{"id":85034,"date":"2024-09-06T18:22:27","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T22:22:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=85034"},"modified":"2024-09-06T18:22:57","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T22:22:57","slug":"improvements-cardinals-defense-bright-spot-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/09\/06\/improvements-cardinals-defense-bright-spot-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Improvements in Cardinals Defense Are a Bright Spot in 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

The St. Louis Cardinals’ improvements on defense in 2024 might not lead to a postseason run<\/a> this season, but they do bode well for 2025 and beyond. \u00a0Following one of their worst seasons in decades, the Cardinals are now entering their final 22 games of the season with a (barely) winning record. Entering Friday, they sit five games out of the final Wild Card spot in the National League and have a less than 2% chance to make the postseason according to FanGraphs<\/a>. Nevertheless, there have been definite bright spots in 2024 for the Cardinals.<\/p>\n

A major one has been the emergence<\/a> of youngsters Masyn Winn<\/a> and Alec Burleson<\/a> as bonafide offensive threats. Although both have entered minor slumps as of late, their presence at the top of the lineup has been a major boon to an inconsistent Cardinals offense.<\/p>\n

Another has been the manner in which multiple bullpen arms<\/a> have stepped up into crucial roles. Closer Ryan Helsley<\/a>‘s new confined role<\/a> has enabled him to put up historic numbers<\/a>. Once highly touted prospect Matthew Liberatore<\/a> has emerged as a high-leverage arm with dominant action on his breaking pitches. Ryan Fernandez<\/a>, a Rule-5 draft pick, and JoJo Romero<\/a>, an afterthought in the Edmundo Sosa<\/a> trade, have taken over critical innings this year.<\/p>\n

Yet, one of the most important, and least talked about, improvements this team has made has been on defense.<\/p>\n

Cardinals Woes and Strengths on Defense<\/h2>\n

2023 was a rough season for the Cardinals in many ways. For a team whose identity under the tenure of Yadier Molina<\/a> at least partially centered around solid defense, they struggled mightily in the field. Although their pure errors and fielding percentage do not reflect this fact, advanced fielding statistics do. In 2023, the Cardinals defense posted a -7 DRS, good for 20th in MLB. They also posted a -7 OAA as a team, placing them 19th in the MLB in that category. While these might seem like obscure metrics, these numbers often become catch-alls for understanding defensive performance.<\/p>\n

The team’s improvement in these statistics in 2024 also confirms their overall improvement on defense. This season, they have posted a 34 DRS and a 15 OAA, leaving them at 8th in the league in both these categories. While they have not necessarily returned to their prominence as a top defensive team in MLB, the flashy moments of many of their young stars have returned the team to a respectable status in 2024.<\/p>\n

Who’s Stepped Up?<\/h3>\n

While perennial Gold Glover Nolan Arenado<\/a> and frequent winner Paul Goldschmidt<\/a> have underperformed defensively this season, a multitude of young players have seen major improvement. Pedro Pages<\/a>‘ emergence<\/a> as a solid defensive option in the midst of the injuries<\/a> to Willson Contreras<\/a> has solidified the Cards’ defense behind the plate. His numbers on passed balls and runners caught stealing reflect this solidification in comparison to Contreras and Ivan Herrera<\/a>‘s.<\/p>\n

Established utility player Brendan Donovan<\/a> has been highly effective at second base since Nolan Gorman<\/a> was sent down<\/a>. The winner of the first Gold Glove Award for an NL Utility Player may well be in the running for another one this season. He’s played three positions in 2024 and, across all of those, has posted a 5 OAA, placing him in the 91st percentile across the league.<\/p>\n

Youngster Victor Scott II<\/a> got another opportunity in the majors this season following the injury<\/a> to Michael Siani<\/a>. He’s made a bevy of flashy plays, displaying excellent range and route-running, including this one against the Dodgers on August 18:<\/p>\n

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#STLCards<\/a> rookie CF Victor Scott II got a poor jump on this 109.6 mph missile off the bat of #Dodgers<\/a> slugger Teoscar Hernandez, but he was able to cover the 64 feet needed to make the stellar catch.<\/p>\n

Hernandez had a 93 percent hit probability on the smash, per Statcast. pic.twitter.com\/B4bkIC9CDR<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 John Denton (@JohnDenton555) August 18, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n