The Cardinals had 13 different players lead them in bWAR the last 13 years

2012: Yadier Molina (7.2)

With Albert now in Anaheim, the door opened for a new player to become the face of the franchise, and here he is. It’s not surprising for fellow Hall of Famer Yadier Molina to join his counterpart on this list, but it is shocking that the 9-time Gold Glover is only on this list once.

It’s hard to believe that the beloved St. Louis catcher has only once led the Cardinals in bWAR during his 19-year career, but somehow it’s true. How is this possible? Well, bWAR undervalues the catcher position. If we look at fWAR, Molina actually led the team from 2011-2013. 

2012 was by far Molina's best season offensively, posting a slash line of .315/.373/.501/.874, while clubbing a career-high 22 home runs. After notching his second consecutive platinum glove with spectacular defense behind the plate, he finished 4th in MVP voting, cementing himself as the new face of the Cardinals. The transition from Pujols was short-lived, and the Cards’ success continued.

2013: Matt Carpenter (6.6)

Let’s look at another key player in the Cards’ success in the early 2010s: Matt Carpenter had his breakout season in 2013. As the newfound Cardinals’ leadoff hitter, Carpenter did not disappoint. With elite plate discipline and hitting tools, Carpenter led the Majors in runs scored, hits, and doubles. 

After notching his first All-Star selection and Silver Slugger award, Carpenter was a key part of the Cards’ 2013 pennant run. It’s no wonder the future Cardinals Hall of Famer is on this list, as his productivity would continue for many years to come.

2014: Adam Wainwright (6.4)

And now emerges the Cardinals’ ace. Adam Wainwright was spectacular in 2014. Waino posted a stellar 2.38 ERA through 227 innings pitched, throwing 3 shutouts and recording his only 20-win season. Unfortunately, he fell short of the Cy Young to Clayton Kershaw, who was en route to an MVP (and a spectacular Postseason collapse), and also Johnny Cueto. However, 2014 Waino should not be overlooked, and his dominance was electric.

A magical 2006 World Series run, breaking the all-time record for starts as a battery with Yadier Molina, and the newest member of the 200-win club. It’s impossible to tell the story of the St. Louis Cardinals without the illustrious career of Adam Wainwright. But some of these next players? Yeah, let’s get weird.

2015: Jason Heyward (6.9)

Wait what? For a team that won 100 games, surely there was a player more valuable than Jason Heyward, right? Following the tragic passing of top outfield prospect Oscar Taveras in the 2014 offseason, the Cardinals needed a right fielder. The Cardinals acquired Heyward (and reliever Jordan Walden) from the Braves for Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins. Despite putting up solid offensive numbers in 2015 with a .797 OPS and 117 OPS+, Heyward’s value came with the glove. In terms of WAR, Heyward put up by far the best defensive season of his career with 2.3 defensive WAR en route to his second Gold Glove.

Unfortunately, most Cardinals fans probably know Heyward from his tenure with the Cubs, as Heyward would head to Chicago in free agency at the end of the season. 

2016: Carlos Martinez (6.1)

To say Carlos Martinez’s tenure with the Cardinals was rocky would be an understatement. However, from 2015-2017 Martinez was one of the Cards’ most reliable arms. Through 92 starts, Martinez pitched to a 3.24 ERA with a 126 ERA+. Throwing 580 innings through 3 seasons, Carlos was someone the Cardinals could trust to pitch deep into starts.

For a team entering a 3-year Postseason drought and struggling to find its identity in a division dominated by the World Series champion Cubs, Carlos Martinez was certainly a bright spot.

2017: Tommy Pham (6.2)

From 2014-2016, Tommy Pham was a solid outfielder for the Cardinals, but he took the next step in 2017 with a phenomenal breakout. In just 128 games, Pham left his mark on a seemingly directionless Cardinals team, posting a slash line of .306/.411/.520/.931 and finishing 11th in NL MVP voting. 

While it looked like Pham was poised to become a part of the future core, a disappointing start to 2018 saw him shipped off to the Rays in exchange for prospects Justin Williams, Genesis Cabrera, and Roel Ramirez.

2018: Miles Mikolas (5.3)

A move questioned by many Cardinals fans when it first happened, the Cardinals signed Miles Mikolas from the Yomiuri Giants of NPB before the 2018 season. After struggling in 3 seasons with the Padres and Rangers, Mikolas headed to Japan to figure out his craft. 

The emergence of Mikolas as a stable innings eater in the rotation was huge. He pitched to a 2.83 ERA, threw over 200 innings in 2018, and led the Majors in walk rate, earning an All-Star nod and finishing 6th in NL Cy Young voting. With a surprising new arm, the Cardinals could rely upon, the stage was set for a return to the Postseason.

