gallegos
This one's a bit unfair to Fermin, as he's been unable to get consistent playing time. However, when he's in the game either as a reserve infielder or a pinch hitter, Fermin has been dreadful. With just a 39 OPS+, Fermin has been a black hole offensively while providing minimal value with his glove. It's a tough spot for a 25-year-old, but Fermin hasn't taken advantage at all.
Meanwhile, Dylan Carlson has gotten a fair bit of run after returning from injury, but after a solid Spring, Carlson hasn't looked himself at all. His defense is a plus whenever the Cardinals can get it, but his 38 OPS+ is lower than Fermin's. Once a touted prospect and Rookie of the Year candidate, Carlson has fallen quite far from his potential. It's extremely disappointing, and the Cardinals may be inclined to cut bait with him at July's trade deadline.
Lastly, Giovanny Gallegos no longer has any place on the Cardinals' roster. He's recorded a 10.80 ERA in his 14 appearances as walks and home runs have skyrocketed for the veteran reliever. After being placed on the injured list to get refreshed, Gallegos was dreadful in his Minor League rehab stints. He'll be used strictly in mop-up duty for now, but if he continues to struggle the Cardinals may have to DFA their once-prized reliever.
D - Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Zack Thompson, Riley O'Brien, Jordan Walker, Victor Scott II, and Steven Matz
Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado are one and the same this season. Both have been extremely disappointing offensively and haven't been able to hold their weight. While both are still batting near the heart of the order, when Lars Nootbaar and Tommy Edman return healthy, Oli Marmol may need to make a tough decision and bat Goldschmidt and Arenado's 6th and 8th, respectively. It's tough to watch two future Hall of Famers struggle the way they have for half a season, but this may just be who they are now. Both below-league-average bats with little power, Goldy and Arenado, have fallen far from their heights as MVP finalists in 2022.
With Sonny Gray's early season injury, Zack Thompson was thrust into a starting role, and it just didn't work out. It wasn't entirely fair, but his 9.53 ERA was not playable in the rotation, and he's now in Triple-A, honing his craft as a starter.
Like Adam Kloffenstein, Riley O'Brien only pitched one inning but he did allow a run to the Dodgers. However, his absence is not due to a demotion but rather an injury. He was one of the most exciting arms in Spring Training, but he just hasn't shown up so far.
Jordan Walker's 2023 season was extremely promising, and while he improved his abysmal defense coming into the 2024 season, his bat completely dropped off, resulting in a demotion to Triple-A, where he's been since April. There may not even be a spot for Walker on the roster this year, as the emergence of Alec Burleson has taken up right field. It's extremely disappointing for Cardinals fans as Walker was supposed to be a key part of a potent lineup that's largely been disappointing.
Like Zack Thompson, Victor Scott II was also unfairly thrust into action due to an injury, with Dylan Carlson landing on the IL on the final day of Spring Training. He showed flashes of greatness with his speed and with his glove, but his bat was clearly not ready for Major League pitching. With an OPS+ of -21 (no, that's not a typo), the Cardinals simply couldn't keep him on the active roster. Hopefully, Scott's development hasn't been hindered, but his struggles in Triple-A so far aren't the most encouraging.
When healthy, Steven Matz has been an inconsistent starter at best. However, now that he's been sidelined for another big portion of the season, Matz's inability to stay on the field has been a huge hindrance to the Cardinals' rotation that has been extremely inconsistent with the fifth starter role. Will it be Liberatore? How about Andre Pallante? There's no solid fifth starter on the team thanks to Matz's injury, and his 4-year contract is looking like a huge disappointment.
