2023 Pre-Season Profile: St. Louis Cardinals

 #7

The St. Louis Cardinals had two of the top three finishers in NL MVP in 2022, but couldn't get out of the Wild Card Round.  Will 2023 see them make a deeper playoff run?

2022 Predictions

#16 - 2nd in NL Central

MIH - Nolan Arenado

MIP - Steven Matz

PTW - Matthew Liberatore

2022 Results

#10 - 93-69, 1st in NL Central, lost in Wild Card Series

Highest WAR (Position) - Nolan Arenado

Highest WAR (Pitcher) - Ryan Helsley

It was hard to call the 2022 regular season anything but a success for the St. Louis Cardinals.  Paul Goldschmidt won the MVP, Nolan Arenado finished 3rd in the MVP voting.  Cardinal legends Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina were sent out with style, with Pujols entering the 700 home run club.  They won the division pretty handily and entered the playoffs as a possible title contender.  Then they run into the buzzsaw that was the Phillies.  Two home wild card games, and it was all over.  It was an anticlimactic ending to a season to remember.

Additions / Subtractions

Off goes Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina into retirement and eventually Cooperstown.  Those are the biggest departures, at least by name from the roster.  Mid-season acquisition Jose Quintana also moved on to the Mets.  The biggest question facing the Cardinals entering the offseason was how to replace Yadier behind the plate.  Enter Willson Contreras on a free agent deal from the Cubs.  Even with that big signing, there really was very little change to the roster this offseason.

Most Important Hitter

Nolan Arenado

Nolan Arenado has a chance to be an all-timer.  He has won the Gold Glove ever year he has been in the league, also winning the Platinum Glove 6 times.  He is also a 5 time Silver Slugger winner and a 7 time All Star.  He is coming off an 8 WAR season and a third place finish in MVP, his 6th time finishing the top 8.  There's just one problem: for as great as Arenado is, he has never been able to perform at the top of his game on the biggest stage.  In 8 postseason games over his career, he is batting just .152 with 1 home run.  He has struck out 9 times in 33 at bats.  This includes a 1-for-8 performance with 2 strikeouts in last year's Wild Card Series.  It is reaching a point that if Arenado wants to be remembered as one of the best to ever do it, he has to start showing he can be great when the lights are brightest.  He showed that he may be ready for the big stage in the WBC this year, hitting .385 over 7 games.  Now, can he do it in the playoffs?

Most Important Pitcher

Jack Flaherty

If the Cardinals had a weakness last season, it was their starting rotation.  It was such an issue that they made two Trade Deadline deals for starters, one even trading their starting centerfielder for a starter.  Adam Wainwright is still hanging around, but he is nowhere near the level he was in his prime.  They lack a true ace ... that is unless Jack Flaherty is healthy.  Flaherty burst on the scene in 2018 as a rookie, finishing 5th in the Rookie of the Year vote.  Then in 2019, he became a star, finishing 4th in Cy Young, 13th in MVP, a 152 ERA+, and leading the league in WHIP.  The 2020 season was weird for so many, and he had a bad year.  Then he got hurt in 2021.  Battling injuries for most of the last 2 seasons, he has only thrown 114 innings between the 2021 and 2022.  Now it appears he might be healthy, but how much wear and tear have the injuries taken on his body.  He is entering his age 27 season which is also his contract year.  He needs a big season, and the Cardinals need him to have a big season too.

Prospect to Watch

Jordan Walker

The Cardinals always seem to have a deep farm system, and this year is no different, ranking 9th according to MLB.com and 3rd according to Bleacher Report.  The star of their system is the 4th best prospect in all of baseball, Jordan Walker.  Drafted out of high school in the 2020 draft, the 20 year old has done nothing but hit since reaching the minors.  This production includes Spring Training this season, where he opened enough eyes to make the Opening Day roster.  A natural third baseman, Walker is transitioning to the outfield due to Arenado having the hot corner locked down for the foreseeable future.  This kid has all the makings of being a special player, as if the Cardinals need another one.

