Cardinals Star Confident Change Is Coming After Rough Start

The St. Louis Cardinals' offense has been among the top in the league so far this season but the campaign hasn't gone as planned for first baseman Willson Contreras.

When he's at his best, he's one of the top right-handed hitters in the National League. It's been a tough start to the season, though, and he's currently slashing .102/.170/.143 with a league-leading 22 strikeouts. He hasn't hit a home run yet and has driven in three runs in 12 games.

Things haven't gone as planned, but he sounds confident he will turn it around, as transcribed by MLB.com's John Denton.

"It’s not about me and not about any individual; it’s about how we handle ourselves and how we keep the best energy in the dugout,” Contreras said. "(Controlling his emotions is) one thing I feel proud about because I’ve gotten so much better from last year to this year, but I don’t know if that is helping me or hurting me now. I’m proud of the way I’ve been handling myself through this stretch. I know sooner or later, everything will change...

"There’s no excuse, there’s no excuse. That’s all I can say…no excuse...I feel like I’m getting better, and I made more contact today than I did in the past. The only thing I can control is to keep working and improving myself."

Don't give up on him yet. He's appeared in just 12 games. There's plenty more to go.