St. Louis Cardinals All-Quarter Century Team

Outfielders/Designated Hitter

Left Field - Matt Holliday

Matt Holliday was acquired via trade with the Oakland Athletics. Holliday played in St. Louis from 2009 through 2015, and he was one of the game's best corner outfielders during that stretch.

While with the Cardinals, Holliday slashed .293/.380/.494 with 156 home runs, 616 RBIs, and a 138 OPS+. Holliday was a four-time All-Star, and he won a Silver Slugger Award in 2010. He received MVP votes in five different seasons while donning the Birds on the Bat.

Matt Holliday was exceptional during his time in St. Louis, and he was the best left fielder since the turn of the century.

Center Field - Jim Edmonds

We're back to easy decisions with this one. Jim Edmonds's 42.4 fWAR far outpaces anyone else who has played center field for the Cardinals since 2000. Harrison Bader has the second most with 10.8 fWAR.

Edmonds was a fantastic defensive center fielder who also played well offensively, a potent combination. He slashed .285/.393/.555 with 241 home runs, 713 RBIs, and a 143 wRC+. Edmonds also won six Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger, and attended three All-Star Games. Edmonds received MVP votes five different times, and he finished as high as fourth in 2000.

Right Field - Lance Berkman

I'll get controversial here. Lance Berkman was the best right fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2000. Without Berkman's heroics in the 2011 World Series, the club wouldn't have 11 trophies to tout. He played just over one full season in St. Louis, but his impact will be felt for many years to come.

Berkman slashed .295/.408/.533 with the Cardinals, and he hit 33 home runs in only 177 games. Where Berkman truly shined was in the postseason.

In the 2011 World Series, Berkman slashed .423/.516/.577 with 11 hits, one home run, and five RBIs. Berkman delivered a game-tying single in the tenth inning to keep the club's hopes alive.

While other players like J.D. Drew, Ryan Ludwick, and Lars Nootbaar may have played longer in St. Louis than Berkman, Berkman's contributions in 2011 loom large.

Designated Hitter - Willson Contreras?

This position is a bit strange, as it wasn't officially adopted by the National League until the 2022 season. The Cardinals used the DH during Interleague play in the past, but it wasn't an official position until the 2022 season.

Therefore, the pickings are slim. If you want to go with the best hitter who hasn't already been listed, well, Paul Goldschmidt would probably be your man. 2022 Albert Pujols would be an excellent choice, but he's already playing first base. I'll follow the "rules" and pick a player who has been a DH on a (somewhat) consistent basis: Willson Contreras.

For his career as a designated hitter, Contreras is slashing .238/.349/.387. As a DH for the Cardinals, Contreras is slashing a modest .218/.338/.342.

The options are slim for designated hitters this century for the St. Louis Cardinals, but Willson Contreras should do just fine.