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At 44-47, the Cardinals are currently in fourth place, nine games behind the Brewers for the head of the Central National League. But the Cardinals are not ready to tear it down and start getting rid of business assets. The Cardinals are unlikely to turn sellers in July, despite their current place in the standings, according to The Athletic’s Katie Woo (via Twitter). Of course, that’s not unusual for the Cardinals, one of the most stable and competitive franchises in the game.
In terms of contention odds in 2021, nine games aren’t an inconceivable margin to overcome, although jumping all three teams in front of them can be just as challenging. That said, the Cubs appear likely to sell and therefore drop further in the standings as August and September approach. The Cardinals are also 8.5 games away from a wild card spot, however, so there’s no clear path to a playoff spot.
However, there are reinforcements on the way. Both Miles Mikolas and Jack Flaherty threw paddocks yesterday, according to MLB.com’s Jeff Jones (via Twitter). Mikolas has only made one start this year, but he has been a productive member of the rotation in recent years. Flaherty, of course, could make a difference if he is able to come back from his torn oblique.
Jordan hicks, however, may not return this season, Jones notes. Hicks has been suffering from elbow inflammation since May 2, and it’s still unclear when he’ll be ready to hit the hill again. Considering Hicks’ injury history, this final chapter is particularly disheartening for the 24-year-old flamethrower.
Pitching hasn’t necessarily been the problem for the Cardinals, however. With 360 points scored, they have beaten only the Mets and Pirates, and they are tied with Cleveland for 26th place among the Majors with an 88 wRC +. They rank 25th with a .379 SLG and 26th with a .302 OBP. They put the ball into play – the 21.9% strikeout rate is tied for the third lowest in the Majors – but those balls are largely turned into strikeouts, as they’re also third in BABIP with a batting average of 0.272 per team. on the balls in play.
While the Cardinals are built around their pitch and defense, it’s safe to assume they expected more from offense. However, they’re healthy as a unit now, so maybe the Cardinals expect a second-half increase. Anyway, apart from a few veterans like Yadier Molina, Adam wainwright, Andrew Miller and Kwang hyun kim, most of the Cardinals’ roster is controlled beyond this season, so it’s not entirely unreasonable to avoid a massive sell-off, even though their playoff odds, at the moment, are 1. 8%, by Fangraphs.
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