The St. Louis Cardinals were able to make it to the playoffs this year in 2020, but they ended up losing in 3 games of the NLWC against the San Diego Padres. They did battle through the coronavirus to get to the postseason, but it’s pretty tough to expect your favorite baseball team to win a title when they batted just .234 as a team overall. This team was not too shabby, but it didn’t do amazing, either. Here are my thoughts on how their hitters fared this year. In case if you want to know my thoughts on how the Cardinals' pitchers and pitching coach did, here is my review on their performance this season.
(Photo: Christian Gooden/Associated Press, via St. Louis Post Dispatch)
C Yadier Molina – B-
2020 (MLB): .262 AVG, 4 HR, 16 RBI, .303 OBP, .359 SLG, .662 OPS, 13.5 K%, 0.5 WAR
2020 (Postseason): .462 AVG, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .500 OBP, .615 SLG, 1.115 OPS
Yadi Molina had a fairly decent season, as he was able to hit for average, and he played satisfactory defense this year. Though his offensive production continued to decline this year, Molina also hit the ball well in the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Cards’ pitching was not very good in the postseason, and so he along with the managerial team may have to bear some responsibility for their pitching woes in the playoffs. Regardless, he did alright, and in all likelihood, Molina will be the starting catcher in St. Louis for as long as he wants to continue playing.
2021 Expectations: Starting Catcher
2021 Player Rating: 2.5 stars
C Matt Wieters – C-
2020 (MLB): .200 AVG, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .300 OBP, .229 SLG, .529 OPS, 24.4 K%, 0 WAR
2020 (Postseason): 0 for 2, .000, .000 OPS, 1 K
After hitting 11 homers as Yadi’s backup in 2019, Matt Wieters experienced a power outage in 2020, but that didn’t stop advanced metrics from rating him as a replacement level, average level backup catcher, at least by way of the Fangraphs’ WAR metric. Wieters did not hit the ball very well at all, but numbers suggest he played above average defense, and played competently enough to be on a major-league roster, but not much more than that.
2021 Expectations: Backup catcher
2021 Player Rating: 1.5 stars
C Andrew Knizner – D+
2020 (MLB): .250 AVG, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .235 OBP, .313 SLG, .548 OPS, 29.4 K%, -0.1 WAR
Andrew Knizner was once seen as the Cardinals’ prized catching prospect, but in two seasons in the majors, he has struggled to get on base, and his defense hasn’t been quite as good as anticipated. On the plus side, he’s shown an improved ability to make contact, but his lack of on-base skills or power in the majors may be rather alarming. He might not be a lock to be in the majors full-time in 2021, but he’ll certainly compete for a spot as a backup catcher next year.
2021 Expectations: Backup catcher
2021 Player Rating: 1.5 stars (2 star potential)
1B Paul Goldschmidt - A
2020 (MLB): .304 AVG, 6 HR, 21 RBI, .417 OBP, .466 SLG, .883 OPS, 18.6 K%, 2.1 WAR
2020 (Postseason): .231 AVG, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .286 OBP, .769 SLG, 1.055 OPS
Paul Goldschmidt had a very good season in 2020. He hit for a very high batting average, was very patient, and he played excellent defense. His power numbers were a bit down (with the exception that he launched two homers in the playoffs), but he was very impactful, as he was probably the Cards’ most valuable player this year.
That’s an encouraging sign, as he looks to be the team’s franchise player heading into 2021. On the other hand, he has only reached the NLCS one time in 2019, but he went 1 for 16 as the Cards got swept by the Washington Nationals. In judging his lack of production in big playoff games, that could be a bit concerning moving forward.
