Last year, the Cardinals managed to win 90 regular season games despite having an "off year" offensively. That's putting it mildly. Based on an OPS+ of 93, it was their second worst offensive season of the millennium. For the record, only the 2007 Cardinals (92 OPS+) were worse, offensively.
Last year, they managed to win 90 games despite outscoring their opponents by only 16 runs (619 to 603). Helping their cause was a major league-leading 23 shutouts from the pitching staff, which easily offset the 12 times the offense was blanked by the opposition. Also, despite the rather shaky performance of closer Trevor Rosenthal - who allowed 39% of first batters to reach base - he still managed to save 45 games - while the rest of the bullpen secured another ten. Those 55 saves also happened to be the most by any major league team. In other words, the Cardinals were usually engaged in low-scoring games that were decided by two or fewer runs.
Another thing that helped St Louis win a few extra games was a vastly improved defense. Essentially, the Redbirds went from being the second-worst defensive team in the league in 2013 (only Philadelphia was worse) to becoming the second-best defensive team in 2014 (only Cincinnati was better). The addition of right fielder Jason Heyward (from Atlanta) - one of the best defensive players in all of baseball - should put the Cardinals on top of the defensive metric charts by a wide margin in 2015.
Heyward's addition to the roster is just one of the ten major reasons the Cardinals will be vastly improved over last season. Actually, he's probably the number one reason, since he's upgrading a position - right field - that was among the worst in baseball last year for St Louis. The other nine reasons for the team's vast improvement over last year is based on the assumption that certain players (Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn & Matt Holliday for example) will perform similarly this season as last.
Without further adieu, here are ten players who will add significantly greater value to the Cardinals in 2015 than the previous season:
* Yadier Molina suffered through an injury-marred season in '14 - playing in just 110 games, with diminished offensive production (.282/.333/.386). Yadi turns 33 in July, so a gradual decline in his skills is inevitable; however, he should be relatively healthy this season, so appearing in 140 games is likely, and a more potent offensive attack (.300/.360/.420) should be in the Cards as well.
* Kolten Wong is poised for a break-out season based on how well he finished last year - especially with his stellar performance in the postseason. Wong struggled early in the season, then after a brief stint in the minors, returned with renewed confidence and impressive power numbers. In 113 games Kolten finished with a .249/.292/.388 slash line. The other part of the second base dilemma last year was the woeful final season free agent Mark Ellis compiled. In 73 games, he hit .180 with absolutely no power. With Wong taking over on a full-time basis at second base, he should be able to play 150 games with this type of offensive production: .275/.330/.450. He'll probably hit 15 home runs, steal 30 bags and possibly win a Gold Glove Award. Yes, second base is in good hands again.
* Jaime Garcia has had a host of shoulder problems that has limited his work to just 99 innings over the course of the last two seasons. He appears to be healthy again and should be able to work 150 quality innings. His work this spring has been surprisingly effective, exceeding any reasonable expectation so far. His contribution to the Cardinal's success could be huge - possibly NL Comeback Player of the Year material.
* Kevin Siegrist had a variety of physical ailments last season that caused his ERA to skyrocket from 0.45 in '13 to 6.82 last year. He appears to be healthy again, with renewed confidence and effectiveness (5 IP - 0 ERA with 6 SO and just 1 BB so far this spring). Look for numbers much closer to 2013.
* Michael Wacha appears to be healthy again and ready to dominate batters with his blazing fastball and devastating change up - like he did late in 2013. He'll be the number three starter - and would be a number one on most teams. That's scary.
* Jordan Walden, who came over from the Braves in the Heyward deal, is another power arm in the bullpen (254 strikeouts in 211.2 career innings pitched), capable of closing out games whenever needed. Having another viable option will undoubtedly take some of the pressure off Trevor Rosenthal, who probably needed a break from time to time last season, but rarely got one.
* Speaking of Trevor Rosenthal...expect him to dominate hitters they way he did late in 2013, when he was almost flawless. In 2014, Rosenthal's walk rate was over five batters per nine innings. That's going to be cut in half.
* Marco Gonzalez has been impressive so far this spring (3-0 - 0.71 ERA), giving manager Mike Matheny another viable (left-handed) candidate for the starting rotation.
* John Lackey should be able to log close to 200 innings of solid starting pitching - another key to helping the bullpen stay fresh through the long season - and deep into the postseason.
