St. Louis Cardinals 2017 Team Preview
By Anthony Sosa
After making the playoffs in five consecutive seasons, the St. Louis Cardinals failed to do so in 2016. Can they make it back into the postseason in 2017? Here’s a look at the Cardinals heading into the new season.
The last time the MLB Postseason didn’t include the St. Louis Cardinals was in 2010. The Cardinals won the NL Central the past three seasons. And after winning 100 games in 2015, they regressed 14 wins and won 86 games in 2016.
Even with 86 wins, the Cardinals finished 17.5 games back of the first place and eventual World Series champion Chicago Cubs. St. Louis barely missed out on the playoffs, though. They finished one game back of the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants for a Wild Card spot in the NL.
Fast-forward to 2017 and the Cubs are once again favored to win the NL Central. The battle for the NL Central title is mostly a two-team race between the Cardinals and Cubs. The Pirates could also mix into that equation, but they’ll need to play better than they did last season.
In order for the Cardinals to win the NL Central, they need certain players to step up.
Diaz’s Sophomore Season:
Aledmys Diaz burst onto the scene into 2016. The rookie shortstop provided some of the best offensive numbers for the Cardinals last season. He even earned a trip to the 2016 All-Star Game.
In 111 games, Diaz hit .300/.369/.510 with 17 home runs, 65 RBI and 71 runs. The Cardinals need Diaz to repeat that success in 2017. If the Cardinals want to earn the NL Central crown back, they cannot afford a sophomore slump from the 26-year-old.
Although, the Cardinals own one of the deepest infields in all of baseball. With backup utility infielders Jedd Gyorko and Greg Garcia available, the Cardinals have plenty of options to go with if any of their starting infielders struggle.
Waino’s World:
If the Cardinals want to compete with the Cubs in 2017, their pitching staff must step up. In particular, their ace, Adam Wainwright needs a successful season on the mound.
Wainwright struggled in 2016. He posted the highest ERA of his career at 4.62. His 2.67 BB/9 rate also jumped up to the highest rate since 2007. He didn’t look like the ace that he used to be.
Entering his age-35 season, Wainwright might not possess the dominance of previous years, but without a stronger 2017 season, the Cardinals can’t win the Central.
Oh Closing Games:
After struggling in the closer’s role in 2016, Trevor Rosenthal lost his job to 33-year-old rookie Seung-hwan Oh. In 2017, the Cardinals are sticking with Oh as their closer. And they are trying to convert Rosenthal into a starter, per Jorge L. Ortiz of USA Today Sports.
Nothing helps a team more than a successful closer. The Cardinals need success from Oh in 2017. Last season, Oh converted 19 saves out of 23 attempts. His ERA sat at 1.92 and his K/9 rate reached 11.64.
Now let’s check out some of the new acquisitions for the Cardinals, along with departed players, 2017 projections and predictions.