Mediocre. Ordinary. Average. So-so. Middle of the road.
That pretty much sums of the St. Louis Cardinals up until this point in time. They haven't been bad, but they sure haven't been great. They currently sit well behind the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central, and it doesn't look like things will change very soon.
The Cubs are playing some of the best baseball in franchise history, while the Cardinals sit in the middle of the pack. The offense has been stellar, but poor defense and pitching has kept the Cardinals from keeping pace with Chicago.
Last week the Redbirds busted out for a 10-run, five-home run offensive lightning show against the Phillies. The next night, the team was shutout by a cast of Philadelphia pitchers including Aaron Nola, Hector Neris and Jeanmar Gomez (who?). This kind of inconsistency has plagued the Cardinals all season. One night, the offense produces but the pitching can't do the same. The next day, the opposite will happen.
So, looking forward, the Cardinals have some major question marks. Here we go.
1. When will the pitching staff get things together?
The Cardinals' pitching staff sits in the middle of the league in most of the big categories: ERA, earned runs, opponent AVG. and walks. One of the worst pitchers on the team this season has been Adam Wainwright, to the surprise of many. Wainwright's last two starts against Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have been better, yielding six total earned runs in 12.1 innings pitched.
The Mike Leake signing has yet to pan out for the Cardinals, too. Leake hasn't had one solid start this season, with an ERA hovering around six. For the Cardinals to solidify their starting staff, Leake and Wainwright will have to improve as the season goes on.
2. What to do with Aledmys Diaz?
Rookie sensation Aledymys Diaz has been a huge, pleasant surprise for Mike Matheny and the Cardinals. Diaz is at or near the top in the leading offensive statistics: home runs, average, slugging percentage and RBI. Where Diaz hasn't been so strong is defense. He currently leads the team in errors with five, and his play in the field has been a liability at times.
Thought to be the de-facto starting shortstop this season, injured Jhonny Peralta will make a return at some point. The team expects Peralta to rejoin the club in early June, and that begs the question: will Matheny still use Diaz with the return of Peralta? Diaz looks to be a candidate to take over for the struggling Kolten Wong at second base. Will General Manager John Mozeliak allow Wong to ride the bench after signing the second baseman to a five year, $25.5 million contract extension in March?
3. Can the offense continue at this pace?
The Cardinals rank in the top five in baseball in runs scored, home runs, batting average and RBI. After being a weakness in past seasons, the team is finally producing at the plate. The problem is that they can't consistently produce offensively.
They've had offensive outbursts, but they have struggled to win close games at the plate. Currently, the team is just 2-5 in one run games. Their ability to win close games must improve as the season progresses into the summer.
4. Can/will the Cardinals catch the Cubs?
Currently the Cardinals sit well behind the Cubs in the NL Central division. With the likes of Dexter Fowler, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo at the plate, the Cubs show that they are in no position to slow down. They have three starting pitchers that boast ERA's under two: Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester and Jason Hammel.
Baseball's a long season, but the Cubs have built themselves a sizable and comfortable lead. Although it's only May, it's going to take a lot to slow these Cubs down. Can the Cardinals do it? With the right combination of offense and pitching, sure. They'll need some help from the Cubs along the way as well.
Mediocre. Average. So-so. The Cardinals have to get things together, and they better do it soon.