2021 Expectations: Starting First Baseman/Cornerstone, franchise player, probably will make the All-Star team
2021 Player Rating: 4 stars
(Photo: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images, via Redbird Rants)
2B Kolten Wong - B
2020 (MLB): .265 AVG, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 5 SB, .350 OBP, .326 SLG, .675 OPS, 14.4 K%, 1.3 WAR
2020 (Postseason): .214 AVG, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .200 OBP, .500 SLG, .700 OPS
Kolten Wong hit the ball well in the regular season and showed a good approach to the plate for most of the year, and he also combined that by playing excellent defense as usual. He had a power outage this year, as he hit only 1 home run in the regular season. In the playoffs, he regained his power, but lost his approach to the plate. Regardless, Wong is a solid player who remains being one of the best at his position in the National League.
2021 Expectations: Starting Second Baseman
2021 Player Rating: 3 stars
SS Paul DeJong - C
2020 (MLB): .250 AVG, 3 HR, 25 RBI, .322 OBP, .349 SLG, .671 OPS, 28.7 K%, 0.6 WAR
2020 (Postseason): .200 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .429 OBP, .300 SLG, .729 OPS
After having made the All-Star team in 2019, DeJong has seemed to stall as a player. DeJong hit just .233 last year in the regular season despite hitting 30 home runs, and while he hit for a better average this year, it was still just at .250, and he hit only 3 home runs this season. DeJong had a power outage this year, though he played satisfactory defense. He struck out almost 30% of the time in the regular season this year though. He is a talented player that is a upside player, but his alarmingly, futile approach to the plate could be enough to cast doubt on if he will play well next season.
2021 Expectations: Starting Shortstop
2021 Player Rating: 2.5 stars
3B/UT Tommy Edman – C+
2020 (MLB): .250 AVG, 5 HR, 26 RBI, .317 OBP, .368 SLG, .685 OPS, 21.1 K%, 0.8 WAR
2020 (Postseason): .214 AVG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .214 OBP, .214 SLG, .429 OPS
After having a tremendous rookie season, Edman crashed back down to Earth, as he didn’t hit the ball nearly as well, but he did play solid defense, and showed versatility as a fielder in games. He struggled in the postseason, though, but Edman could be a key contributor for the Cardinals for years to come.
2021 Expectations: Utility infielder/starting infielder
2021 Player Rating: 2.5 stars
UT/DH Brad Miller – B
2020 (MLB): .232 AVG, 7 HR, 25 RBI, .357 OBP, .451 SLG, .807 OPS, 26.9 K%, 0.8 WAR
2020 (Postseason): 0 for 1, .000 AVG, .000 OPS
Brad Miller had a fairly good season for the Cards, and he showed that he can definitely hit for power and hit the long ball on offense. His batting average was a bit low and he didn’t defend well, but his ability to provide extra base hits definitely helped the Cards pick up some wins in the regular season.
2021 Expectations: Starting DH/Utility Infielder
2021 Player Rating: 2.5 stars
3B Matt Carpenter – C-
2020 (MLB): .186 AVG, 4 HR, 24 RBI, .325 OBP, .314 SLG, .640 OPS, 28.4 K%, 0.3 WAR
2020 (Postseason): .222 AVG, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .429 OBP, .333 SLG, .762 OPS
His magical, 2018 season in which he had a tremendous second half, and had his own secret salsa seems to be an all-too distant memory. Two years have passed since then, but for the Cardinals’ fans and Carpenter, that seems like ages ago.
After the 2018 season, Carpenter has failed to regain the once magical touch at the plate, as he has had trouble cobbling together hits on a consistent basis, and he is striking out at an alarming rate. He was once of the most patient, underrated, versatile infielders in the game, but now it seems that those days are permanently behind him. That’s a shame, because he used to be a very good baseball player, and now he is a bench bat that can only give a glimmer of hope that the old Carpenter can re-emerge before returning to having the offensive woes he’s had recently.
2021 Expectations: Backup utility man
2021 Player Rating: 2 stars
UT Rangel Ravelo - D
2020 (MLB): .171 AVG, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .244 OBP, .286 SLG, .530 OPS, 14.6 K%, -0.1 WAR
For the positives, Ravelo did not strike out very much, and he showed that he can play the corner infield positions. However, he did not hit nor field very well.