2023 Prediction

1st in NL Central, lose in NLDS

Possibly the easiest prediction to make entering this season is that the Cardinals would be winning the NL Central.  No one in their division can touch their talent level.  The problem facing the Cardinals is the top of the National League is filled with these superteams that appear to be much more complete than the Cardinals.  I see them struggling to compete with the rest of the NL elites, but they will be right there in the NL final four.

Fearless Prediction

Jack Flaherty wins NL Comeback Player of the Year.

Call it wishful thinking, but I'm a fan of Jack Flaherty and really want to see him be healthy and show that he is back to his elite form.  If he is just a fraction of what he was in 2019, he should easily be the favorite for this award and help lead the Cardinals to the playoffs.

2022 MLB Pre-Season Predictions: #20-11

 #20

Texas Rangers

2021 Prediction: #29, 5th in AL West

2021 Fearless Prediction: Chris Woodward will be fired mid-season.

2021 Result: #28, 60-102, 5th in AL West

Most Important Hitter: Adolis Garcia

Most Important Pitcher: Jon Gray

Prospect to Watch: Josh Jung

2022 Prediction: 4th in AL West

The Rangers spent loads of money this offseason establishing their lineup core for the next decade with Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.  Now they just need to wait for a young wave of players to work their way through the system.  The free agents definitely gave them a jump start, but they still have a ways to go.

#19

Chicago Cubs

2021 Prediction: #21, 4th in NL Central

2021 Fearless Prediction: The only player in the dugout from the Cubs' World Series roster on Opening Day 2022 will be manager David Ross.

2021 Result: #24, 71-91, 4th in NL Central

Most Important Hitter: Nico Hoerner

Most Important Pitcher: Marcus Stroman

Prospect to Watch: Brennen Davis

2022 Prediction: 3rd in NL Central

The Cubs did indeed trade away almost everyone remaining from their World Series run just 6 years ago.  Now they are starting over and rebuilding, but they are a little further along than others.  They still have a legit ace or two, and they signed one of the ultimate wild cards in the free agent pool this offseason in Seiya Suzuki.  They also are in one of the weakest divisions in the league.  They could easily flirt with .500 in 2022.

#18

Tampa Bay Rays

2021 Prediction: #11, 3rd in AL East

2021 Fearless Prediction: Randy Arozarena will hit less home runs in 2021 than he did in 2020.

2021 Result: #3, 100-62, 1st in AL East, lost in ALDS

Most Important Hitter: Randy Arozarena

Most Important Pitcher: Shane McClanahan

Prospect to Watch: Shane Baz

2022 Prediction: 4th in AL East

At some point, they way the Rays operate has to catch up with them and lead to a down year.  They can't keep dominating the toughest division in baseball.  There are only so many wins to go around, and although they have one of the most exciting young players around in Wander Franco, 2022 looks to be the year they struggle.

#17

Minnesota Twins

2021 Prediction: #10, 2nd in AL central, WILD CARD, lose in Wild Card Game

2021 Fearless Prediction: The Twins' top starting pitcher entering the postseason is currently not on their roster.

2021 Result: #23, 73-89, 5th in AL Central

Most Important Hitter: Byron Buxton

Most Important Pitcher: Chris Paddack

Prospect to Watch: Joe Ryan

2022 Prediction: 3rd in AL Central

The success of the Twins in 2022 revolves entirely around whether Byron Buxton can stay healthy.  They have a pretty formidable lineup, adding Gio Urshela, Gary Sanchez, and Carlos Correa.  Their pitching is pretty unproven, shown by one of their top prospects making his big league debut starting Opening Day.  This is a team that could make the playoffs or finish in the cellar or end up anywhere in between.  It all depends on their health.