* Jason Heyward - previously mentioned - but his impact on the Cardinals' success will be the greatest, since their biggest weakness from 2014 - right field - is now among their biggest strengths. Heyward is a viable MVP candidate - particularly if he hits for the type of power he's shown in the past (27 home runs a couple of years ago). Even if he just matches his career averages (.262/.351/.429), with his exceptional defensive play, he's an elite player. For the Cardinals front office, the decision to sign him to a long-term contract (he'll be a free agent after this season) should be a top priority - and nailed down sooner than later.
I don't think there's any doubt the Redbirds will be a much better team this year than last. In fact, the 2015 edition of the St Louis Cardinals may surpass the overall performance of the 2004 and 2005 teams.
Here's a ranking of each season of the millennium, combing the team OPS+ and ERA+ (defensive metrics not included):
Rank Year OPS+ ERA+ Total Postseason?
1(Tie) 2004 107 113 220 Y
1(Tie) 2005 98 122 220 Y (Best Pitching of the Millennium)
3 2013 102 110 212 Y
4(Tie) 2011 112 99 211 Y (Best Offense of the Millennium)
4(Tie) 2002 102 109 211 Y
6(Tie) 2000 103 107 210 Y
6(Tie) 2001 100 110 210 Y
6(Tie) 2009 98 112 210 Y
6(Tie) 2012 107 103 210 Y
10 2010 100 109 209 N
11 2008 107 101 208 N
12 2003 111 90 201 N (Worst Pitching of the Millennium)
13 2014 93 105 198 Y
14 2006 97 98 195 Y
15 2007 92 95 187 N (Worst Offense of the Millennium)
Obviously, these numbers provide a good measurement of the team's regular season performance - but once the postseason begins, anything can happen (example: 2006).
What can we expect in 2015? Here's my guesstimate: OPS+ 102 - ERA+ 119 (Total 221). By the time we factor in the expected superior defensive metrics, this could shape up to be the best Cardinal team of the millennium. No kidding.
Odds makers currently give the Cards a 12 to 1 shot to win the World Series. I think that makes them highly underrated...
Showing posts with label trevor Rosenthal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trevor Rosenthal. Show all posts
Friday, March 27, 2015
Monday, June 9, 2014
This Day in St Louis Cardinals History - June 9, 2013 - 10th-Inning 7-Run Fun on ESPN
Sunday, June 9, 2013 - At Great American Ballpark: In a nationally televised game on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, the Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds were dead-even after nine innings - all tied at four runs apiece. By the time the Cardinals completed their half of the tenth-inning, the Reds were simply dead.
Not many extra-inning games are decided by as many as seven runs (11-4 final score) - and not many pitchers making their major league debut enter a game with the bases loaded, only to have the first pitch they throw in that situation travel about 450 feet in the other direction. That was all part of the fun for the Redbirds, as they tore into Reds pitching like Louie Anderson at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Simply put, the Cardinals had quite a feast tonight - and the main course was Cincinnati pitching.
Lance Lynn started this game for St Louis (6 IP - 5 H - 4 R - 3 BB - 6 SO) - then four Cardinal relievers held the Reds scoreless over the final four innings - with Trevor Rosenthal's well-timed two perfect innings of work earning the rookie his first major league win.
For the Reds, starter Bronson Arroyo allowed just two runs in six innings of work, but the bullpen failed to preserve a 4-2 sixth-inning Cincinnati lead, which ultimately sent the game into one-inning's worth of ERA-inflating overtime - for the home team, that is.
Offensively, the big blow came off the bat of Matt Holliday - a tenth-inning grand slam - on the first pitch ever thrown in a big league game by some kid named Curtis Partch. But that was just the icing on the Cardinals' cake. St Louis had already sent eight men to the plate - scoring three runs - before Holliday's parting shot.
Allan Craig's lead-off walk started the festivities off Reds reliever, J.J. Hoover. One out later, David Freese grounded a single to right - then Daniel Descalso began the run-scoring barrage with a double to plate Craig. An intentional walk to Jon Jay loaded the bases for pinch hitter Pete Kozma - who struck out.
With two out, Matt Carpenter's two-run double (1 RBI previously) essentially put the game out of reach. A walk to Carlos Beltran (HR, 2 RBI previously) ended Hoover's night - although he was still responsible for the three runners on base - who later scored on Holliday's ESPN-broadcast grand salami.
