photo: Busch Stadium (Joe Puetz/USA TODAY Sports)
Lou Roesch feels much better about the 2024 St. Louis Cardinals than he did this spring. But will it continue?
The St. Louis Cardinals have started the 2024 baseball campaign better then I expected. Between the opening series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the home opener win over Miami, the Redbirds went 4-4. St. Louis’ exploits on the diamond have given me, if no else, a boost of optimism about this team.
In the offseason, the Cardinals chased starting pitching. They signed a tantalizing array of veteran pitchers beginning with Sonny Gray, then Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn. When Gray went down with a hamstring issue and Gibson and Lynn pitched poorly during the spring, I saw very little hope for this team. Now with Gray about a week away from possibly taking the hill in a real major league game, Gibson and Lynn have steadied the staff. With ERAs north of five and even further coming out of spring training, the duo flipped the proverbial light switch. Together they have combined for three starts. Those starts have registered a combined ERA of 3.44 and a strikeout to walk ratio of 4:1. Maybe the big three won’t be so bad after all. Throw in a decent outing by Steven Matz and the starting rotation is pitching close to where you want to see them.
The bullpen has been pretty good as well. The relievers answered the bell. They’ve converted three of five save opportunities in the first week of the season when many thought the Cardinals would be lucky to have two wins over the first week of the season.
Hitting is where I have been the most surprised. Where did Masyn Winn and his .350 batting average come from? I realize it’s only a handful of games, but this was a rookie shortstop that swung at everything in the spring enroute to striking out 17 times in 44 plate appearances. Over the first eight games, his plate discipline is much improved.
Who would have guessed that Paul Goldschmidt and Brendan Donovan would have six RBI in the first week? Or that four other players including Ivan Herrera would have four apiece? Herrera’s have come in just 12 plate appearances. Can the Cardinals keep it up? Let’s hope so.
To hear the Cardinals talk, this is a great mix of veterans and youngsters. St. Louis President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak is looking like a genius at the moment. The early diagnosis is that of a resilient club. One only has to look at the Cardinals home opener to see that. The team was never out of it, even when down 4-1 after Lynn gave up three long balls. They appear to have reverted to the days of yesteryear when Whitey Herzog had them playing small ball. That’s a good sign.
After one week, it ‘s not time to declare the Cardinals World Series bound but I sure like the early results. Let’s hope next week’s review is just as bright.
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