photo: Cardinals Dominican Academy (St. Louis Cardinals)
At .321 (17-36), the rookie-level Cardinals Dominican Summer League club posted the second-worst record in team history, On the young roster, the hitters struggled more than the pitchers compared to the league.
The Dominican Summer League Cardinals concluded 2023 in seventh place in the nine-team South Division for the second time in the last three years and missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. It was a major backslide from their 2022 results, which included a winning record and a fourth-place finish.
The rookie-level Cards ended 2023 24 games out of first place, compared to 7 1/2 games behind in 2022. As a footnote, the 2022 club benefitted from the consolidation of the two DSL Cardinals clubs from 2021. That seemed to have no impact in 2023. Fray Peniche has managed the club throughout.
The 2023 Cardinals club’s .321 winning percentage (17-36 record) was historically bad. Specifically, it is the organization’s second-worst season record since they entered the DSL in 2005. Only the 2014 team, which limped home at .314, was worse. And it was very close. With just one more loss, the 2023 team would have set a new DSL Cardinals futility record.
This summer’s Cards finished significantly below .500 at home (10-15, .400) and especially struggled away (7-21, .250). Not surprisingly, they had a particularly difficult time facing opponents with winning records, going just 8-26 (.235), but the Cardinals did not have a positive record against losing teams, either, with a 9-10 (.473) mark.
The planned 56-game schedule opened on June 5 and concluded on August 22, with three games canceled along the way. The season began roughly as the Cardinals were just 4-14 in June. They went 7-14 in July but finished relatively better, going 6-8 in August. For the season, the Cards were 3-3 in extra innings, but just 5-10 (.333) in one-run decisions.
As has been customary for the DSL Cardinals over time, pitching was the 2023 team’s relative strength, as evidenced by their run differential of -94 for the season (223 scored vs. 317 allowed).
Offense
The Cards were the 12th-youngest offense in the 50-team DSL at an average age of 17.5 years. In comparison, the league offenses ranged from 17.1 to 18.6 years old.
Statistically, the performance of the 2023 Cardinals offense, coached by Luis Cruz and Wesslye Cuas, was dismal.
The Cardinals were tied for 46th of 50 in runs scored (223). They were 49th in batting average (.211) and on-base percentage (.322), 45th in slugging (.317) and 48th in OPS (.639). The DSL Cards were tied for 32nd with 72 doubles and tied for 17th with 32 home runs. They were 48th with only 38 steals but were caught just nine times for a very good success rate of 80.9%.
Strikeouts were a major problem for Cardinals hitters as they were punched out 562 times, the most in the league by 19 Ks. They were not much better at taking walks with 213, ranked 43rd (eighth fewest) in the DSL.
Pitching
At an average of 17.8 years of age, Cardinals pitching was third-youngest in the DSL, with the league ranging from 17.6 to a high of 19.8.
Stepping aside for a moment, the Cardinals organization often attributes poor results in the minors at least in part to the relative youth of their players. In the 2023 DSL, age is clearly a factor.
Even with their youth, the DSL staff were relatively more successful than their hitting teammates. Despite their 5.04 ERA, ranked 30th, the Cardinals’ ERA was lower than the league average of 5.45. (This draws even more attention to the futility of the offense.)
Led by pitching coaches Bill Villanueva and Wilman Madera, Cardinals hurlers were 12th in strikeouts (461) and just above the middle of the pack, 21st, in walks issued (267). Their batting average against of .261 was 11th highest in the DSL. With 22 long balls allowed, the Cardinals tied for 30th (20th fewest). Their pitchers were relatively wild, with a count of 62 hit batters, tied for 13th.
Disappointingly, the starters were below average – 36th with an ERA of 4.78, 38th in WHIP at 1.48, with the fifth-highest batting average against at .277. Because they don’t often go five innings (averaging fewer than 3 1/3 innings per start), DSL Cardinals starters won just four games all season (against 19 losses).
The relievers’ ERA of 5.21 was middle-of-the-pack, 24th place. Their WHIP was just 36th at 1.70, due in part to the 15th (tied) most free passes issued (196). They yielded a batting average against of .251, which was 22nd highest in the DSL.
Defense
The 2023 Cardinals defense was the among the league’s worst – at least in terms of errors (89, 12th) and with a collective .950 fielding percentage (44th). On a more positive note, the catchers were seventh best in the DSL with a 36% caught stealing rate (41 of 74).
Large but static roster
With a roster that was usually full at 35 players in number, Peniche had to be challenged by getting everyone regular action. At least, the roster was very static. Just 36 different individuals took the field for the 2023 DSL Cardinals – 19 pitchers and 17 position players.
Another measure of the inexperience of the Cardinals is that of the 36, 22 were signed in 2023 – 10 hitters and 12 pitchers.
Once extended spring training was complete, there were no in-season promotions of DSL players upward to the Florida Complex League.
Transactions
As the season began in early June, right-handed pitcher Estaban Contreras and outfielder Carlos Carmona were released.
With the active roster so tight, the Cardinals made good use of the 60-day injured list. Outfielder Xavier Cruz, shortstop Yoerny Junco plus right-handed pitchers Diego Dominguez and Junior Chirinos spent the season on the 60-day IL until Chirinos was activated in early August.
In addition, three of the 2023 class of international signees, all right-handed pitchers, did not appear in game action. Cruz and Andrew Bolivar also spent the year on the 60-day while 17-year-old Reiner Lopez was neither placed on the IL nor played.
The much-heralded Cardinals commitment of 16-year-old Cuban shortstop Luis Manuel Leon was not translated into a signing for unknown reasons.
Once the season was over, the Cardinals began to make roster room for the players coming off the 60-day as well as for the 2024 signing class by releasing infielders Marcelo Perez and Elias Reynoso plus the aforementioned pitcher Diego Dominguez.
Of course, at the other end of the totem pole, some of the best performing 2023 DSL Cardinals will move up in the spring to eventually play for the 2024 Florida Complex League Cards.
All-Star duo
For the second consecutive year, outfielder Yordalin Pena was named a DSL All-Star. He was joined on the National League squad for the mid-season game by pitcher Yadiel Batista.
The Cardinals had no post-season DSL All-Stars, either pitchers or hitters, in 2023.
What is next?
Much more detail on the DSL Cardinals’ top hitters, relievers and starting pitchers is coming as we select the best of the best in upcoming articles in this series.
Check out The Cardinal Nation’s annual article series highlighting team results and top hitters and pitchers across the entire St. Louis Cardinals system. The Florida Complex League Cardinals Team Review is next up.
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