Not many extra-inning games are decided by as many as seven runs (11-4 final score) - and not many pitchers making their major league debut enter a game with the bases loaded, only to have the first pitch they throw in that situation travel about 450 feet in the other direction. That was all part of the fun for the Redbirds, as they tore into Reds pitching like Louie Anderson at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Simply put, the Cardinals had quite a feast tonight - and the main course was Cincinnati pitching.
Lance Lynn started this game for St Louis (6 IP - 5 H - 4 R - 3 BB - 6 SO) - then four Cardinal relievers held the Reds scoreless over the final four innings - with Trevor Rosenthal's well-timed two perfect innings of work earning the rookie his first major league win.
For the Reds, starter Bronson Arroyo allowed just two runs in six innings of work, but the bullpen failed to preserve a 4-2 sixth-inning Cincinnati lead, which ultimately sent the game into one-inning's worth of ERA-inflating overtime - for the home team, that is.
Offensively, the big blow came off the bat of Matt Holliday - a tenth-inning grand slam - on the first pitch ever thrown in a big league game by some kid named Curtis Partch. But that was just the icing on the Cardinals' cake. St Louis had already sent eight men to the plate - scoring three runs - before Holliday's parting shot.
Allan Craig's lead-off walk started the festivities off Reds reliever, J.J. Hoover. One out later, David Freese grounded a single to right - then Daniel Descalso began the run-scoring barrage with a double to plate Craig. An intentional walk to Jon Jay loaded the bases for pinch hitter Pete Kozma - who struck out.
With two out, Matt Carpenter's two-run double (1 RBI previously) essentially put the game out of reach. A walk to Carlos Beltran (HR, 2 RBI previously) ended Hoover's night - although he was still responsible for the three runners on base - who later scored on Holliday's ESPN-broadcast grand salami.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
2014 St Louis Cardinals Preview
Last season, the St Louis Cardinals posted the best record in the National League (97-65), then cruised through the NLDS and NLCS before eventually losing a six game World Series to the Boston Red Sox. To better understand what may be in store for St Louis in 2014, here's a brief overview of last season's hitting, pitching, and fielding statistics (NL rank in parenthesis):
RUN DIFFERENTIAL +187 (1)
BA .269 (2) - OBP .332 (1) - SLG .401 (3)
RUNS 783 (1) - 2B 322 (1) - 3B 20 (12) - HR 125 (13) - SB 45 (15)
ERA 3.43 (5) - SO 1254 (5) - SV 44 (5)
FLD % .988 (1) - ERRORS 75 (1) - DP 177 (1) - DEF EFFICIENCY .691 (14) - RUNS SV -37 (14)
This is a very good team that in all likelihood, got even better during the offseason by addressing four areas of weakness:
(1) Offensive production at shortstop - featuring a .222 BA (second lowest in NL) and .307 OBP (third lowest in NL). The fiscally responsible John Mozeliak signed free agent shortstop Jhonny Peralta to a four-year $53 million deal, just a couple of months after Peralta served a 50 game PED suspension as a member of the Detroit Tigers. After doing his time, the well rested and clean Jhonny was welcomed back by his teammates just in time for the postseason, which didn't end the way Detroit would have liked; although the future Redbird hit well for his former mates; something that didn't go unnoticed by either the Cardinals' front office or JP's agent (presumably). Peralta's track record has been good the last three seasons, averaging .278 BA and .438 SLG. He should reach double digits in home runs for his new team and play above average defense.
(2) Speaking of defense, despite the high fielding percentage, the Cardinals were one of the worst teams in the NL in defensive efficiency - basic run prevention. With rookie Kolton Wong projected to be the new starting second baseman, Matt Carpenter will move over to third base (his natural position). Incumbent third baseman David Freese became the odd man out after an injury hampered season which produced just 9 home runs, .381 SLG, no speed on the bases, and limited range on defense. He and reliever Fernando Salas were shipped to the LA Angels of Anaheim in exchange for Peter Bourjos and 22-year old outfield prospect Randal Grichuk. When healthy, Bourjos is one of the best defensive centerfielders in the game, and will more than likely get the bulk of the playing time over Jon Jay, who had numerous misadventures on defense last season. Thus, in one fell swoop, the Cardinals will be heading into the 2014 season significantly better defensively at three positions. The extra bonus in the deal is Grichuk, who may develop into a bona-fide power hitter in the not-too-distant future.
