Power-hitting, record-setting first baseman Chandler Redmond is The Cardinal Nation’s choice as the top hitter on the Double-A Springfield Cardinals and is a big reason the club reached the playoffs.
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All posts by Alex Hill
2023 Springfield Cardinals Starting Pitcher of the Year
Wilfredo Pereira is The Cardinal Nation’s pick as the Double-A Springfield Cardinals Starting Pitcher of the Year.
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2023 Springfield Cardinals Relief Pitcher of the Year
With a dominating summer for the Double-A Springfield Cardinals, right-hander Andre Granillo is The Cardinal Nation’s selection as the team’s Relief Pitcher of the Year for 2023.
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2023 Springfield Cardinals Season Review
photo: Hammons Field (Springfield Cardinals)
The Double-A Cardinals finished 2023 strongly, taking the second half Texas League North Division title and reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and second time since 2012.
Season summary
2023 was a tale of two seasons for the 72-66 St. Louis Cardinals’ Double-A affiliate, with the second half much better than the first.
Before the break, the Springfield Cardinals finished third in the Texas League North Division with an under .500 record. The 34-35 first half, which went from opening day until June 25th, was a mediocre start.
However, the Cards finished 38-31, led by an electric last couple of weeks that squeezed them into the dance. By two games, Springfield won its first second half North Division Title since 2012. That qualified them for their first postseason appearance since 2016.
In the first round, the Cards lost two of three to the first half North champion Arkansas. After four straight losing seasons, the Cardinals making it back to the postseason was a major step forward.
The Cardinals faced many familiar foes, playing division members Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas, Tulsa, and Wichita most often. But Springfield also played the other Texas League teams – Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Midland, and San Antonio.
The Cardinals struggled with Arkansas the most, going 11-13 against them on the year; one of two teams against which they were under .500. Then, Arkansas continued to own Springfield by bouncing the Cards out of the playoffs with a 2-1 series win in the Texas League North Championship.
While the Cardinals didn’t have much success against the squad from Little Rock, they found success with another team from the state, Northwest Arkansas from Fayetteville. The Cardinals had their best record against the Naturals, boasting a 15-9 record.
The Cardinals’ best month was September, as they finished the year strong, going 11-5. Springfield’s worst month was April, when they went 9-12. The Cardinals’ longest win streak was eight games, while their longest losing streak was six.
The Cardinals were a lot better when playing at Hammons Field, finishing 41-38 at home. While away, the Cardinals were not nearly as good, as the Cards went 31-38 on the road.
Team hitting stats
- Springfield ranked second in the 10-team Texas League in runs with 770
- Springfield ranked third in hits with 1,213
- In home runs, Springfield was right in the middle, ranking fifth with 152
- Springfield ranked third in walks with 609
- Springfield was fourth in stolen bases with 167, after ranking in the bottom half for most of the year. The second half was a massive improvement, thanks in part to the arrival of Victor Scott.
- Springfield had the second highest batting average, .263
Team pitching stats
- Springfield had the fourth highest team ERA at 5.04
- Springfield gave up the most hits in the Texas League at 1,265
- Springfield was fifth in home runs given up, 145
- Springfield did not give up free passes, with the lowest total in the league at 493
- Springfield pitchers really struggled to strike hitters out. Their total of 1,060 was last in the league, 140 fewer than the ninth-ranked staff. The league leader Tulsa had 1,367.
Texas League All-Stars
First baseman Chandler Redmond
Redmond was named a 2023 Texas league All-Star after finishing with a .256 average, 31 home runs, and 92 RBI. On September 17th in San Antonio, Redmond broke the club’s all-time career RBI record with 196. His third year with the club was yet another stellar season.
The slugger ranked among league leaders in an impressive nine categories, including homers (first), RBI (3rd, 92), total bases (second, 228), extra-base hits (third, 50), walks (third, 81), runs (third, 88), slugging percentage (6th, .503) and OPS (sixth, .878).
Redmond swung himself into the Springfield Cardinals record books again as just the second player in team history to hit 30+ home runs in a single season.
C Pedro Pages
Pages had both the best offensive season of his career and the top overall performance of any catcher in the league this year to claim his first All-Star honors.
He led the league’s qualified catchers in batting average (.267), hits (113), RBI (72), doubles (23), walks (59), on-base percentage (.362), slugging (.443) and OPS (.805), while ranking second in home runs (16). Pages set career-highs in homers, RBI, doubles, hits, slugging percentage, runs and games played, suiting up in an impressive 117 of the club’s 138 games.
Pages was getting it done behind the plate as well, bat, Pages was the league’s top defensive catcher with a league-best .992 fielding percentage and a league-high 47 caught-stealings, all while catching the most innings in the league at 731, 51 innings more than the next highest total.
Thomas Saggese – Texas League MVP
While the second baseman did not start or finish the year with Springfield, what he did in his 33 games in a Springfield uniform was nothing short of spectacular. The 21-year-old played with Frisco until July 30th, when he was one of three players acquired by the Cardinals in a deal that sent Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton to the Texas Rangers.
