Ranking the 5 most disappointing Cardinals so far in 2024

5. Dylan Carlson

It was heartbreaking to see on the second to last day of Spring Training when Dylan Carlson collided with Jordan Walker in the outfield and suffered a sprained AC joint putting him on the shelf to start the season. Carlson has since returned from that injury but has sadly not been hitting at all.

After Carlson was a finalist for Rookie of the Year in 2021 it has been a struggle for him at the plate. He hit 18 home runs in 2021, but he has only hit 13 total in the last 3 seasons combined, and his batting average, SLG, OPS, and OPS+ have gone down each year since his rookie campaign. And so have his games played, Carlson has only played 89 games since 2023, and injuries have played a huge role in his decline.

In 2024 specifically, it has only been 13 games and 29 at-bats, but he only has 3 hits ( .103 AVG) all of those hits are singles, and he currently has an OPS+ of minus 5. It may be an over-exaggeration since it is such a small sample size, but this has been boiling for Carlson, his numbers have been in a steady decline, and with Tommy Edman potentially close to coming back you could see him taking playing time away from Carlson in center field.

Also with Victor Scott II seeing some big league time early in the year due to Carlson's injury, he could be seen by the organization as the long-term option at center field. And with the disappointing trends in Carlson's numbers, it could make the Cardinals' decision much easier on who to play.