(3) Aside from Clayton Kershaw (go figure), the Cardinals had great difficulty winning against left handed pitching last season. They signed former Dodger free agent second baseman Mark Ellis - a right handed batter who hits well against lefties - to a one year $5.25 million deal. Ellis will be a solid defensive insurance policy in case Wong has trouble making the adjustment to major league pitching. The previously mentioned additions of Jhonny Peralta and Peter Bourjos - both right handed hitters - should help the team fare better against southpaws this season.
(4) Team speed - or lack thereof - resulted in the Cardinals swiping a NL low 45 bases last season; plus a less than desirable defensive efficiency (previously mentioned). The Cardinals proved that they can win despite these shortcomings. However, with two new additions to the lineup - Bourjos and Wong - the stolen base will become a legitimate offensive weapon; and it's a good bet the team's defensive efficiency will be vastly improved as well.
PITCHING - Heading into the new season, the Cardinals pitching seems to be significantly stronger than the staff that posted the fifth lowest ERA (3.43) in the NL in 2013. With Chris Carpenter permanently out of action, Kyle Lohse gone via free agency, and Jaime Garcia sidelined for most of the year (only 55 IP) with recurring shoulder problems, St Louis had to heavily rely on rookies or second year pitchers to eat up innings, along with veteran Jake Westbrook who was effective early in the season but had shoulder issues of his own as the season wore on. The bullpen was especially shaky for much of the season, with a host of underperforming relievers not getting the job done on a consistent basis. Edward Mujica became the closer by default, and to his credit, pitched admirably until the last month or so of the season when he either ran out of gas or simply lost his skills. He became a free agent and somehow convinced the Red Sox to sign him.
This season, the Cardinals are loaded with young power arms that will either win spots in the five-man starting rotation or provide manager Mike Matheny with significantly better options out of the bullpen than he had for most of last year. In fact, between the now departed Mitchell Boggs and the previously mentioned Fernando Salas (to Halos in Freese - Bourjos trade), six games that could easily have been won last year, were blown by this pair.
Barring injury, the St Louis bullpen will be a major strength - not a liability - this season. In all likelihood, the left-handers coming out of the pen will include Randy Choate, Tyler Lyons, and Kevin Siegrist (50 SO in 39.2 IP to go with a ridiculous 0.45 ERA).
Two pitchers trying to return from injury - Jaime Garcia and Jason Motte - are still questionable for a healthy return to duty; any contributions from either of them will be a luxury.
Right-handed options out of the bullpen include Seth Maness and the young power-arms of setup man Carlos Martinez and closer Trevor Rosenthal (108 regular season SO in 75.1 IP). The blown saves that plagued the Cardinals last year should be a thing of the past in 2014.
HITTING - Last season, the Cardinals led the National League with 783 runs scored despite hitting fewer home runs than all but two other NL teams. They did it by hitting a MLB-record .330 with RISP, by grinding out a league high .332 OBP and by hitting more doubles than any other NL team - 322 (the sixth highest total in franchise history). Matt Carpenter's 55 doubles not only led MLB, it was the most by a left-handed hitter in franchise history (breaking Stan Musial's record). Yadier Molina's 44 two-base hits were the most by a catcher since Pudge Rodriguez hit 47 in 1996.
The type of relentless offensive attack the Cardinals put together last season may be unsustainable in 2014. However, the team should be significantly better defensively and more consistent with their pitching; overall, a more balanced team, still able to maintain a favorable run differential over the course of the regular season.
The Opening Day lineup should look something like this:
Matt Carpenter - third base (led MLB with 126 runs scored last season)
Peter Bourjos - centerfield (led AL with 11 triples in 2012)
Matt Holliday - leftfield (22 home runs last season)
Allen Craig - rightfield (97 RBIs despite missing most of Sept last season)
Matt Adams - first base (17 home runs and team-leading .503 SLG last season)
Yadier Molina - catcher (career high 80 RBIs last season)
Jhonny Peralta - shortstop (significant offensive upgrade)
Kolten Wong - second base (must prove he can hit like he did in minors)
Waiting in the wings is the highly rated prospect, Oscar Taveras - a left-handed power hitting outfielder. He may well slug his way into the lineup, forcing manager Mike Matheny to juggle Matt Adams and Allen Craig around to make room for the rookie.