2021 Expectations: AAA infielder, part-time backup utility infielder in majors
2021 Player Rating: 1.5 stars
IF Max Schrock - D
2020 (MLB): .176 AVG, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .176 OBP, .353 SLG, .529 OPS, 35.3 K%, 0 WAR
Years ago, Schrock was an infielder prospect whose main allure to having him in the majors was both his ability to hit and tremendous ability to put balls in play. This season, he was finally called up, but he didn’t really show much of an ability to do either of those things in the majors. Schrock had trouble getting hits and struck out far too often in the big leagues this year, but he did hit a home run and played above average defense when he was up here.
2021 Expectations: AAA infielder, part-time backup utility infielder in majors
2021 Player Rating: 1.5 stars
1B John Nogowski - C
2020 (MLB): .250 AVG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .250 OBP, .250 SLG, .500 OPS, 25.0 K%, 0 WAR
He wasn’t expected to be called up, but he went 1 for 4 in his debut and went home. He didn’t really play enough to make enough of a judgment on his time in the majors. Barely knew him when he was called up, and he was sent away perhaps too soon.
2021 Expectations: AAA infielder, part-time backup utility infielder in majors
2021 Player Rating: 1.5 stars
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(Photo: Jeff Curry/USA Today Sports, via MLB Daily Dish)
LF Dylan Carlson - C
2020 (MLB): .200 AVG, 3 HR, 16 RBI, .252 OBP, .364 SLG, .616 OPS, 29.4 K%, 0.2 WAR
2020 (Postseason): .333 AVG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .571 OBP, .444 SLG, 1.016 OPS
He wasn’t called up right away as expected, but he got off to a slow start before he managed to figure some things out in the majors. He struggled to get hits or on base, but he showed some pop in his bat, and he fielded well. Carlson also played very well in the postseason, which could be a solid building block for him in the future.
2021 Expectations: 3rd or 4th Outfielder, will compete for starting left field spot
2021 Player Rating: 2 stars (3.5 star potential)
CF Harrison Bader – C+
2020 (MLB): .226 AVG, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 3 SB, .336 OBP, .443 SLG, .779 OPS, 32.0 K%, 1.0 WAR
2020 (Postseason): .111 AVG, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .182 OBP, .111 SLG, .293 OPS
Harrison Bader had a fairly good season this year. He played very good defense as he fielded well, hit for power, and showed a decent ability to get on base. However, he had trouble stringing together hits and he struck out a lot, and he struggled to hit the ball in the postseason. Despite, he’s shown to be a reliable starting center fielder that can bring great defense to his team on a yearly basis.
2021 Expectations: Starting Center Fielder
2021 Player Rating: 2.5 stars
RF Dexter Fowler - C
2020 (MLB): .233 AVG, 4 HR, 15 RBI, .317 OBP, .389 SLG, .706 OPS, 27.7 K%, 0 WAR
2020 (Postseason): .286 AVG, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .286 OBP, .357 SLG, .643 OPS
He had a fairly mediocre season, as he struggled to consistently hit the ball or get on base, and he did not field very well per his position, either. He had trouble consistently putting balls in play during the regular season, but he did hit for a fairly good average in the playoffs. It is worth noting that he did get hurt in the middle of the season. However, that doesn’t really wash out his inability to get hits during the regular season or general bad defense, but Fowler is a veteran who has proven to be a major-league starting outfielder, even if his best days in the majors may be permanently behind him.
