2012 St. Louis Cardinals Predictions
The Cardinals’ chances of winning the World Series appeared to take a big hit when Adam Wainwright was lost for the season. Nevertheless, they managed to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy at season’s end. Now, they’ll have to overcome an even bigger hurdle in order to repeat. Albert Pujols, who is widely regarded as the best player in the game, has left town, which has left a big hole in the lineup.
Projected Pitching
Starting rotation: Chris Carpenter (R) – Carp went 11-9 with a 3.45 ERA last season and was sensational in the playoffs, especially in a shutout win over Philly in the NLDS clincher. But the 36-year-old led the NL with 237.1 innings (plus 36.0 more in the postseason), a total that could hurt him in 2012.
Adam Wainwright (R) – The Cards are excited to get Wainwright back following Tommy John surgery. His 2.53 ERA during 2009-2010 was the best among NL starters.
Jaime Garcia (L) – The southpaw has been very solid for the Cards the past two seasons. He finished 13-7 with a 3.56 ERA in 2011.
Kyle Lohse (R) – Lohse bounce back from a rough 2010, going 14-8 with a 3.39 ERA in 30 starts.
Jake Westbrook (R) – Westbrook, who went 12-9 with a 4.66 ERA last year, rounds out the rotation.
Closer: Jason Motte (R) – Motte will get the first shot at closing after a solid run in the postseason, during which he allowed four runs on five hits in 13.1 innings.
Projected Lineup
Yadier Molina (Catcher) – Molina is coming off an outstanding season in which he captured his fourth consecutive Gold Glove, third straight All-Star nod and second World Series ring. He finished the regular season with a .305 average, 14 home runs and 65 RBIs.
Lance Berkman (First Base) – Playing second fiddle to Pujols, Berkman batted .301 with 31 round trippers and 94 RBIs.
Skip Schumaker (Second Base) – Schumaker has held his own at second since transitioning from the outfield. He’s also been solid at the plate, where he has a .297 average over the past five seasons.
David Freese (Third Base) – The oft-injured third baseman shined in the playoffs. He took home NLCS and World Series MVP honors while setting a postseason record with 21 RBIs.
Rafael Furcal (Shortstop) – Furcal didn’t do much at the plate after coming over from the Dodgers, but he continued to play a mean shortstop. He has an absolute gun.
Matt Holliday (Left Field) – Injuries limited Holliday to 124 games, but he still managed 22 home runs and 75 RBIs while batting .296.
Jon Jay (Center Field) – Jay took over as the everyday center fielder in July and batted .297 with 24 doubles and 10 homers.
Carlos Beltran (Right Field) – The Cards are counting on him to make up for some of the offense that went to Los Angeles with Pujols. He batted .300 with 22 home runs and 84 RBIs for the Mets and Giants last season.
Prediction – 3rd Place NL Central: The Cardinals should still be competitive in the Central, but I believe they’ll come up short without Pujols. It could take Wainwright some time to regain his form and the rest of the starters could suffer from fatigue down the stretch after logging so many innings in 2011. The Cardinals are listed at +225 to win the NL Central.