The projected starting rotation:
Adam Wainwright (NL-leading 241.2 IP last season)
Michael Wacha (NLCS MVP as a rookie last season)
Shelby Miller (3.06 ERA as a rookie last season)
Lance Lynn (198 SO in 201.2 IP last season)
Joe Kelly (2.69 ERA in 124 IP last season)
Jaime Garcia may prove healthy enough to slide into the rotation, but any sustained work from him seems unlikely, given his history of shoulder trouble. Tyler Lyons, a promising 24-year old lefty may earn a spot in the rotation, if any of the above have performance or injury issues over the course of the season.
PROGNOSIS - The Cardinals should be able to repeat as NL Central champions. In fact, barring injury, they may prove to be even better than they were last year. Many baseball analysts now rate them as the number one team in MLB, based on how much they improved their roster this off season.
If all goes as expected, St Louis will be playing postseason baseball once again in 2014 - for the fourth straight year - a feat they have never accomplished in franchise history. Of course, there's a first time for everything.
RUN DIFFERENTIAL +187 (1)
BA .269 (2) - OBP .332 (1) - SLG .401 (3)
RUNS 783 (1) - 2B 322 (1) - 3B 20 (12) - HR 125 (13) - SB 45 (15)
ERA 3.43 (5) - SO 1254 (5) - SV 44 (5)
FLD % .988 (1) - ERRORS 75 (1) - DP 177 (1) - DEF EFFICIENCY .691 (14) - RUNS SV -37 (14)
This is a very good team that in all likelihood, got even better during the offseason by addressing four areas of weakness:
(1) Offensive production at shortstop - featuring a .222 BA (second lowest in NL) and .307 OBP (third lowest in NL). The fiscally responsible John Mozeliak signed free agent shortstop Jhonny Peralta to a four-year $53 million deal, just a couple of months after Peralta served a 50 game PED suspension as a member of the Detroit Tigers. After doing his time, the well rested and clean Jhonny was welcomed back by his teammates just in time for the postseason, which didn't end the way Detroit would have liked; although the future Redbird hit well for his former mates; something that didn't go unnoticed by either the Cardinals' front office or JP's agent (presumably). Peralta's track record has been good the last three seasons, averaging .278 BA and .438 SLG. He should reach double digits in home runs for his new team and play above average defense.
(2) Speaking of defense, despite the high fielding percentage, the Cardinals were one of the worst teams in the NL in defensive efficiency - basic run prevention. With rookie Kolton Wong projected to be the new starting second baseman, Matt Carpenter will move over to third base (his natural position). Incumbent third baseman David Freese became the odd man out after an injury hampered season which produced just 9 home runs, .381 SLG, no speed on the bases, and limited range on defense. He and reliever Fernando Salas were shipped to the LA Angels of Anaheim in exchange for Peter Bourjos and 22-year old outfield prospect Randal Grichuk. When healthy, Bourjos is one of the best defensive centerfielders in the game, and will more than likely get the bulk of the playing time over Jon Jay, who had numerous misadventures on defense last season. Thus, in one fell swoop, the Cardinals will be heading into the 2014 season significantly better defensively at three positions. The extra bonus in the deal is Grichuk, who may develop into a bona-fide power hitter in the not-too-distant future.
(3) Aside from Clayton Kershaw (go figure), the Cardinals had great difficulty winning against left handed pitching last season. They signed former Dodger free agent second baseman Mark Ellis - a right handed batter who hits well against lefties - to a one year $5.25 million deal. Ellis will be a solid defensive insurance policy in case Wong has trouble making the adjustment to major league pitching. The previously mentioned additions of Jhonny Peralta and Peter Bourjos - both right handed hitters - should help the team fare better against southpaws this season.
(4) Team speed - or lack thereof - resulted in the Cardinals swiping a NL low 45 bases last season; plus a less than desirable defensive efficiency (previously mentioned). The Cardinals proved that they can win despite these shortcomings. However, with two new additions to the lineup - Bourjos and Wong - the stolen base will become a legitimate offensive weapon; and it's a good bet the team's defensive efficiency will be vastly improved as well.
