On Wednesday, MLB.com Cardinals beat reporter John Denton held an Ask Me Anything on Reddit with fans at r/cardinals. This mailbag features excerpted questions and answers from that event (some lightly edited for clarity). The full AMA can be read here.
BALTIMORE -- Even after a stretch where the Cardinals have played some of their most inspired baseball of the past three seasons -- they entered Wednesday having won 21 of 30 games, including a nine-game winning spree in early May -- fans still have one burning question: Can they keep this pace up over a full season?
Is this recent hot streak a fluke or are these the real 2025 Birds on the Bat?
Thanks for the question! Maybe early on, I would have sided with the "hot streak" theory, but because the Cardinals have played well for a long period of time now -- most recently, they have won 17 of 22 -- I think they are really onto something, and this is sustainable. They are doing it with pitching that keeps the ball on the ground and their defense is stellar. Also, this isn't just one player carrying the team for a two-week stretch with home runs. They are getting contributions up and down the lineup and they just batter foes with doubles and hits. Therefore, I think this is a style of play they can use the rest of the way to stay in the playoff chase.
From your perspective, what specifically has shifted -- tactically, culturally, or internally -- that’s driving this improvement?
I truly believe that the expertise and accountability that coaches Brant Brown and Jon Jay have brought to the team have led to a shift in attention to detail and steady performance. Watch those coaches during games and they are always instructing players all the time. Players now have detailed plans that fit their responsibilities and their skill sets, so that gives them more confidence. And when they don't perform, they are held accountable. That all stems, of course, from manager Oliver Marmol and bench coach Daniel Descalso. There is an expectation level and an accountability that they are demanding, and they have given Brown and Jay free reign to coach the players hard. Cardinals players rave about those coaches daily because they have instilled confidence with their daily plans and strong communication skills.
The Cardinals' fan base has been pretty critical of the [Randy] Arozarena trade. Is this the [Matthew] Liberatore they were projecting when they traded for him?
The Cardinals' fan base was critical of the Arozarena trade and rightly so with how well Randy played right away for the Rays. But these trades sometimes take years to work out, and that's certainly the case now with the way Liberatore is blossoming. This is the pitcher that Liberatore (and many in the organization) always thought he could become, but sometimes it just takes longer than fans are willing to wait. There's a definite maturity and confidence to Liberatore now that was missing in the past. I truly believe that the year in the bullpen instilled a toughness and a swagger in him that Cardinals fans are seeing now. And finally, finally, finally he has a plan -- and the stuff -- to get right-handed hitters out. Adding that cutter and two-seamer that runs in has kept them from hanging out over the plate and feasting on his curveball.
Do you see the Cardinals being buyers at the Trade Deadline?
The Cards came into Memorial Day in a dead heat with Mike Shildt's Padres (inside joke, sorry) for the No. 3 Wild Card spot in the NL. Last year, 9 of the 12 teams in playoff position on Memorial Day went on to reach the playoffs. The same 75 percent playoff ratio was true in 2023 and ‘24.
If the Cards are in the playoff chase in late July, I don't think they will necessarily be "buyers," but instead a team that stands pat and resists the urge to sell off pieces such as Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Erick Fedde. However, if they fall out of the race by late July, I think they have to strongly consider moving those aforementioned players along with star third baseman Nolan Arenado.