With a backup plan in place, the St. Louis Cardinals let veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to depart this winter. Their idea was to shift Willson Contreras to first base full-time, but few analysts thought it would be as successful as it has been. Don’t get me wrong, Goldschmidt has been a terrific addition to the Yankees. But so has Willson Contreras, who has demonstrated remarkable flexibility in a new role.
Goldschmidt is hitting.339 with a.881 OPS and 1.4 WAR so far this season. Goldschmidt was fading away in St. Louis, but it’s clear that the Yankees have brought out the best in him. In fact, the 37-year-old acknowledged that he hadn’t performed to his full potential in his last few seasons with the Cardinals. Goldy has benefited from a change of environment, but the Cards aren’t suffering as a consequence.
Miles Mikolas, the starting pitcher for the Cards, said in an article by ESPN’s Jeff Passan that Contreras is playing some of the finest first base he has ever seen.
“He might be one of the best first basemen I’ve ever seen,” stated Mikolas. He’s doing something unique at first base with his arm and range, even though I knew he would be picking it up and bodying it up. He’s shocking a lot of people, in my opinion. Most likely not himself. He understands how good he is.”
Cardinals defense – without Paul Goldschmidt – has propelled their early-season success
Contreras appeared in just 80 games last season, recording an OPS of.848 and a WAR of 3.0. Despite having a.728 OPS this season, he has more than made up for it on defense. Despite losing the four-time gold glover, the Cardinals are actually among the greatest defensive teams in baseball overall. It’s a big factor in their success thus far, which has mostly been unexpected.
“Guys wanted to take a ton of pride in their defense,” management stated. “We knew we would have ups and downs this season, but we can manage our effort and stay engaged in every pitch when we consider what we can control. We don’t give up much, and that’s the one thing I can say with certainty. Plays are being made by men everywhere. They’re spot on. They’re locked in every pitch.”
Even if the Cardinals’ early-season success might not endure, it won’t be due to their on-field performance. Fans can’t expect for much more, considering the way the previous seasons have gone.