2021 Expectations: Starting Right Fielder
2021 Player Rating: 2 stars
LF Tyler O’Neill - C
2020 (MLB): .173 AVG, 7 HR, 19 RBI, 3 SB, .261 OBP, .360 SLG, .621 OPS, 27.4 K%, 0.5 WAR
2020 (Postseason): 3 GP, 0 for 0, N/A OPS
It was an up and down, turbulent season for Tyler O’Neill. He started off fast by hitting home runs, and he was tied for leading his team in home runs. It’s clear that he is a vastly talented outfielder that has tremendous power, and when he makes contact, he can definitely hit the long ball. He also fielded well.
However, he really struggled to string together hits or to get on base, and he struck out a lot. He still has a pretty shoddy approach to the plate, and his inability to put balls in play has hindered his ability to reach his ceiling on offense.
2021 Expectations: 3rd or 4th Outfielder, will compete for starting left field spot
2021 Player Rating: 2 stars (2.5 star potential)
OF Austin Dean – B+
2020 (MLB): .250 AVG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .571 OBP, .500 SLG, 1.071 OPS, 28.6 K%, 0 WAR
2020 (Postseason): 0 for 1, 0 OBP or OPS
Austin Dean had a very good spring that allowed him to make the opening day roster, and he hit the ball well in his brief time up in the majors. He shuttled in and out of the roster, but he managed to make the team’s postseason roster. Though he didn't hit well in the majors in his previous two seasons with the Marlins, Dean's solid stint with the Cards in limited playing time gives hope that he could find a place in the majors as a slugger off the bench.
2021 Expectations: 5th Outfielder, or AAA Starting Outfielder
2021 Player Rating: 1.5 stars
OF Justin Williams - C
2020 (MLB): .200 AVG, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .333 OBP, .200 SLG, .533 OPS, 33.3 K%, 0 WAR
He wasn’t expected to be called up this year, but he showed a decent ability to get on base, if anything. He didn’t seem to do much else when he was up in the majors, but he did manage to get his first big-league hit in 2020.
2021 Expectations: AAA Starting Outfielder, September call-up to the majors
2021 Player Rating: 1.5 stars (2 star potential)
OF Lane Thomas – D-
2020 (MLB): .111 AVG, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .200 OBP, .250 SLG, .450 OPS, 32.5 K%, -0.3 WAR
After having played very well last season where he really excelled as a hitter in limited at bats, it seemed like he was due for more playing time this year. However, he really struggled to hit the ball in 2020, and he was unable to stay up in the majors this season.
2021 Expectations: AAA Starting Outfielder, September call-up to the majors
2021 Player Rating: 1.5 stars (2 star potential)
Hitting Coach – Jeff Albert - D
2020 St. Louis Cardinals (Regular Season): .234 AVG, 51 HR, 231 RBI, .323 OBP, .371 SLG, .694 OPS, 23.7 K%
2020 St. Louis Cardinals (Playoffs): .252 AVG. 3 HR. 16 RBI, .341 OBP, .411 SLG, .752 OPS, 25.2 K%
Though the Cardinals did a better job of hitting the ball in the playoffs, it’s hard to expect your team to win the title when they hit .234 in the regular season and they strike out more than they collect hits. They also ranked among the bottom in many categories amongst National League teams on offense, as they were last in home runs, and were near the bottom in slugging and OPS.
Their lackluster hitting approach still is quite troublesome, and hopes of the launch-angle revolution hasn’t really taken flight in St. Louis. On the other hand, many MLB teams this year have hit for low batting averages this year, and have struck out a ton more than they did in years past. In fact, major league teams hit just .245 overall in the regular season, and they struck out 23% of the time in the regular season this year.
That doesn’t give Albert a free pass, but major league baseball is trending towards the three true outcomes approach of either drawing a walk, striking out, or hitting a homer, in pursuit of going for higher OPS numbers. The negative results of this new process is fewer players are looking to hit the ball the other way or to use the whole field, and so shifts on hitters are more effective than they would be if they actually had the approach of taking what the defense gives them. Overall, the Cardinals did not hit well in 2020, and they may need a new hitting coach, because Albert has not gotten much out of his hitters in the past two seasons.