PITCHING - Heading into the new season, the Cardinals pitching seems to be significantly stronger than the staff that posted the fifth lowest ERA (3.43) in the NL in 2013. With Chris Carpenter permanently out of action, Kyle Lohse gone via free agency, and Jaime Garcia sidelined for most of the year (only 55 IP) with recurring shoulder problems, St Louis had to heavily rely on rookies or second year pitchers to eat up innings, along with veteran Jake Westbrook who was effective early in the season but had shoulder issues of his own as the season wore on. The bullpen was especially shaky for much of the season, with a host of underperforming relievers not getting the job done on a consistent basis. Edward Mujica became the closer by default, and to his credit, pitched admirably until the last month or so of the season when he either ran out of gas or simply lost his skills. He became a free agent and somehow convinced the Red Sox to sign him.
This season, the Cardinals are loaded with young power arms that will either win spots in the five-man starting rotation or provide manager Mike Matheny with significantly better options out of the bullpen than he had for most of last year. In fact, between the now departed Mitchell Boggs and the previously mentioned Fernando Salas (to Halos in Freese - Bourjos trade), six games that could easily have been won last year, were blown by this pair.
Barring injury, the St Louis bullpen will be a major strength - not a liability - this season. In all likelihood, the left-handers coming out of the pen will include Randy Choate, Tyler Lyons, and Kevin Siegrist (50 SO in 39.2 IP to go with a ridiculous 0.45 ERA).
Two pitchers trying to return from injury - Jaime Garcia and Jason Motte - are still questionable for a healthy return to duty; any contributions from either of them will be a luxury.
Right-handed options out of the bullpen include Seth Maness and the young power-arms of setup man Carlos Martinez and closer Trevor Rosenthal (108 regular season SO in 75.1 IP). The blown saves that plagued the Cardinals last year should be a thing of the past in 2014.
HITTING - Last season, the Cardinals led the National League with 783 runs scored despite hitting fewer home runs than all but two other NL teams. They did it by hitting a MLB-record .330 with RISP, by grinding out a league high .332 OBP and by hitting more doubles than any other NL team - 322 (the sixth highest total in franchise history). Matt Carpenter's 55 doubles not only led MLB, it was the most by a left-handed hitter in franchise history (breaking Stan Musial's record). Yadier Molina's 44 two-base hits were the most by a catcher since Pudge Rodriguez hit 47 in 1996.
The type of relentless offensive attack the Cardinals put together last season may be unsustainable in 2014. However, the team should be significantly better defensively and more consistent with their pitching; overall, a more balanced team, still able to maintain a favorable run differential over the course of the regular season.
The Opening Day lineup should look something like this:
Matt Carpenter - third base (led MLB with 126 runs scored last season)
Peter Bourjos - centerfield (led AL with 11 triples in 2012)
Matt Holliday - leftfield (22 home runs last season)
Allen Craig - rightfield (97 RBIs despite missing most of Sept last season)
Matt Adams - first base (17 home runs and team-leading .503 SLG last season)
Yadier Molina - catcher (career high 80 RBIs last season)
Jhonny Peralta - shortstop (significant offensive upgrade)
Kolten Wong - second base (must prove he can hit like he did in minors)
Waiting in the wings is the highly rated prospect, Oscar Taveras - a left-handed power hitting outfielder. He may well slug his way into the lineup, forcing manager Mike Matheny to juggle Matt Adams and Allen Craig around to make room for the rookie.
The projected starting rotation:
Adam Wainwright (NL-leading 241.2 IP last season)
Michael Wacha (NLCS MVP as a rookie last season)
Shelby Miller (3.06 ERA as a rookie last season)
Lance Lynn (198 SO in 201.2 IP last season)
Joe Kelly (2.69 ERA in 124 IP last season)
Jaime Garcia may prove healthy enough to slide into the rotation, but any sustained work from him seems unlikely, given his history of shoulder trouble. Tyler Lyons, a promising 24-year old lefty may earn a spot in the rotation, if any of the above have performance or injury issues over the course of the season.
PROGNOSIS - The Cardinals should be able to repeat as NL Central champions. In fact, barring injury, they may prove to be even better than they were last year. Many baseball analysts now rate them as the number one team in MLB, based on how much they improved their roster this off season.
If all goes as expected, St Louis will be playing postseason baseball once again in 2014 - for the fourth straight year - a feat they have never accomplished in franchise history. Of course, there's a first time for everything.
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