The St. Louis Cardinals have surged to the top of the NL Central with their aging veterans and current superstars both contributing.
The 2022 season is unquestionably a year of transition for the St. Louis Cardinals.
The franchise is celebrating the expected final seasons for Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, and Adam Wainwright as it integrates younger players into its offense and looks to contend this year and beyond. The Cards have won seven straight and are 15-3 in August as Pujols has turned back the clock with a torrid stretch. As a result, the team’s National League Central lead is now five games over the Milwaukee Brewers.
At 42 years old and one of the greatest right-handed hitters to ever play, Pujols has 15 hits in his last 27 at-bats with six homers, increasing his career dinger total to 692. St. Louis is 8-1 in that span and 43-28 when The Machine has played this season.
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But Pujols can’t do it alone. How else are the Cardinals thriving this season, especially in August?
- Paul Goldschmidt is knocking on the door of what could be a historic season. He’s leading the NL in batting average (.340), on-base percentage (.422), slugging percentage (.636), and OPS (1.058). He’s also second with 31 homers and 100 RBIs. Currently three round-trippers behind Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber and two RBIs behind New York’s Pete Alonso, Goldschmidt has a legit shot at the first Triple Crown in the NL since the Cards’ Joe Medwick did it in 1937. He’s been even better in August, hitting .406/.494./.828 with seven homers and 22 driven in.
- Nolan Arenado is no slouch either, batting .299 with 25 homers, 81 RBIs, and a .917 OPS that’s third in the NL behind Goldschmidt and Freddie Freeman. He’s also had a scorching August, slashing .343/.380/.712 with six homers and 21 RBIs. Goldschmidt and Arenado are 1 and 2 in the NL in fWAR.
- In August, the Cards lead MLB in average (.298), OBP (.378), slugging (.525), home runs (31), and are second with 115 runs scored. Strong contributions this season have come from 27-year-old Tommy Edman, but also 22-year-old prospect Nolan Gorman (13 dingers), 25-year-old utility man Brendan Donovan (.297 average and .408 OBP in 88 games), 23-year-old Dylan Carlson, and 24-year-old outfielder Lars Nootbaar, who’s slashing .297/.450/.541 since the All-Star break.
- Wainwright is still dealing at 40 years old with a 3.11 ERA in 150 innings. Miles Mikolas has been strong as well with a 3.32 ERA and an All-Star appearance. The rotation was made October-ready with the trade deadline acquisitions of Jordan Montgomery from the Yankees (0.54 ERA in three St. Louis starts) and Jose Quintana from Pittsburgh (3.20 ERA in four Cards starts).
- Those trades were necessary because St. Louis is 15th in MLB rotation ERA this season and 13th in bullpen ERA. Ryan Helsley has been insane as a closer this season, with a 0.91 ERA in just under 50 innings with solid-but-not spectacular support from Gio Gallegos, Andre Pallante, Jake Woodford, and Genesis Cabrera.
The Cards will be put to the test against several NL contenders down the stretch, starting with three games at home against Atlanta this weekend. The Braves have won three out of four against the Cardinals this season, outscoring them 18-7 in those games. In September, the Redbirds will have two at home against the Brewers prior to an eight-game road trip with three in San Diego (3-0 against the Padres), three in Los Angeles (1-2 against the Dodgers) and two in Milwaukee (8-7 against the Brewers).
Can Goldschmidt, Arenado, and Pujols remain hot enough to carry a mediocre pitching staff? St. Louis is 40-21 at home, but just 29-30 away from Busch Stadium. Can it win enough road games to be a true contender? The answers to these questions will determine whether the Cards can give Pujols, Wainwright, and Molina the send-off they deserve.
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