2019: Jack Flaherty (5.9)

With veterans Mikolas and Wainwright solidifying the rotation, the emergence of a young ace is exactly what the Redbirds needed. And this is where Cardinals fans start to dream of what could’ve been. As a top pitching prospect, many viewed Flaherty as the ace of the future. And 2019 is where he proved his potential. 

After a decent first half, Flaherty was untouchable in the second half posting a 0.91 ERA, the third lowest in Major League history behind only Bob Gibson and Jake Arrieta. His 0.968 WHIP and 6.2 H/9 led the National League, and Flaherty finished 4th in Cy Young voting. Sadly, injuries and inconsistency marred the rest of Flaherty’s time in St. Louis and he was never truly able to blossom into the ace fans wanted.

2020: Paul Goldschmidt (2.1)

2020 was weird. After playing just 5 games, the Cardinals were off for the next 17 days after suffering a COVID outbreak. They were forced to play 53 games in the next 44 days, and many players missed significant time. Still, Paul Goldschmidt played all 58 games (2 of the postponed games were not made up), leading the Cardinals to an unusual wildcard berth. Though his power numbers were down with just 6 home runs, Goldy hit .304 with a .417 on-base for an excellent .883 and 145 OPS+. 

In a pandemic-shortened season, there were all sorts of bizarre statistics. Brad Miller led the team in home runs with 7, an honor he shared with Tyler O’Neill. But, Goldy appearing on our list of bWAR leaders will surprise no one.

2021: Tyler O’Neill (6.1)

Speaking of Tyler O’Neill, here he is. Like Jack Flaherty’s 2019, Tyler O’Neill’s 2021 was a glimpse of an otherwise disappointing Cardinal player at his full potential. After struggling through his first 3 seasons in the Majors, where he hit to a paltry .713 OPS in 450 plate appearances, O’Neill put the pieces together for a monster campaign. Combined with Gold Glove defense in left field, O’Neill smoked 34 homers and posted a 148 OPS+ to finish 8th in MVP voting. A torrid 13-homer September amidst a 17-game winning streak netted O’Neill Player of the Month honors and the Cardinals an unlikely wildcard berth.

Sadly, O’Neill’s time in St. Louis has been marred by injuries after 2021 and he has yet to find his 2021 form. He probably won’t, but hopefully, he can find this performance again instead of becoming another frustrating “what-if.”

2022: Nolan Arenado (7.9)

The 2022 season was magic. With the return and resurgence of Albert Pujols on his quest to 700 home runs, Waino and Yadi breaking the all-time record for starts as a battery, and Paul Goldschmidt en route to an NL MVP, could you believe the Cardinals’ bWAR leader was actually none of those guys?

With Paul Goldschmidt’s fantastic MVP season (7.8 bWAR), it seemed inevitable that he would lead the team in bWAR, and the streak would end in 2022. But not so fast. Finishing 3rd in MVP voting, Goldy’s teammate Nolan Arenado put up just slightly worse offensive numbers (153 OPS+ against Goldy’s 179 OPS+). However, Nolan’s platinum glove defense contributed 2.3 bWAR, Goldy was penalized for playing a less valuable position at first base, and Arenado edged his MVP teammate by just 0.1. 

With Albert and Yadi now gone, Goldy and Arenado’s monster years proved that the Cardinals still had a wealth of talent for the future. Surely the Cardinals’ success will continue, right?

2023: Willson Contreras (3.4)

Well, no. The 2023 season speaks for itself and I’d rather not spend more time thinking about it. With the only losing season on this list, it should come as no surprise that the bWAR total of the leader is by far the lowest amongst all players included on this list.

What’s surprising is Contreras’s inclusion on this list. After being scrutinized for poor defense and pitch-calling early in the season, the front office temporarily moved Contreras to a DH role. After struggling and losing his confidence for part of the season, Contreras bounced back greatly, putting up a .264/.358/.467/.826 slashline and a 124 OPS+ exceeding his career averages.

While it’s true that bWAR doesn’t value catcher defense as much as it probably should, Contreras’s inclusion on this star-studded list will hopefully dissuade the front office from removing him from catching duties again next season, as rumors suggest. Doing so may result in yet another disaster season.

Conclusion

Ultimately, this fun case study probably falls into the category of stats that exist but do not matter. But, the Cardinals’ ability to accomplish this is a testament to their depth. Relying upon a few star players for success is risky, and the Cardinals have always found ways to bring in players who contribute to their success. Having star players is extremely important. This list is filled with Cardinals legends and future Hall of Famers, but surrounding those stars with a strong supporting cast is equally important, and the Cardinals have done just that.

I can’t wait to see which players will lead the team in bWAR in future seasons. Maybe Lars Nootbaar, who was on pace to lead the team if he had stayed healthy, will do it next year. Maybe Jordan Walker and his refined defense will truly break out. Nolan Gorman? Brendan Donovan? Tommy Edman? Sonny Gray? The possibilities are endless.