In just over a month with Springfield, Saggese hit .366 with nine home runs, 20 RBI and 19 runs scored. On September 8, he was promoted to Triple-A Memphis.
Saggese put together one of the best offensive seasons of any player in Minor League Baseball, leading MiLB with 170 hits and 294 total bases, while ranking tied for second with 111 RBI and tied for fifth with 60 extra-base hits. Saggese also led the Texas League and Double-A in RBI. He was second in the league and fourth in Double-A with 25 home runs, narrowly missing winning the league and level Triple Crown.
All told, Saggese ranked among Double-A leaders in 10 categories and Texas League leaders in 12 categories, separating himself as a top all-around offensive force. Saggese became the second-straight Springfield Cardinal, and third in just the last four seasons, to win the Texas League MVP.
Coaching staff
Jose Leger returned as the manager for the third straight season. The rest of the coaching staff was pitching coach Eric Peterson, hitting coach Brock Hammit, who is from Nixa, and coach Will Hawks. Alex Wolfinger spent his second season as Springfield’s Athletic Trainer and was joined by new strength and conditioning coach Spencer Clevenger and new minor league fellow Noah Landow on the coaching staff.
Before joining the Cardinals organization, Leger spent eight seasons as a manager within the New York Mets organization (2010-17), where he held a managerial record of 389-368. He was named the 2015 South Atlantic League Manager of the Year.
Peterson rejoined the Cardinals organization in his first season as Springfield’s Pitching Coach. He was tabbed to be a coach and scout in the Cardinals system in 2020. Hammit finished his first season with the Cardinals organization. He previously spent two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach for Lipscomb University from 2020-22.
Notable Transactions
OF Victor Scott II
Scott II was an essential piece to the second half puzzle for the Cards. Making his Double-A debut with Springfield on June 17th following his promotion from Peoria, he immediately made an impact.
Leading off during most of his time with the Birds, Scott II helped boost a team that ranked low in stolen bases before he arrived. At the end of the year, Scott II finished as the co-leader in Minor League Baseball with 94 total stolen bases, with 50 at Peoria and another 44 with Springfield.
Scott II also was a strong hitter, second in minor league baseball in hits (only behind Saggese) with 166. He finished the year with a .303 batting average, 95 runs scored and 63 RBI.
P Tink Hence
Hence moved up from Peoria to Springfield, and made his Double-A debut on July 4th, going five innings, and giving up just one run on two hits in a Cardinals win. The right-hander went 2-1 in July but struggled in August with a 0-3 record and a 10.62 ERA.
Hence settled down in September and started the second half North Division title clinching game on September 17th at San Antonio. Hence went five innings, giving up four hits, one run, one walk, and three strikeouts.
In the playoff ending Game 3 at Arkansas, Hence went 3 2/3 innings, gave up three runs, and took the loss in the eventual 14-1 blowout.
2B Nick Dunn
A transaction that hurt the Cards was losing Nick Dunn to Memphis on July 14. In his last eight Double-A games, Dunn hit .514 (18-for-35) with three home runs, three doubles and 12 RBI. He had three or more hits in five of those games, capped by a 4-for-6 finale.
At the time of his July 14th promotion to Memphis, Dunn ranked third in the Texas League in batting (.332) and on-base percentage (.420). His OPS ranked sixth (.903), as did his hit total (88), while he was seventh in runs scored (53). The monster statistics resulted in Dunn being named the St. Louis Cardinals organization’s and The Cardinal Nation’s Minor League Player of the Month for June. That was soon followed by the Texas League Player of the Week for the period of July 3-9.
What is next?