C - Miles Mikolas, Michael Siani, Pedro Pages, Ivan Herrera, Chris Roycroft, Lance Lynn, Kyle Leahy, Nick Robertson, Nolan Gorman, Matt Carpenter, Brandon Crawford, and Andre Pallante
Miles Mikolas had a dreadful start to the season. But recently, he's been able to adjust and give the Cardinals much-needed quality innings in the rotation. With an ERA under 3 in his last 7 starts, Mikolas bouncing back may be exactly what St. Louis needs to fortify the rotation. Yes, they will need to add a fifth starter, but Mikolas has given them the stability to power through to the trade deadline after a horrendous start to the season.
Michael Siani and Pedro Pages have contributed essentially in the same way this season. Both have been abysmal at the plate, but excellent in the field. Siani is arguably the best defender in all of baseball in OAA (outs above average) and Pages has been a much-needed anchor behind the plate with Contreras on the IL missing 40 games. Neither should be starting, but with the injury situation of the Cardinals, both have stepped up by providing stellar defense.
Ivan Herrera has been the opposite of Pedro Pages. He's been a quality backup catcher from an offensive standpoint, but his defense, specifically his arm, has been lackluster at best. It's unfortunate to have him on the injured list right now, but between him and Pages, it's unclear which is the superior backup to Contreras.
Neither Chris Roycroft nor Kyle Leahy have been spectacular in the bullpen, but they've both provided quality innings when called upon and are great depth options from the Minor Leagues. They'll ride the Memphis shuttle a bunch this year, but those players are always important for a successful team. The same goes for Nick Robertson. He's been better than Leahy and Roycroft, but he just hasn't been as healthy.
While Lance Lynn has given the Cardinals chances to win, his reputation as an "innings eater" is on the line. While partially due to starts cut short by rain, Lynn just hasn't given the Cardinals enough length in the rotation this season. His underlying metrics are also extremely concerning, so he may rank lower on this list at the end of the year.
Nolan Gorman's streakiness is well-noted, but it looks like he's been on the wrong end of those streaks more often than not this year. He did put together an incredible stretch at the end of May, where it looked like he might make an All-Star push, but he's been extremely cold ever since. If the Cardinals make a playoff run, though, and Gorman gets hot, look out!
Matt Carpenter and Brandon Crawford haven't been much of anything offensively for the Cardinals, but the intangibles they bring to the clubhouse atmosphere have been massive. Fans joke about players who "wanted to be here" or who add "veteran leadership," but both Crawford and Carpenter have been credited with the emergence of Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson, respectively. It's great to have both of them in a Cardinals uniform.
Andre Pallante is definitely more comfortable as a starter than a reliever, but he just hasn't been that good as the fifth option in the rotation. With an ERA hovering around 5, Pallante's inconsistency and inability to provide innings has been quite a problem. He shouldn't be in this spot to begin with, as Matz should be healthy. But the Cardinals definitely need another option. He hasn't been awful, but he also can't be the answer.
B - JoJo Romero, Andrew Kittredge, Lars Nootbaar, and Matthew Liberatore
JoJo Romero and Andrew Kittredge have both been great as part of the "big three" in the Cardinals bullpen supporting Ryan Helsley. Both have wavered a bit due to over-usage and fatigue in recent weeks and while they've both regressed a bit, it's not entirely their fault. They've been called upon time and time again to preserve leads for the Cardinals this season as the offense just can't score enough runs to run away with the victory. They haven't relinquished the lead many times this year, but their recent struggles are something to keep an eye on.
If Lars Nootbaar could just stay healthy, the Cardinals' lineup could be extremely dangerous. On the IL once again, Nootbaar's frustrating injury saga continues. But, when healthy, Lars takes the Cardinals offense to the next level. With a 111 OPS+, Nootbaar is one of the best hitters on the team and he hasn't even reached his potential yet. He hits the ball extremely hard, and his expected metrics indicate he's a much better hitter than the results show. Hopefully, he can stay healthy for the rest of the year once he returns.
