St. Louis Cardinals 2023 team award winners

Rookie of the Year - Jordan Walker

Well, this wasn't much of a surprise. The Cardinals debuted a huge amount of players this year (8, to be exact); Jordan Walker was the most anticipated of them all. The towering right fielder was a force this Spring Training, and management didn't want to wait. He started on Opening Day, and, excluding a brief demotion, played very well offensively all year.

In 2023, Walker played in 114 games. He hit .276 and slugged .445 with an on-base percentage of .342. He finished the year with a 116 wRC+, good for 16th among all qualified rookies. Jordan Walker also mashed 16 home runs, stole 7 bases, and batted in 51 runners while scoring 51 times himself.

Walker's main struggles came on the defensive side of the ball. He learned how to play the outfield on the fly this year, as he was primarily a third baseman before this year. He was worth -14 Outs Above Average between the two corner outfield spots. While he did make positive strides during the regular season, the hope is that his defense can catch up to his bat with some additional offseason work.

Gold Glove (Best Defender) - Tommy Edman

The Gold Glove award emulates a lot of positive qualities in a baseball player: speed, grit, athleticism, and durability. A player must be able to move well, work hard, and play often to win this award. Tommy Edman embodies each of those qualities well. His ability to play multiple positions with competence strengthens his case for the team Gold Glove Award in 2023.

At the beginning of 2023, it was expected that Edman would get the bulk of his workload at shortstop. With the emergence of Nolan Gorman, a glut of outfielders vying for time, and a raw Masyn Winn in the minors, Edman had shortstop all to himself. However, fate had a different plan. Due to injuries, Edman was thrust into the outfield, most frequently at center field, a position he was wholly unfamiliar with.

Edman ended up thriving in the middle of the grass. In 301 innings in center, Edman was able to accumulate 5 Outs Above Average (OAA). He racked up 4 OAA in just over 350 innings at shortstop, and he was even able to get 1 OAA in 44 innings in right field. Despite a negative OAA at second base, Edman was still able to provide a strong positive output defensively in 2023.

Edman's versatility and skill at four major positions on the field place him as the team's best fielder in 2023. Hopefully, he's able to settle in at one position next year and get comfortable.

Most Improved Player - Nolan Gorman

Nolan Gorman has always been a highly-touted player. His bat was advanced for every level he played at in the minors, and it was expected that he would show good power in the majors. While his defense wasn't stellar, he had the ability to improve steadily at second base.

In 2022, Gorman slashed .226/.300/.420 for an OPS+ of 105. Gorman hit 27 extra-base hits (14 home runs) in 283 at-bats. Perhaps the biggest struggle for Gorman offensively was his tendency to strike out -- 103 K's to 28 walks. Nolan also underperformed defensively. He was still learning a new position at second base. A -12 Outs Above Average score is nothing to write home about, even for a rookie.

In 2023, Gorman has performed much better, particularly defensively. He has a negative value still, but made a great leap forward; Gorman ended his 2023 season with -3 OAA, much better than last year. On the offensive side of the ball, Gorman slashed .236/.328/.478 with a 118 OPS+ and 27 home runs in 406 at-bats. With great steps forward defensively and good progression offensively, Gorman has earned the "Most Improved Player" award.

Andrew Knizner sure deserves a shoutout this year. He has provided solid backup innings for Willson Contreras, especially when Contreras's position was in flux at the beginning of the year. He has controlled the starting staff well and has even shown improvement offensively with a 16-point increase in his OPS+ from last year to this year.

Cy Young - Jordan Montgomery

Jordan Montgomery hasn't been a Cardinal for nearly two months. However, he was and would still be the best pitcher on the team. He was durable, dependable, and effective when he pitched for the Cardinals. It is a shame that the Cardinals couldn't put together a better season so we could see Montgomery in the playoffs once more before his free agency this winter.

In 21 starts and 121 innings, Montgomery accumulated 108 strikeouts. He had an ERA of 3.42, a FIP of 3.73, a WHIP of 1.248, and at least 6 innings in 13 of his 21 starts. He only allowed a total of 54 runs. Monty's ability to pitch late in games while minimizing damage was paramount for the Cardinals's pitching staff which was otherwise woeful for most of the season.

Miles Mikolas would be a contender for this award purely due to his innings total for the team, but his performance has been lackluster all year. His 4.82 ERA with only 127 strikeouts in 194 innings doesn't hold a candle to Monty's otherwise dominant numbers.

Most Valuable Player - Paul Goldschmidt

Major League Baseball gives voters non-specific criteria for MVP each year. Basically, the player must perform above and beyond on both sides of the ball, play a lot of games, and be an upstanding citizen. Those vague criteria make this award particularly challenging to award in some years.

The ever-consistent Paul Goldschmidt has earned this year's team MVP award. Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, and Lars Nootbaar all deserve recognition as well, but Goldy's consistency on both sides of the ball paired with his leadership gives him the edge. Additionally, he has been extremely reliable, as he has played in 154 games thus far and will surpass 700 plate appearances this year. Had Contreras or Nootaar played a full season, this story may have been different. One of the few, specific guidelines and criteria for the Most Valuable Player award includes games played.

In 2023, Goldschmidt has a slash line of .268/.363/.447 for an OPS+ of 120. Goldschmidt has accumulated 3.4 bWAR, and his defensive metrics have rebounded this year. He has accumulated 3 OAA this year.

While this isn't necessarily included in voting for the MVP, Goldschmidt is also the Cardinals's nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. This is a testament to his character and demeanor both on and off the field.