More details are coming on the Cardinals top hitters, relievers and starting pitchers as we select the best of the best in upcoming articles in this series. Next up is the Memphis Redbirds season review.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Playoff Edition
Springfield played tough, taking the Arkansas Travelers to the final game of the North Division Championship Series. The Double-A Cardinals 2023 season and playoff run ended Friday with a 14-1 loss. Mike Antico logged a 1.080 OPS and plated four of the Cards’ eight runs in the three games.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 24
Taking the second half title, the Double-A Cardinals are playoff bound, set to face Arkansas in a best-of-three series. Finishing 38-31, the Cards went 2-2 this past weekend after a red-hot two weeks. Victor Scott finished first in stolen bases in Minor League Baseball this season with 95.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 23
Winners of nine of their last 10, Springfield is not only the hottest team in the Texas League, but perhaps in all of Double-A. At 36-29, they have a two-game lead in the North Division with four to play. 1B Chandler Redmond has set the Springfield career RBI record.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 22
On a four-game winning streak and just one game back, the Double-A Cardinals are taking the Texas League North down to the wire. Connor Lunn and Brandon Komar had stellar mound performances. Thomas Saggese is the Cardinals Minor League Player of the Month as Chandler Redmond chases home run records.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 21
Going 5-1 in their last six games, the Double-A Cardinals are cooking up postseason hopes again with a record of 27-26. The bats were on fire, up and down the line with 49 runs scored. Thomas Saggese keeps driving in runs with 12 in the six contests and 103 RBI for the season.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 20
Losing five straight and going 3-7 in the last 10 put the Double-A Cardinals in a hole. With less than 25 games to go, Springfield is 22-25 and three games out of first in the Texas League North. Thomas Saggese hit for the cycle, the second Cardinal since 2011 to accomplish the feat.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 19
After a hot July, the Double-A Cardinals went 2-5 last week and are a frustrating 20-21 in the second half. Springfield has fallen into third place in the Texas League North, and with under 30 games to play, every series is crucial. Brandon Komar is the highlight of the rotation, while newcomer Thomas Saggese has made an immediate impact at the plate.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 18
Despite going 2-3 at home for the week, the Double-A Springfield Cardinals remain in first place by a game. The offense was strong, led by Victor Scott II and Arquimedes Gamboa, but the bullpen is still unsettled as the Cardinals dropped a couple of games late.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 17
The first place Double-A Cardinals were flying high this week, going 5-1. Electric pitching across the board like Brandon Komar’s complete game shutout coupled with big time hitting from Mike Antico, Victor Scott and others paved the way. The team is hot to begin August, fighting for a spot in the postseason.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 16
Despite being shut out two consecutive games, the 11-12 Double-A Cardinals earned a home split against first-place Arkansas before splitting the first two at Tulsa. Andre Granillo recorded three saves this week and is 12-for-14 this season. July newcomer Victor Scott II continues to be a hit at the plate and on the bases with 14 steals in 20 games.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 15
The Double-A Cardinals went 3-2 for the week and are 8-9 in the second half. Nick Dunn was promoted to Memphis, but recent arrivals and Futures Game participants Tink Hence and Victor Scott II are making waves. All the while, Chandler Redmond is chasing home run records.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 14
Double-A Springfield lost three straight heading into the break, falling to 5-7 in the second half. Nick Dunn is the Texas League Player of the Week but the starting and relief pitching was rough.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 13
The Double-A Cardinals are .500 to begin the second half, dropping the Arkansas series before winning the first two over Amarillo. Chandler Redmond is chasing records and leading the league with 23 home runs. The future is shining with young stars like Victor Scott II and Tink Hence. However, rotation has been inconsistent, and the offense can disappear when the power-hitters aren’t on.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 12
The Springfield Cardinals looked rough this week, losing four straight to finish out the series against Frisco. The starting pitching, which had been on fire in June, fell apart at times. Nick Dunn continues to touch gold with his bat, and Chandler Redmond hit his 20th home run in a record pursuit. As the first half of the season closed, the Birds finished two games under .500, in a sad way to end an otherwise optimistic June.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 11
The Double-A Cardinals remain one game over .500. This week they dropped three straight to split the home series with Tulsa, but have back-to-back wins at Frisco. Connor Lunn has been pitching well with Nick Dunn leading the offense.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 10
With a 9-3 June to date, the Double-A Cardinals have pulled above .500. In his last two starts, lefty Kenny Hernandez tossed 12 1/3 scoreless innings on just six hits with nine strikeouts. Nick Dunn, Jacob Buchberger and Pedro Pages led the offense.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 9
The Springfield Cardinals moved up to 3rd place in the Texas League North with a 4-3 week. The lineup remains the strong suit with Pedro Pages recording a 1.371 OPS in June. Pitching was a problem over the course of the week, especially in the bullpen.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 8
The Springfield Cardinals secured some strong wins with a 3-2 week. Strong showings on the mound from Wilfredo Pereira and company gave the Cardinals a shutout. Recent newcomers like Noah Mendlinger came through with a walk-off win. Between these wins, pitching continues to plague Springfield, and the offense goes hot and cold.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 7
Springfield went .500 this week with very high highs, and very low lows. They matched their most runs in a game with 16, highlighted by Irving Lopez’ grand slam. League home run leader Chandler Redmond went yard twice in a win. But in the losses, the Cardinals were eaten alive on the mound with the second highest ERA in the Texas League.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 6
The Double-A Cardinals had a 2-4 week overall, including the end of a five-game losing streak, and dropping back into last place. Springfield opened the new series with a blowout win, perhaps to begin some new momentum. Outfielder L.J. Jones is hot, hitting .357 in May.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 5
The Double-A Cardinals briefly returned to .500 before closing the week with a three-game losing skid. The pitching continues to struggle, but lefty Kenny Hernandez has been solid in the rotation. Matt Koperniak and L.J. Jones have been strong for the offense.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 4
Strong offense gave Springfield a four-game win streak, but poor pitching continues to snip the Double-A Cardinals’ wings. Almost the entire lineup is clicking, as Chandler Redmond hit a home run in four consecutive games and Arquimedes Gamboa has a nine-game hit streak.
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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2023 Week 3
Relief pitching continues to be a struggle for the Double-A Cardinals, as the team went 2-4 for the week and resides in last place at 6-11. Brandon Komar and since-promoted Michael McGreevy lit up the starting rotation.
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