For the second time since 2010, the St. Louis Cardinals found themselves sitting at home watching the playoffs. They still won 83 games, but fell four games shy of the second Wild Card spot in the National League.
The Cardinals come into this season with a youthful rotation and starting lineup. They keep adding talent from their farm system…and they keep getting better as they gain experience. Which new faces will come up big for the Cardinals this season?
The St. Louis do enough this offseason to contend with the Chicago Cubs?
Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the St Louis Cardinals.
2017 Win/Loss Record: 83-79
Key Additions: OF Marcell Osuna, SP Miles Mikolas, RP Luke Gregerson, RP Dominic Leone, RP Bud Norris, RP Preston Guilmet, RP Jason Motte & RP Edward Mujica
Key Losses: OF Stephen Piscotty, SP Lance Lynn, OF Randal Grichuk, RP Seung Hwan Oh, RP Juan Nicasio, SS Aledmys Diaz, OF Magneuris Sierra, RP Zach Duke & RP Sandy Alvantara
Interleague Schedule: AL Central
Projected Starters: Yadier Molina, Matt Carpenter, Kolten Wong, Jedd Gyorko, Paul DeJong, Marcell Osuna, Tommy Pham & Dexter Fowler
Projected Starting Rotation: Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha, Adam Wainwright, Luke Weaver & Miles Mikolas
Closer: Luke Gregerson
Fantasy Sleeper: SP Adam Wainwright – In a span of two seasons, Wainwright has went from being one of the best pitchers in the Majors to not even being rosterable in fantasy. He’s pitching pretty darn good this Spring, so he could be a nice late-round pick in case he regains some of his past form. He’s a 36-year-old guy who has had major injuries in the past. He could squeeze out an extra year or two with good fantasy numbers…but keep an eye on his progress this Spring.
Prospect To Keep Your Eye On: OF Tyler O’Neill – The Cardinals got O’Neill from the Mariners when they sent SP Marco Gonzales there last season. He was Seattle’s best power hitter in their farm system. He was once a catcher, so even if you put him in left field, defense may be affected. He could use some time in the minors to help his defense, but his bat is ready right now.
Team Analysis: The Cardinals have been right at the cusp of the postseason the past two seasons. This might be the longest postseason-drought the Cardinals have had in the last two decades. They have been a cornerstone of consistency in all of baseball.
St. Louis always seems to have a fresh batch of young talent to take over when their elite guys retire or sign elsewhere. The Cardinals debuted from new faces last season and they impressed everyone. 2B Paul DeJong and 1B Luke Voit were just two of the young hitters they have ready to be called up. They have a few more guys ready if injuries arise this year.
The Cardinals didn’t stand pat this offseason as they took advantage of the Marlins purge of payroll. They acquired power hitter OF Marcell Ozuna, who will find Busch Stadium a huge upgrade over the spacious Marlins Park. They also signed former big leaguer SP Miles Mikolas, who dominated in Japan the last few seasons. I’m curious to see how he will do back in the Majors.
The Cardinals have a tough task of keeping pace with the Cubs in the NL Central. They made improvements this offseason in hopes of doing just that. The Cubs have just a little better offense, but the Cardinals should secure a Wild Card spot in the National League.
2018 Wins Over/Under Betting Line: 86.5 (Prediction: OVER)
2018 Projected Win/Loss Record: 88-74 (2nd in NL Central)
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About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.