Since trading away multiple key pieces from their Major League roster at the Trade Deadline, the Cardinals have gone 11-6 in their contests, stringing together five straight series victories and seemingly reviving their hopes of pushing for the postseason.
But how did the club get back to its winning ways? Here are five reasons:
1. Jordan Walker is back to All-Star form
Following his epic Home Run Derby victory, Jordan Walker struggled to drive the baseball out of the ballpark as he did during the first half, but that swing has returned as of late.
Over the team’s last five series (since Aug. 3), Walker has slashed .322/.385/.610 with four home runs and 13 RBIs, helping to power the offense to an average of 5.24 runs per game. With the Cardinals ranking 26th in MLB in slugging percentage (.382) this season, their power output is significantly impacted by what Walker is able to produce.
When Walker is on, he is arguably the best bat in their lineup, but the continued progression of another bat this summer has really helped the Cardinals string together series wins as of late.
2. Alec Burleson’s summer heater
My oh my, Alec Burleson has been on an absolute tear. The 27-year-old has hit .317/.403/.698 with six home runs and 22 RBIs during this stretch, turning his steady progression year over year into stardom this summer.
Walker (94) and Burleson (93) are second and third in baseball in RBIs. Burleson -- often sandwiched between Walker and Iván Herrera in the batting order -- has posted a .981 OPS against right-handed pitching this year. The lineup construction makes it difficult for opposing managers to play the matchup game with Burleson, much to his advantage.
Burleson also leads all first basemen in Baseball Savant’s new stat, Receiving Outs Above Average (or Receiving OAA), which measures how well a first baseman does at receiving a ball. From scoops to stretches, Burleson has paired an elite bat with great defense to become one of the best first basemen in the game.
3. Rotation has been lights out
Just when you think the Cardinals’ rotation has reached its peak production, the group continues to surpass all expectations. Even after trading away Dustin May at the Trade Deadline, the group has gotten better, posting a 3.19 ERA, eighth-best among all teams during that span.
Leading the charge is Kyle Leahy, who owns a 1.80 ERA in his three August starts while striking out one-third of the batters he has faced.
But he’s far from the only starter finding success as of late. Quinn Mathews, Andre Pallante, and Hunter Dobbins all own ERA's south of 3.00 since Aug. 3, and Michael McGreevy isn’t far behind with a 3.38 ERA over his four starts in that span.
Even Matthew Liberatore, whose tough outing against the Rockies on Aug. 9 ballooned his ERA, has allowed five runs over his last two starts (11 2/3 innings). The Cardinals’ rotation is putting the club in position to win on a daily basis.
4. Riley O’Brien shutting the door
For a significant stretch there, Riley O’Brien was struggling to lock down the ninth like he had done so well to begin the season. But he’s been nails since the Trade Deadline.
O’Brien has allowed one hit and he has not allowed a run in his eight appearances (7 1/3 innings) during this stretch, which has been especially notable given the number of games the bullpen has struggled to hold down as of late. There’s something about having a dependable presence at the back of a bullpen that breathes so much confidence into a team, and O’Brien has been that as of late.
5. Masyn Winn’s glove
Can we just take a moment to acknowledge how special a defender Masyn Winn is? After a slow start to the season on the diamond by his own standards, Winn only trails the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. in Fielding Run Value among shortstops (15) and ranks top 5 among all shortstops in Outs Above Average (15) and Defensive Runs Saved (8), per FanGraphs.
With a pitching staff that has the third-highest ground-ball rate of any team this year (44.9%), infield defense is at a premium. And when Winn is joined by two other elite defenders at their positions in Burleson and JJ Wetherholt, they act as a force multiplier to his own special skills.
The Cardinals have so much individual talent, but the sum of their parts is even greater when they feed off each other. If they keep playing this brand of baseball the rest of the way, the race for October may get a whole lot more interesting in the National League.