Division-favorite Cardinals in uphill battle a month into the season
With a 9-14 record and already seven games out of first place in the National League Central division, the Cardinals find themselves in an uphill battle that won't be easy to overcome.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are playing sound baseball in all facets of the game and the Milwaukee Brewers are right there with them, sitting only a game out of first place. The Cardinals are in desperate need of a wake-up call and even that might not be enough to turn it around.
Entering the season there were plenty of question marks surrounding the pitching staff and the pitching has proved to be a problem with only four quality starts in their first 23 games.
Inked to a new two-year contract extension worth $40M, Miles Mikolas has been hammered around in his first five starts of 2023. In 25 1/3 innings pitched, Mikolas has allowed opposing batters to have a .366 average against him while surrendering 21 earned runs and six HR.
Not all has been bad for the starting pitching, however. The Cardinals have to be happy with the signs of progression shown by Jack Flaherty after struggling with injuries over the past few seasons.
The looming return of Adam Wainwright from injury should also provide a boost, but it will take more than that to close the gap on first place.
The bullpen has had its fair share of problems as well, with three relievers sporting ERAs above 5.00, but the unit seems to be turning it around as of late.
The offense was thought to be one of the most feared in baseball due to its depth and hitting ability from top to bottom. But the offense has struggled with hitting in clutch situations.
Ranking last in the league with 177 runners left on base, the Cardinals have been able to get on base but have had massive problems driving those runners in.
2022 National League MVP Paul Goldschmidt has gotten off to a slow start, while Nolan Arenado has cooled off at the plate since his hot start. Both are hitting below .200 over the past seven games.
Nolan Gorman has stepped up his game in a huge way in 2023, carrying a bulk of the offense thanks to his six HR and 22 RBI. Gorman worked extensively on his swing this offseason and it has paid huge dividends. Cutting down on his strikeouts and walking more, Gorman is looking like the top prospect St. Louis hoped he would become.
With 139 games left in the season and the talent on the roster, a turnaround isn't out of the question. But whether the team will be able to make the adjustments quick enough is yet to be seen.
Look for the Cardinals to shake things up in the next few weeks if the poor play continues.
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