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Let me begin by saying this is an impossible task.
Since the turn of the 21st century, the St. Louis Cardinals have fielded a Hall of Famer every single year. For most of those Hall of Famers, their best season or seasons came with St. Louis. To narrow down 10 individual seasons is a fool's errand.
Allow me to be that fool for you.
My goal here is to rank the 10 best individual seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals over the last quarter-century. This list is by no means indisputable. Let me assure you, however, that I have spent hours researching, comparing, and dissecting dozens of individual seasons to find minute differences that can set one player over the other.
Another challenge of this exercise was to separate eras of baseball. 2019 Jack Flaherty was a strikeout fiend that 2000s and 2010s Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright never sniffed. Another issue with this exercise was weighing defense versus offense. Nolan Arenado was a far superior defender in 2022, but Paul Goldschmidt's bat was otherworldly. The final challenge here was just not taking Albert Pujols's first 10 seasons in Major League Baseball.
Regardless, I've compiled the 10 best individual seasons of the first quarter of the 21st century for the St. Louis Cardinals. And no, I will not be taking recommendations or complaints. My efforts on this alone should reap celebration and recognition.
If you would like to read the Cardinals' All-Quarter Century Team, check out Redbird Rants site editor Josh Jacobs's story.
Honorable Mentions
2001 Matt Morris - 22-8, 3.16 ERA, 216.1 IP, 185 Ks, 137 ERA+, CYA-3, All Star, 4.1 bWAR
2004 Albert Pujols - .359/.439/.667, 43 home runs, 124 RBIs, 187 OPS+, MVP-2, Silver Slugger, All Star, 8.5 bWAR
2005 Albert Pujols - .330/.430/.609, 41 home runs, 117 RBIs, 171 OPS+, All Star, NL MVP, Silver Slugger, 8.4 bWAR
2013 Matt Carpenter - .318/.392/.481, 55 doubles, 140 OPS+, MVP-4, Silver Slugger, All Star, 6.6 bWAR
2022 Paul Goldschmidt - .317/.404/.578, 35 home runs, 115 RBIs, 181 OPS+, All Star, NL MVP, Silver Slugger, 7.7 bWAR
2022 Albert Pujols - .270/.345/.550, 151 OPS+, 24 home runs (703 for his career this year), All Star
10. 2012 Yadier Molina
Winning a Platinum Glove, posting a .874 OPS as a catcher, and finishing with the tenth-best player fWAR total since 2000 will certainly put you on a list like this.
In 2012, Yadier Molina had a .315/.373/.501 slash line with 22 home runs and 76 RBIs. He also swiped 12 bags that year, a career high for the catcher. Yadi was an All-Star in 2012, and he finished fourth in National League MVP voting. His Gold and Platinum Gloves that year are proof of his defensive value. In fact, his 33.4 FanGraphs defensive value is the third-best mark for any position player since 2000 (he surpassed that mark himself in 2008 and 2010, though).
What makes 2012 even more special for Yadier Molina would be the narrative behind this season for him. Albert Pujols, his best friend and superstar teammate, departed for Los Angeles the offseason prior to the 2012 season. Yadi's ability to rise up and become the next true leader for the Cardinals with the absence of Albert adds another layer to his superb 2012 season.