#16

St. Louis Cardinals

2021 Prediction: #1, 1st in NL Central, win World Series

2021 Fearless Prediction: Jack Flaherty win the NL Cy Young Award.

2021 Result: #10, 90-72, 2nd in NL Central, WILD CARD, lost in Wild Card Game

Most Important Hitter: Nolan Arenado

Most Important Pitcher: Steven Matz

Prospect to Watch: Matthew Liberatore

2022 Prediction: 2nd in NL Central

I was really high on the Cardinals last year, picking them for a surprise run to the title.  I thought I had something when they went on their crazy run to end the season and make the playoffs, but ultimately ended up short.  Now I might be a little too low on them.  With star pitcher Jack Flaherty still hurt, their mismatched rotation will have to be strong for their season to be a success.  If nothing else, they will be a fun watch as Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, and Adam Wainwright appear poised to make 2022 a joint farewell tour.

#15

Detroit Tigers

2021 Prediction: #23, 4th in AL Central

2021 Fearless Prediction: Miguel Cabrera will become a 3000/500 hitter in 2021.

2021 Result: #20, 77-85, 3rd in AL Central

Most Important Hitter: Javier Baez

Most Important Pitcher: Casey Mize

Prospect to Watch: Spencer Torkelson

2022 Prediction: 2nd in AL Central

The Tigers are poised for a breakout.  They have amassed a ton of young talent reading to emerge, and they went out and signed a leader to anchor their team at shortstop.  If Baez can live up to his contract, if Casey Mize and others can show their promise in the rotation, and if a phenom like former #1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson can have a solid rookie season, the Tigers might ride this wide open division to a playoff birth.

#14

San Francisco Giants

2021 Prediction: #18, 3rd in NL West

2021 Fearless Prediction: At least two of the Giants' starting infielders will be traded mid-season.

2021 Result: #1, 107-55, 1st in NL West, lost in NLDS

Most Important Hitter: Brandon Belt

Most Important Pitcher: Logan Webb

Prospect to Watch: Heliot Ramos

2022 Prediction: 3rd in NL West

No one surprised quite as much in 2021 as the San Francisco Giants.  I was predicting them to potentially be sellers at the Trade Deadline.  Instead, they had the best record in all of baseball.  Their leader, Buster Posey, retired which will be hard to replace.  If the veterans are able to continue to contribute, and if their pitching staff can dominate again, they could repeat last year's performance, but it will be really tough.

#13

New York Yankees

2021 Prediction: #4, 1st in AL East, lose in ALCS

2021 Fearless Prediction: Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton will hit 100+ hone runs combined.

2021 Result: #7, 92-70, 3rd in AL East, lost in Wild Card Game

Most Important Hitter: Josh Donaldson

Most Important Pitcher: Luis Severino

Prospect to Watch: Oswald Peraza

2022 Prediction: 3rd in AL East

The Yankees always look like they should be one of the best teams in baseball on paper, but the pressure of the bright lights in the Bronx prove to be harder to overcome than anyone realizes.  Their lineup is always loaded, with Donaldson being a key addition if he can stay healthy.  Their rotation has some holes, and everyone needs to stay healthy.  I have them just missing the postseason party, which probably will lead to several firings, starting with Aaron Boone.

#12

Atlanta Braves

2021 Prediction: #6, 1st in NL East, lose in NLDS

2021 Fearless Prediction: Ronald Acuna Jr. wins the NL MVP.

2021 Result: #12, 88-73, 1st in NL East, won World Series

Most Important Hitter: Matt Olson

Most Important Pitcher: Kenley Jansen

Prospect to Watch: Spencer Strider

2022 Prediction: 3rd in NL East, WILD CARD, lose in Wild Card Round

The Braves got hot at the right time and ended up winning it all in 2021.  Then they dropped the ball on signing back their leader in Freddie Freeman.  Instead, they traded away a lot of top talent from their farm system to bring in Matt Olson, who they signed to the extension they wanted to sign Freeman to.  Magical runs like last year don't happen twice.  I have them sneaking into the playoffs thanks to the expanded field, but they won't even host a playoff game.