(Photo: Jeff Roberson/Associated Press, via Springfield News-Leader)
Manager Mike Shildt (30-28)
Playoffs: 1-2 (Lost to the San Diego Padres in the NLWC)
The Cardinals had unfortunately caught COVID early on, and spent a lot of time catching up by playing double headers, but they managed to make it to the playoffs in spite of all of this. However, after a strong start in Game 1 against the Padres, they blew leads and lost the series, as their pitching was awful in the postseason.
Grade: C+
President of Baseball Operations:
John Mozeliak
The Cardinals didn’t really make too much noise in the offseason, but he made little moves that paid off, such as signing Kwang-Hyun Kim and bringing him over from South Korea, and they managed to get at-bats for Dylan Carlson. Still, there was little hope in Cardinal Nation that what they were doing would advance their title hopes, and while the Cardinals were competitive, they fell short of the title once again, as they lost in the playoffs in a 3-game series to the Padres.
Grade: C+
The Cardinals’ 2020 Season Grade: C+
The 2020 St. Louis Cardinals battled through so much hardship this year. Their players contracted the coronavirus, and they had to battle through illness to compete this season, and the Cardinals played in many double headers this season. They lost legends, Lou Brock and Bob Gibson, two Hall of Famers that were two of the best all-time in 2020. It’s been a very hard and trying year, but the Cards managed to pull through and get to the playoffs.
Unfortunately, they fell short, as they couldn’t sustain the momentum of the Game 1 win to get past the Padres in the NLWC. They had some positive moments in an otherwise forgettable season, but they weren’t really seen or viewed as a title contender by many, and they didn’t get far in the 16-team playoffs, in a year where over half of baseball teams could reach the postseason. Overall, I would say the Cards had a difficult, but adequate season in 2020.
Picks for….
(Photo: Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press, via Forbes)
2020 Cardinals’ MVP & Baseball Player of the Year: 1B Paul Goldschmidt
Paul Goldschmidt had a terrific 2020 season, and he had the tremendous season that some thought he would have last year. He was consistently the team’s best hitter, and while some would argue that he didn’t quite have the same power numbers as he did last year, he showed a much better approach to the plate. Goldschmidt hit .304, had a team-leading .417 on-base percentage, and he showed a terrific approach to the plate. He also led the team in Fangraphs’ WAR, and he also consistently played well for his team in the playoffs.
(Photo: Jeff Roberson/Associated Press, via Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
2020 Cardinals’ Pitcher of the Year: RP Alex Reyes
It’s splitting hairs between Korean pitching sensation Kwang-Hyun Kim, veteran stalwart Adam Wainwright, and hard-throwing righty Alex Reyes, and one could easily make a convincing case for any of them. For me personally, I feel that Alex Reyes was the Cards’ pitcher of the year.
Alex Reyes bounced back from a rough 2019 season to pitch very well out of the bullpen, and he was striking out the side, reaching triple digits on the radar gun, and he was also the Game 1 closer in the playoffs against the Padres, where he had a more than one inning save. He’s back to being one of the best young players in the Cards’ organization, and he is currently slated to project to be the best bullpen arms that the Cards may have to offer in 2021. In short, the future is bright for Reyes.
(Photo: AFP-Yonhap, via The Korea Times)
2020 Cardinals’ Rookie of the Year: SP Kwang-Hyun Kim
It’s hard to think of a 32-year old who won 136 games in the Korean League as a rookie in the majors, but technically Kwaun-Hyun Kim technically qualifies as a “rookie” by Major League Baseball standards as one. That said, he had a very good 2020 season, as he went 3-0, pitched a sub 2.00-ERA in a shade under 40 innings, and he showed sharp command of his stuff. He also was the Game 1 starting pitcher against the Padres in the NLWC.
