2009 St. Louis Cardinals Odds & Predictions

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cards-31609The St. Louis Cardinals have three National League Central titles in the last five seasons, but none of those have come the last two years. The Cards enter the 2009 season trying not to miss out on October baseball for the third straight season, but it is going to be a challenge with as strong as the Chicago Cubs are looking. But if good health prevails and the starting pitching staff can exceed expectations, anything is possible. St. Louis will likely have to make any postseason entry via the wild card though. The St. Louis Cardinals are listed at +2500 to win the 2009 World Series.

Pitching
It’s not as if the starting rotation is completely awful, it just isn’t nearly as good as it was a couple seasons back when the Red Birds won the Series. Ace Adam Wainwright will get the ball on Opening Day. He went 11-3 with a 3.20 ERA when he was on the mound last season, but he only logged 132.0 innings. This is a guy the Cards cannot afford to have on the injured list. The biggest reason why the Cardinals won 86 games and remained competitive last season was the surprise showing by Kyle Lohse, who the Cards added late in the 2008 spring training. Lohse went 15-6 with a 3.78 ERA. The Cards are hoping for another season like that, but it is doubtful as those 15 wins were his most since he went 14-11 for Minnesota in 2003. Former ace Chris Carpenter is the wild card. If he can successfully return from his nerve problems in his throwing arm, the Cards add another solid starter to the rotation, but that is something that can’t be counted on. Todd Wellemeyer and likely Joel Piniero  are expected to  round out the starting five, but don’t be surprised if you see Kyle McClellan in there at some point.

The bullpen was a disaster in 2008, losing 31 games, which was second most in the NL, and blowing 31 saves. That was enough to send closer Jason Isringhausen packing and to give the nod to young flame thrower Chris Perez. This unit can’t get any worse so I expect mild improvement.

Lineup
The Cardinals have the most dangerous player in the National League in Albert Pujols and he is coming off another MVP season. His .334 average is tops among active players and his 37 homeruns, 116 RBIs, and 104 walks that he amassed in 2008 are the norm for this guy.  Since second baseman Adam Kennedy is gone, Center fielder Rick Ankiel wil1 likely take over the two-hole. He had 25 homeruns and 71 RBIs in 120 games last season. With third baseman Troy Glaus also hitting in the middle of the order, the Cards have one of the best corners tandems in baseball. Glaus slugged 27 round trippers and added 99 RBIs last season. The guy that often flies under the radar for this team is right fielder Ryan Ludwig and that is a crying shame as his numbers are ridiculous. Ludwig hit .299 with 37 homeruns and 113 RBIs last season. The key to making a run at the division title could be the addition of shortstop Khalil Greene. Greene’s talent has never been doubted but he had not lived up to the hype while in San Diego. Perhaps playing in a rich baseball environment will help him realize his potential. Left fielder Skip Schumaker, second baseman  Skip Schumaker, and catcher Yadier Molina will likely round out the order.

Prediction: 2nd Place NL Central
There’s a lot of power in the Cardinals lineup, but the pitching will continue to hold this team back. The pen blew 31 saves in 2008, and while it shouldn’t struggle as badly in ’09, it likely won’t be good enough to challenge for the Central crown. The St. Louis Cardinals are listed at +400 to win the NL Central.

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About the Author: Jimmy Boyd is known for his consistency. He's a proven winner in college and pro football, college and pro basketball and pro baseball. He finished as the No. 1 ranked MLB handicapper in 2007 by earning $1,000/game bettors $50,050. He also finished as the No. 1 ranked basketball handicapper in the 2008-09 season, profiting $1,000/game bettors 38,530. His basketball plays have banked $1,000/game bettors nearly $80,000 the last five years. Check out Jimmy's premium picks for tonight!
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