#11

Boston Red Sox

2021 Prediction: #26, 5th in AL East

2021 Fearless Prediction: J.D. Martinez will be traded before the 2022 season.

2021 Result: #8, 91-71, 2nd in AL East, WILD CARD, lost in ALCS

Most Important Hitter: Trevor Story

Most Important Pitcher: Chris Sale

Prospect to Watch: Jeter Downs

2022 Prediction: 2nd in AL East, WILD CARD, lose in Wild Card Round

The Red Sox in 2021 proved how much a manager matters.  They were a step away from the World Series with Alex Cora when they were horrible in 2020 without him.  The big question mark for them this season is the rotation.  If they can get healthy and stay that way, they can dominate again.  If not, they will have to outscore a lot of teams (which they have the lineup to do).

2021 Pre-Season Profile: St. Louis Cardinals

 #1

The St. Louis Cardinals pulled off a blockbuster trade to man the hot corner for the foreseeable future.  Is that enough to get this back to elite?

2020 Predictions

#11 - 2nd in NL Central

MIH - Paul Goldschmidt

MIP - Miles Mikolas

PTW - Dylan Carlson

2020 Results

#12 - 30-28, 2nd in NL Central, lost in Wild Card Round

The Cardinals had a typical Cardinals season.  They were quiet enough that many people forgot about them, but they were still good enough to make the postseason and almost spoil the magical Padres in the Wild Card Round.  They were led in 2020 by Paul Goldschmidt, possibly the quietest of all of baseball's superstars, which makes him the perfect star for St. Louis.

Additions / Subtractions

The Cardinals really only made one move over the offseason, but it was a big one.  They pulled off the blockbuster trade that sent them third baseman Nolan Arenado from Colorado.  Outside of letting second baseman Kolten Wong sign with Milwaukee and trading outfielder Dexter Fowler to the Angels, the Cardinals didn't do much else other than get healthy.

Most Important Hitter

Paul DeJong

Entering his 5th season as the starting shortstop in St. Louis, Paul DeJong got out to a hot start to his career, finishing 2nd in Rookie of the Year in 2017 and making his first All Star Team in 2019.  However, 2020 proved to be a struggle for DeJong.  If the Cardinals are going to have a dangerous and deep lineup, they need DeJong to bounce back and show he can get back to that All Star level.

Most Important Pitcher

Jack Flaherty

In 2020, Adam Wainwright emerged as the go to ace of the Cardinals' staff.  With Wainwright entering his age 39 season, he can't really be counted on to be that good again in 2021.  That means it is time for Jack Flaherty to emerge as the consistent dominant ace the Cardinals need.  He was outstanding in 2019, finishing in the top 5 in Cy Young voting, but 2020 was a struggle.  With some of the injuries the Cardinals are facing in their rotation to start the season, the 25 year old Flaherty needs to be one of the best pitchers in baseball, which is not a stretch considering his how good he has shown he can be.

Prospect to Watch

Dylan Carlson

When the Cardinals traded Dexter Fowler, they were basically announcing that the outfield would be super young and athletic.  Harrison Bader and Tyler O'Neill can be expected to be out there every day, but the best of the group might be Dylan Carlson.  Ranked the 14th best prospect in baseball, Carlson played in 35 games in 2020 with little success, but the Cardinals believe in him, and his tools show that he can be a star.

2021 Prediction

1st in NL Central, win World Series

Here are my World Series champions!  It is definitely an outside-the-box pick, but with the way the Cardinals always find a way to be better than anyone realized, and the add of Arenado, this team is going to surprise everyone.  Arenado and Goldschmidt are the perfect superstars to play in St. Louis, and they are going to become one of the best combos in any lineup in the league.  Every few years, the Cardinals emerge as one of the best teams in baseball, and they are due.  Also, can you imagine the storylines of a Tony La Russa vs. the Cardinals World Series?  And a World Series win would almost certainly send Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright off into retirement on top.  Perfect!

Fearless Prediction

Jack Flaherty wins the NL Cy Young Award.