Matthew Liberatore has probably the most unfair role on the Cardinals roster so far. He competed for a starting job in Spring Training, but concerns about his velocity led the Cardinals to go with Zack Thompson instead. In relief, Liberatore has been absolutely dominant against left-handed hitters and more than serviceable against righties. However, he's been unfairly called upon to start games many times this season. While he hasn't been great, we've also seen flashes of greatness in Liberatore as a starter, most recently in the series finale win against the Atlanta Braves. Liberatore should probably just stick to high-leverage relief when the Cardinals acquire their fifth starter, but he could also fill that role as an internal option.
A - Brendan Donovan, Alec Burleson, Kyle Gibson, Ryan Fernandez, and John King
Brendan Donovan slumped for much of the season so far, but he's been extremely hot during this stretch of winning baseball for St. Louis. Always taking quality at-bats, Donovan has cemented himself as a clutch hitter in the heart of the Cardinals' order while also playing great defense at a number of positions. He's mainly filling in left field right now until Lars Nootbaar returns, but his ability to play all across the diamond allows rest days for other struggling hitters. He's not quite All-Star caliber, but he's pretty close.
The emergence of Alec Burleson as the Cardinals' number-two hitter has been a great surprise for the team. He ranks among the best in batting average, slugging, and OPS for National League outfielders and truly has a case to make the All-Star team. The underlying metrics that Burleson has largely underperformed so far in his career are finally showing through, and he's become arguably the best hitter on the team during its hot stretch. His elite bat-to-ball skills and exit velocity make him one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball.
Kyle Gibson has done exactly what he was brought in to do. Give the Cardinals a chance to win every fifth day. Gibson has consistently pitched into the 6th or 7th inning, giving the Cardinals both quality and length. While his most recent start against the Braves wasn't great, he was returning from back issues that caused him to miss a start. Gibson has been a welcome surprise as many fans were underwhelmed by his addition this offseason. He's certainly proved us wrong.
Both Ryan Fernandez and John King have been revelations as bullpen support. Both have pitched extremely well to give rest to JoJo Romero and Andrew Kittredge in recent weeks. With an ERA below 2.50, both have been reliable high-leverage arms that seemingly came out of nowhere. Chaim Bloom gets an A for advising the Cardinals to take Fernandez in the Rule-5 draft, and it looks like King's performance from last season may be sustainable after all.
S (A+) - Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Ryan Helsley, and Masyn Winn
Sonny Gray's dominance has continued after a second-place Cy Young finish in the American League with the Twins last season. Despite missing a few starts early in the season, Gray has been as good as ever, with the 6th lowest ERA in the National League. He had a hiccup midway through the season, but he's figured it out and given the Cardinals their best pitcher since 2019 Jack Flaherty. The Cardinals needed a frontline ace, and they've got one in Sonny Gray.
When Willson Contreras went down with an injury in May, it looked like the Cardinals' season was truly over, as the lineup was struggling and Contreras was the only hitter performing above league average. Contreras was on a tear too, with an OPS in the mid-900s and much improved defensively behind the plate. After fracturing his arm, Contreras returned to action in record time, showing his dedication to winning and to the team. Unfortunately, due to so much missed time, it's unlikely Contreras will make the All-Star team, but it's great to have the starting catcher back for a playoff push in the second half.
Ryan Helsley has broken the Cardinals record for consecutive saves without a blown save at 28. After blowing a save to the Dodgers in game 3 of the season, Helsley hasn't wavered at all. The Cardinals went on to win that game against the Dodgers too, so no harm done, right? While walks have been an issue for him in recent appearances, the Cardinals closer has bent but not broken and has been a critical piece for the team's success so far. Consider him a lock for the All-Star Game.
The emergence of Masyn Winn as a true Rookie of the Year contender has been amazing to watch. After a rough start to his Major League career at the end of 2023, Winn has shown himself as a complete player, hitting with two strikes, playing great defense at shortstop, and even hitting for power when he needs to. The All-Star competition in the National League will be stiff at shortstop, but Masyn Winn has a great chance to be in Arlington for the Midsummer Classic.
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