Teams require these 4 players to deliver during Ivan Herrera's temporary non-availability.
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The St. Louis Cardinals had a promising start with a winning opening weekend against the Minnesota Twins, but a series loss to the Angels and an embarrassing sweep by the Red Sox has cast a shadow over their season. To make things worse, their hottest hitter, Ivan Herrera, is sidelined for at least four weeks after a bone bruise. Before his injury, Herrera smacked four homers, including a historic Three-homer game, and led the team with 11 RBIs in his first 21 at-bats.
The rest of the offense was also in good form, with Lars Nootbaar reaching base in every game, Nolan Arenado on a 15-game hitting streak, and Masyn Winn showing signs of turning things around after early struggles. The pitching, however, has been underperforming since April.
Who Needs to Step Up Without Herrera?
Willson Contreras
Slotting in as the primary answer for the Cardinals' offense is Willson Contreras, who's been battling a prolonged slump at the plate since the season began. After torching the ball in spring training, Contreras' struggles have carried over. His strikeout rate is alarmingly high, nearing 40%, which is over 10% higher than Nolan Gorman's rate last season that led to a demotion.
Contreras appears lost at the plate, with a poor 41% chase rate, and hasn't shown enough consistency in hitting hard balls. His pitch recognition seems off, and he frequently chases pitches out of the zone and takes too many hittable ones. A quick peek at Contreras' Baseball Savant page reveals a lot of blue, and blue is bad. His statistics in exit velocity, barrel percentage, expected batting average, and whiff rate are poor, indicating that he's not just experiencing bad luck, but is truly struggling.
Manager Oli Marmol has continued to hit Contreras in the second spot in the lineup, a decision that might have made sense during his hot spring, but his tough start to the year has made that spot a near-automatic out. With runners on base, Contreras has a total of just 3 hits, further highlighting the need for a shift in strategy to help his bat contribute more to the offense.
Without Herrera, the weight of the offense will fall heavily on Contreras. In the game where Herrera was injured, Marmol moved Contreras to the fifth spot in the order, but since then, he has returned to the second hole. He did put up two hits in the last game in Boston, but the team's poor performance overshadowed this, making it less significant for the overall offense.
Contreras' move to first base was intended to keep him healthy, as the lineup was performing well before his fractured forearm put him on the shelf last year. With Herrera's return imminent, Contreras will need a quick turnaround. There's a near-zero chance he'll be asked to gear up for the Cardinals again, as the team trusts Pedro Pages to take over the starting role until Herrera's return.
Others who could potentially step up include Yohel Pozo, Lars Nootbaar, Luken Baker, and various outfielders like Corey Dickerson, depending on the lineup. However, their immediate impact is questionable due to recent injuries and roster adjustments.
Sports enthusiasts should keep an eye on Willson Contreras, as he needs to step up in the absence of Ivan Herrera. Despite his poor statistics in exit velocity, barrel percentage, expected batting average, and whiff rate, Contreras continues to be positioned in the second spot in the lineup. With Herrera sidelined for at least four weeks, the Cardinals will likely rely heavily on Contreras' performance in Major League Baseball (MLB).