Like I said, Jack Flaherty has the capability to be one of the best pitchers in baseball.  He is going to be the surprising star everybody knows from this team by the end of the season.  A Cy Young and a World Series ... sounds like a successful season to me.

2019 Pre-Season Profiles: #4 - #1

Well, we are a series into the 2019 season, and I am still a few teams away from finishing this pre-season project.  So I am going to bust out my last few in shortened format in one article.

#4

St. Louis Cardinals

Most Important Hitter: Marcel Ozuna

Most Important Pitcher: Jack Flaherty

Prospect to Watch: Dakota Hudson

2019 Prediction: 1st in NL Central, lose in NLCS

Bold Prediction: Miles Mikolas will finish in the top 5 in NL Cy Young voting.

Of all the major splashes this offseason, the most underrated might be the move that landed the Cardinals the most underrated player of the last decade.  Paul Goldschmidt gives the Cards a presence in their clubhouse that puts them back in the elite.  St. Louis never feels like a trendy pick in the NL Central, but I think they surprise and steal it.  Ozuna was their big acquisition last year, and he needs to produce.  Flaherty and Hudson are some young guns in their rotation that should break out in 2019.  I see them getting a step away from the pennant before someone finally knocks them out.

#3

Houston Astros

Most Important Hitter: Carlos Correa

Most Important Pitcher: Collin McHugh

Prospect to Watch: Forrest Whitley

2019 Prediction: 1st in AL West, lose in ALCS

Bold Prediction: Gerrit Cole wins the AL Cy Young.

I wanted to say the Astros regress in 2019 and maybe even miss the playoffs, but they are just too talented.  Their lineup is stacked, even getting better with All Star Michael Brantley joining the outfield.  One of their keys this year is if Carlos Correa can stay healthy.  Their stud shortstop spent a lot of last year injured and is starting this year on the IL as well.  His success will help lead to greater success for the team.  Everyone knows the top of their rotation, but their depth took a hit this offseason when they didn't re-sign Dallas Keuchel and Charlie Morton, and Lance McCullers went down with Tommy John.  Collin McHugh spent last season in the bullpen because the rotation was out of room.  Now he is going to be counted on to be an innings eater in the back end of their rotation.  If some of their starters fail, look for Forrest Whitley to burst onto the scene and show why he is a top 10 prospect in all of baseball.

#2

Los Angeles Dodgers

Most Important Hitter: Corey Seager

Most Important Pitcher: Kenley Jansen

Prospect to Watch: Alex Verdugo

2019 Prediction: 1st in NL West, lose in World Series

Bold Prediction: Brian Roberts will be fired after the season.

This is a fascinating team to me.  It is so hard to make three straight World Series, but I think they have to enter the season as the favorites to do it.  The health and production of Corey Seager will be key.  He is a backbone of their offense, and after missing all of 2018 with Tommy John surgery, it will be interesting to see if he can get back to being the budding superstar.  There are a lot of question marks surrounding the rotation, especially the health of ace Clayton Kershaw.  However, without Kenley Jansen closing every important game, the starters don't matter.  His health scare from the offseason that required heart surgery has some questioning his health moving forward.  If he can be as dominant as he has been the last several years, they will have nothing to worry about.  Alex Verdugo has been on the verge of breaking out for a few years, but has been blocked by a loaded outfield.  Either he gets his opportunity or is traded for a starting pitcher mid-season.

#1

New York Yankees

Most Important Hitter: Giancarlo Stanton

Most Important Pitcher: James Paxton

Prospect to Watch: Jonathan Loaisiga

2019 Prediction: 1st in AL East, win World Series

Fearless Prediction: James Paxton finishes in the top 3 of the AL Cy Young voting.

