Overreaction or reality? Takeaways from the Cardinals first Spring Training game

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Is it overreacting or reality? Here were the major takeaways from the Cardinals' first Spring Training game

The St. Louis Cardinals had their first Spring Training action of the year, falling to the Washington Nationals 3-2. It was so good to see this team in action after a long winter, and so many different faces got a chance to play during their first action.

It's hard not to overreact to the first game of Spring Training, but there are some things you can already pick up on, even in exhibition action. Let's look at some of the bigger stories from the game and see if they are overreactions or reality.

Adam Wainwright's velocity decline is worrisome

Surprising to no one, Adam Wainwright received the first start of Spring Training for the Cardinals, looking to ramp up and get some work in before joining Team USA for the World Baseball Classic here shortly. While it is literally the first exhibition game of the year, many noticed how low Wainwright's velocity was.

Wainwright threw 14 sinkers during his first Spring Training action, averaging 84.1 MPH with a max velocity of 85.6 MPH according to Baseball Savant. His other two fastballs, the 4-seam fastball and his cutter, topped out at 82.8 and 80.2 respectively.

No one expected Wainwright to be throwing gas this season, ranking in the 2nd percentile in fastball velocity last season, but even then his sinker averaged 88.6 MPH, meaning Wainwright was 3.9% below his average in 2022.

Wainwright was not going to be the ace of this staff in 2023, and realistic expectations for the 41-year-old was being a solid back-of-the-rotation arm. But based on his struggles at the end of 2022 and continued loss of velocity, it's fair to be at least concerned about whether or not Wainwright can be a valuable rotation member this season

Overreaction or reality? Reality. Wainwright's dip in velocity is a real concern and should be monitored closely throughout Spring and the World Baseball Classic

Brendan Donovan boasting more power this year

In the bottom of the 3rd inning with Paul DeJong on second base, Brendan Donovan took Wily Peralta deep to right field with a line-drive blast, 105.6 MPH off of the bat. Blake Newberry pointed out that he only had three batted balls over 105 MPH in 2022.

Donovan finished 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting in 2022 and was an on-base machine for the Cardinals, but the majority of his damage came in the gaps, not balls that go over the fence. It's well known that Donovan gained muscle this offseason and did similar programs to other Cardinals' to find the best bat for him.

Puck Knob 🤝 Brendan Donovan

Gaining leverage in @theBPLdotcom with increased bat speed, Brendan performs best with added weight closer to the hands pic.twitter.com/D2dMy6DSvY
— Marucci (@MarucciSports) October 24, 2022

After hitting just 5 home runs in 391 ABs, it's not a bold take to say Donovan will add some more power to his game in 2023. The combination of more plate appearances and improvement in his swing won't make him a slugger, but 12-15 HRs could be on the board for Donovan.

Overreacting or reality? Reality. Donovan will feature more power in his game, both in the gaps and over the fence, in 2023.

Paul DeJong looks confident at the plate, ready to bounce back

After back-to-back down seasons for Paul DeJong, the Cardinals' former starting shortstop is facing a make or break Spring Training. The good news for DeJong is that he looked great in his first-game action.

Standing in as the Cardinals DH on Saturday, DeJong drove a slider into the left-center gap for a double in the third inning and then worked a walk later in the game. DeJong's new approach at the plate, specifically getting rid of his big stride, was on full display during his at-bats.

While DeJong did look good in his first game action, it is way too early to take anything major away from his performance. He's looked good in small spurts before, so DeJong will need a much larger sample size to turn opinions of him around.

Overreaction or reality? Overreaction. DeJong still has a lot to prove to the Cardinals' brass.

Moises Gomez is going to do major damage for St. Louis is 2023

One name in the Cardinals' young position player group that often gets overlooked is Moises Gomez. After slugging 39 home runs in the minors last year, some have wondered if Gomez could sneak his way onto the Cardinals roster ahead of names like Alec Burleson Juan Yepez, and Jordan Walker.

In his first at-bat for the Cardinals this spring, Gomez smoked a double at 105.7 MPH off the bat, which is one of his major strengths as a player. Whenever Gomez makes contact with a ball, it tends to be hit very hard, and that is what allows him to consistently do so much damage at the plate.

Still, Gomez must prove that he can make contact at a high enough clip to make that power useable. There are concerns around the league related to Gomez's approach and swing-and-miss in his game. But if Gomez can continue to put the ball in play, good things will happen.

Overreaction or reality? Overreaction. Gomez needs a larger sample size and to prove he is cutting down on his swing and miss.

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