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Who are the last 5 Cardinals with over 30 home runs in a season?
The Cardinals have had many home run hitters over the years.
Who have been the top home run hitters for the St. Louis Cardinals over the past decade?
Albert Pujols had a fantastic career with the St. Louis Cardinals. He had many memorable moments. It should be noted in any conversations regarding the Cardinals and home runs, Pujols must be mentioned. The man had 703 career home runs. Albert Pujols hit over 30 home runs for the Cardinals in 2007, 2002, 2011, 2008, and 2001. Pujols hit over 40 home runs in 2005, 2010, 2003, 2004, and 2009.
Mark McGwire had an epic stint with the Cardinals. In 1998, he broke the season record for home runs hit by knocking 70 homers. McGwire competed against the Cubs' Sammy Sosa for a memorable home run chance. While the two are accused of using performance-enhancing drugs during the race, it's still an impressive accomplishment. He had 65 home runs during the 1999 season.
Now let's discuss more recent mashers in Cardinals lore.
5. Matt Carpenter - 36 home runs in 2018
Matt Carpenter had the best season of his career in 2018. He slashed .257/.374/.523 with an OPS of .897. He had 42 doubles and 36 home runs. He had 111 runs scored and 81 RBI.
Besides the one season of excellence, Carpenter could reach career numbers again. Carpenter even earned a contract extension for his 2018 season. After his big season, he signed a 2-year $39 million contract extension with St. Louis. The Cardinals declined an option for the 2022 season, allowing him to become a free agent.
He signed a free-agent deal with the Texas Rangers but was quickly released. The New York Yankees then signed Carpenter on a deal for the remainder of the season. Carpenter signed with the Padres for this season but has struggled mightily.
The Cardinals and the fan base had high expectations for Carpenter to be a star. He struggled to adapt to the Cardinals' move toward analytics, seemingly refusing to put in place what the analytics department wanted him to do to improve at the plate.
4. Paul DeJong - 30 home runs in 2019
Paul DeJong had an incredible start to his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. He came in second in the Rookie of the Year vote for the National League in 2017. The 2019 season, though, was thought to be his breakout year.
He hit .233/.318/.444 with an OPS of .762. He knocked 30 home runs that season, along with 31 doubles, one triple, 97 runs scored, and 78 RBI.
Due to a COVID-shortened 2020 season and a string of injuries, DeJong hasn't been able to replicate that 2019 season. The Cardinals traded him this season at the deadline to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league pitcher Matt Svanson. Earlier this week, the Jays designated DeJong for assignment as their star shortstop Bo Bichette was able to return from an injury stint.
DeJong signed a deal to play for the San Fransisco Giants for the remainder of the season. Hopefully, he lands in a place where he will be appreciated and can improve his performance.
3. Tyler O'Neill - 34 home runs in 2021
The Cardinals would love to have Tyler O'Neill return to his 2021 form.
During the season, O'Neill hit .286/.352/.560 with an OPS of .912. He knocked 26 doubles, two triples, 34 home runs, 89 runs scored, and 80 RBI. He had 15 stolen bases. O'Neill also won his second consecutive Gold Glove for left field that season.
Since then, he's still with a string of injuries to his back and arms. He even took this past offseason to retool his workout routine to implement more running and plyometrics. Earlier this season, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol publicly criticized O'Neill for a perceived lack of hustle. While O'Neill would have instead dealt with that issue privately, it didn't become a sour point as O'Neill did end up on the injured list for a back issue for a couple of months.
Now that he's back, he is showing some improvements. He is hitting .243/.328/.420 with an OPS of .748. O'Neill has 11 doubles, seven home runs, 23 runs scored, and 16 RBI. Seeing his Gold Glove-winning skills back in left field has also been excellent.
O'Neill is a fun player to watch. Hopefully, he has a healthy and productive offseason and can regain some of that 2021 form for the Cardinals.
2. Nolan Arenado - 34 home runs in 2021 and 30 in 2022
Since joining the Cardinals, Nolan Arenado has been better than anticipated. He is a quiet leader for the team on defense and in the lineup.
Each season, he has knocked 30 or more home runs and seems well on his way to doing so again in a torturous 2023 season for the Cardinals. In 2021 he hit 34 home runs and slowed down slightly in 2022 with 30 homers.
With over a month left, Arenado sits at 26 home runs. The Gold Glove defender had a slow start offensively for the Cardinals. He has picked things up. Arenado could certainly surpass his high total for the Cardinals. It's doubtful he'll reach a career-high for the Cardinals this season. He had a career-high 42 home runs in 2015 for the Colorado Rockies.
1. Paul Goldschmidt - 34 home runs in 2019, 31 home runs in 2021, and 35 home runs in 2022
With the exception of the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Paul Goldschmidt has put up outstanding numbers for the Cardinals. He's had seasons of over 30 home runs. While he has had a rough 2023 season, with a surge Goldschmidt could hit 30 homers once again.
In 2019, Goldschmidt had 34 home runs. In 2021, he knocked 31 home runs. And in 2022, he hit 35 home runs. Goldschmidt was the NL MVP in 2022, hitting .317/.404/.578 with an OPS of .981. He hit 41 doubles, 106 runs scored, and 115 RBI.
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He got off to a slow start this season but has hit the 20 home runs mark. He could go on a streak to reach the 30-home run mark for another season. It's not impossible! In addition to the 20 homers, Goldschmidt is hitting .276/.363/.453 with an OPS of .816. He has 25 doubles, 70 runs scored, and 65 RBI.
Here's hoping Goldy hits a hot streak and makes it to 30 or more home runs again.