To me, the New York Yankees are the most talented and best team in the league.  They have young phenoms combined with star veterans in their lineup, they have a deep and talented starting rotation (which is being tested at the start of the season with injuries), and they have the deepest and strongest bullpen in the league.  Look for Giancarlo Stanton to return to his form that led to an NL MVP.  Look for James Paxton to become a superstar.  As one of the sneaky best acquisitions of the season, look for Paxton to quickly become a superstar if he can have a healthy season.  They are the team best built for playoff success in 2019 and be the 3rd different team to defeat the Dodgers in the World Series in the last 3 seasons.

2018 MLB Pre-Season Profiles: #15-11

These are the teams I am predicting will just miss the playoffs in 2018.  See who gets left out.

#15

Arizona Diamondbacks

Most Important Hitter: David Peralta

Most Important Pitcher: Robbie Ray

Prospect to Watch: Taylor Clarke

2018 Prediction: 4th in NL West

Bold Prediction: This will be Zack Greinke's last season in Arizona.

The Diamondbacks were a surprise playoff team in 2017, but they were propelled there by an other-worldly finish by J.D. Martinez.  Their biggest mistake was not adequately replacing him.  Steven Souza, Jr. is good, but not as good as J.D.  They will need increased production out of guys like David Peralta, A.J. Pollock, and Yasmany Tomas (who is currently in AAA) to pick up the slack.  Robbie Ray needs to repeat his All Star performance in 2018 to solidify a rotation headed by an aging Zack Greinke.  I could see the D-Backs moving on from him after this season to take the next step forward.

#14

Seattle Mariners

Most Important Hitter: Mike Zunino

Most Important Pitcher: James Paxton

Prospect to Watch: Max Povse

2018 Prediction: 3rd in AL West

Bold Prediction: Ichiro will be released by Memorial Day.

The Mariners have the longest playoff drought in professional sports, having last made the playoffs in 2001 when Ichiro was a rookie.  They have a shot at making it this year, but it all comes down to health.  James Paxton can be one of the best aces in the league if he can stay on the field.  King Felix can still be the King if he can stay healthy.  Mike Zunino finally showed off his bat in 2017, but needs to repeat the performance (instead, he is currently on the DL).  If healthy, they can compete with almost any team in the league.  Staying healthy will be a challenge though.  Ichiro was brought in because of their injuries (and a great story), but I don't see him lasting long at 44 years old.

#13

San Francisco Giants

Most Important Hitter: Andrew McCutchen

Most Important Pitcher: Madison Bumgarner

Prospect to Watch: Steven Duggar

2018 Prediction: 3rd in NL West

Bold Prediction: Half of the Giants' Opening Day roster will not be on the roster Opening Day 2019.

The Giants decided to take their aging roster and double down by adding more veterans (Andrew McCutchen, Evan Longoria) to try and make another run at the playoffs.  They are very interesting because of this.  If these two are able to rekindle some of their glory day magic, then the Giants will be a formidable foe this year.  If not, they will once again be disappointing.  Their farm system is terrible, and I could easily see them blowing up the roster at the end of the season if 2018 doesn't result in a postseason run.

#12

St. Louis Cardinals

Most Important Hitter: Tommy Pham

Most Important Pitcher: Michael Wacha

Prospect to Watch: Alex Reyes

2018 Prediction: 3rd in NL Central

Bold Prediction: The Cardinals will make at least one blockbuster trade at the Trade Deadline.

The Cardinals are not used to missing the playoffs, yet they have now missed the postseason two years in a row.  I am predicting this season will make it three.  They remade their outfield with Tommy Pham as the centerpiece, but he has fluke written all over him.  They have an ace in Carlos Martinez, but a guy like Michael Wacha needs to step up to give the rotation depth.  They lucked out by signing Greg Holland on Opening Day to anchor their bullpen, but it is still thin.  There are just too many questions.  One thing they do have is a lot of major league ready talent in the minors.  This is why they will be making a trade or two this year to try and turn around what could be a disappointing season for the Cardinals fans with such high standards.

#11

Minnesota Twins

Most Important Hitter: Byron Buxton

Most Important Pitcher: Fernando Rodney

Prospect to Watch: Nick Gordon

2018 Prediction: 2nd in AL Central

Bold Prediction: Byron Buxton will start in centerfield in the All Star Game.

