How Willson Contreras' Recent At-Bat Represents Cardinals New Plate Approach

The St. Louis Cardinals might be 12-17 and 5 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central but their offensive stats paint a different story.

Since hiring Brant Brown over the offseason as the Cardinals' new hitting coach, St. Louis' lineup ranks fourth in hits (264), third in batting average (.263) and 10th in OPS (.730) -- a significant improvement from last year's offensive numbers.

Under Brown's leadership, the Cardinals' offense is patient and determined, as best represented by fan favorite Willson Contreras' recent at-bat against the Atlanta Braves.

"With the Cards and Braves tied at 4 in last Tuesday’s eighth inning, Contreras stomped to the plate, admittedly irate that pitcher Enyel De Los Santos intentionally walked Lars Nootbaar to get to him," MLB.com's John Denton wrote Tuesday. "The fiery Contreras was even more steamed when he fell to an 0-2 count, but in his eyes, the at-bat was just beginning. He fouled off a pitch over the outside corner, laid off a low-and-away slider and then fouled another potential strike straight back. Another ball and another foul drew the count to 2-2 -- something that seemed to frustrate De Los Santos and breathe life into Contreras. From there, the Braves reliever missed with a ball up and in and a slider in the dirt. As De Los Santos’ shoulders slumped, Contreras offered up the kind of joyous bat flip usually reserved for towering home runs. The walk kept the inning alive and paved the way for Nolan Gorman’s three-run double that sent St. Louis on its way to a victory."

Prior to a recent cold spell by the Cardinals' lineup, St. Louis had one of the league's most prolific offenses -- a clear byproduct of Brown's leadership.

"'I was looking to do damage, but I had to be smart there,' Contreras said later," as transcribed by Denton. “'I saw everything he had, and I drew the walk. In Major League Baseball, you have to fight every game and every at-bat, and that’s what we’re trying to do as a team.'” Denton continued to explain, "That approach, one drilled into them daily by Brown before and during games, has led to the Cards causing frustration for several pitchers they have faced. They came into their current series against the Reds, seeing, on average, 153.9 pitches a game -- good for fifth in MLB. Here’s where the strategy differs from anything done in St. Louis in recent years. That is the most pitches the Cards have seen per game over the last 25 years, per MLB Research. In 2019, they saw 152.5 pitches a game, while the 2017 squad worked pitchers for 151.1 pitches."

Despite the Cardinals' recent struggles to score runs and win away games, this year's lineup looks far more confident and poised than in 2024. If the offense gets hot again and St. Louis' pitching staff steps up its game, there's no telling how competitive the franchise could be as the playoffs inch closer.