(Photo: Bill Greenblatt/UPI)
2020 Cardinals’ Fielder of the Year: C Yadier Molina
The Cardinals had many really good fielders throughout the season, and it’s splitting hairs between a bunch of players, most notably between Yadier Molina, Kolten Wong, and Tommy Edman. Kolten Wong won a gold glove last year, and he is a rangy second baseman that made some really good web gems, and Tommy Edman is a versatile utility player that proved to be invaluable with his strong ability to play multiple positions.
Yadier Molina to me though, would be the fielder of the year, though it’s a close one. He is a legendary defensive catcher that shuts down the running game, and he performed his usual high levels despite having contracted COVID during the season. He threw out 45% of the runners out this year, which is a really good rate. He also came back in time for the playoffs, and he didn’t have a drop off in production from a defensive standpoint this season.
(Player Rating System/Grading Scale:
This is evaluated on a 0.5 to 5-star rating scale, much like how the Franchise Hockey Manager game rates players in that game. Also, I used the Fangraphs' WAR metric as an additional means to evaluate baseball players this season.)
5 stars = Elite player, MVP/Cy Young award-caliber player
4.5 stars = Very good player/All-Star, likely top 3 at his position
4 stars = All-Star,
3.5 stars = borderline All-Star,
3 stars = good player,
2.5 stars = above average player,
2 stars = average player,
1.5 stars = backend player on a major-league team,
1 star and below means not major league quality)
Expected Group of Hitters for 2021 (13 hitters for a 26-man roster, 13 if it stays a 28-man roster):
C Yadier Molina – 2.5 stars (UFA)
1B Paul Goldschmidt – 4 stars
2B Kolten Wong – 3 stars
SS Paul DeJong – 2.5 stars
3B Tommy Edman – 2.5 stars
LF Dylan Carlson 2 stars (3.5 stars)
CF Harrison Bader – 2.5 stars
RF Dexter Fowler – 2 stars
DH Brad Miller – 2.5 stars (UFA)
C Matt Wieters – 1.5 stars (UFA)
C Andrew Knizner – 1.5 stars (2 star potential)
3B Matt Carpenter – 2 stars
OF Tyler O’Neill – 2 stars (2.5 stars potential)
Others Competing for MLB Roster Spots on the Cards’ Team in 2021:
OF Austin Dean – 1.5 starsUT Rangel Ravelo - 1.5 stars
IF Max Schrock - 1.5 stars
1B John Nogowski - 1.5 stars
With the group of hitters returning, the Cardinals will probably need at least one or two upper-echelon level hitters to bolster the team’s offense. The Cardinals don’t seem to have much depth on the bench, and their hitting approach has been quite lackluster recently.
The Cards have some talented hitters that generally field well, but they have trouble hitting for a high average and they strike out too much. With hitting coach Jeff Albert likely returning, expect the trends of hitting for low averages and striking out too much to continue in their hopes to build their version of the launch angle revolution. The offense might be fairly mediocre next year, but the Cards’ strong fielding and decent group of pitchers could help get the Cards to the postseason next year, if nothing else.
Projected 2021 Season Outlook:
The Cards tend to make prudent moves rather than go for big, splashy moves, and so it’s unlikely that they will sign a big-name free agent. They are rather prudent with their finances and money, so they will probably look to shop for bargain bins and to try to get reasonably priced veterans to help aid their team.
The Cardinals have a lot of average to above average players in talent, but not a whole lot of elite players, as the best days appear to be firmly behind them for the veterans, but the young players are still trying to find ways to maximize their potential. It’s unlikely that they will win the title in 2021, but if 16 teams can make the playoffs next year, expect the Cardinals to at least be in the field of teams that reach the postseason.
2021 Expectations for the Cardinals: Reach the postseason, but may wind up losing in the first round like they did this year.
Also, congratulations to the Seattle Storm for winning the 2020 WNBA title! They defeated the Las Vegas Aces in three games, and both Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird played terrific basketball to sweep the Aces.
Anyways, that's all for now, and thanks for reading.
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