The best team to miss the playoffs in 2018 will be the Twins.  They made a miraculous turnaround from worst team in the league to the Wild Card last season.  Now they will try and stay there.  A lot of offseason moves have really improved this roster.  Relying on Rodney to anchor your bullpen is stressful.  Buxton will be a superstar by the end of the season.  They will just come up a little short.

Stay tuned for the playoff teams!

2017 Pre-Season Profile: St. Louis Cardinals

#12

In 2016, the St. Louis Cardinals missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010.  In 2011, the Cardinals won the World Series.  Will they have the same luck in 2017?

My 2016 Predictions

3rd in NL Central

Matt Holliday ends the 2016 season as a bench player.

2016 Results

86-76, 2nd in NL Central

It didn't feel right when we hit October in 2016 and the Cardinals were not a part of the postseason ride.  The Cards have been declining for several seasons, and the talent level finally caught up with them.  As for my Fearless Prediction, Matt Holliday may have still been a starter by the end of the season, but he did have a good season as he put up a 0.3 WAR.

Additions / Subtractions

The Cardinals are always active in the offseason.  Their big move heading into 2017 was returning a favor to the rival Cubs.  Before 2016, the Cubs signed Jason Heyward out of St. Louis.  So before 2017, the Cardinals signed Dexter Fowler out of Chicago.  Outside of this move, the only other significant moves were subtractions, losing Jaime Garcia to a trade and the aging Matt Holliday to free agency.

Most Important Hitter

Aledmys Diaz

The Cardinals were not sure what to do at the start of 2016 when they knew Jhonny Peralta was going to miss the first chunk of the season due to a PED suspension.  Little did everyone know that Aledmys Diaz was going to emerge as an All Star shortstop.  The year ended with Diaz being listed with the rest of the outstanding young shortstops in our game today.  When a guy comes out of nowhere like that, there is always a sense that it might be a fluke season.  However, the Cardinals can't afford that.  They need Diaz to come out and play at an elite level again and prove that he deserves the hype that is now surrounding him.

Most Important Pitcher

Mike Leake

Mike Leake was one of the prizes of the 2016 offseason for the Cardinals.  However, his production did not match his paycheck as he went 9-12 with a 4.69 ERA.  They were hoping Leake would be able to solidify the top of their rotation.  He is entering the season at the bottom of it, and another season like last year might have him out of the rotation completely.  Mike Leake needs to re-establish himself as dominant starter so the Cardinals can once again have a dominant rotation.

Player to Watch

Luke Weaver

No one is ever happy when the words "Tommy John" are attached to a pitcher.  However, if anyone had any joy about them when it was announced that Cardinals' top prospect Alex Reyes was going to miss the season with Tommy John surgery, it was Luke Weaver.  Weaver is the Cardinals' #3 prospect and is also poised for a big league impact this season.  With Reyes down, Weaver moves up the list of pitchers ready to take a spot in the rotation if the big club needs it.  Watch for Weaver to be the next big arm to burst on the scene for a team that seems to have a limitless supply of pitchers.

2017 Predictions

2nd in NL Central

It is always a certainty that the Cardinals will compete the entire season.  Expect them to be in it all season long, if not in the division race, the Wild Card race for sure.  I have them coming up just short again this year.  Their roster lacks the pop it has sported in the past when they have made their deep postseason runs in recent years.  They could easily make their way into the playoffs, and probably make a deep run if they do (they are the Cardinals).  This just feels like another year where they will be just short.

Fearless Prediction

Carlos Martinez will be the NL starting pitcher in the All Star Game.

I have been a fan of Carlos Martinez for several years.  His arm is electric, and he has shown over the last few seasons that he should be considered one of the best young arms in the game.  I see him taking the next step in 2017 and being a superstar.  This would be fully realized with him being named the starter in Miami for the Mid-Summer Classic.