Ranking the St. Louis Cardinals who will benefit the most from new rule changes

#4 - Willson Contreras

Willson Contreras was brought in by the Cardinals to be the long-term replacement for Yadier Molina. While Contreras' defense has been under the microscope this offseason and criticized by many, very few are talking about how his strengths behind the plate will actually be utilized even more under these new rules.

Contreras' main weakness behind the plate is related to his receiving skills, which with automatic strike zones potentially coming soon, may not even be a problem for him anymore. But what he does do well behind the plate is throw-out runners.

The 30-year-old has one of the best arms in baseball behind the plate, and grades well amongst other catchers when it comes to commanding the basepaths. With stolen base attempts expected to rise significantly with the various rules changing that help runners, clubs will need players with great arms behind the plate. Contreras is one of those.

It may not seem like he's a big beneficiary on the surface, but his strengths defensively skyrocket under these new rules.