Amongst the favorites to represent the National League in the World Series, no one is talking about the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets are the talk of the town when it comes to true World Series contenders.
But, the Cardinals should be mentioned in that same sentence.
Most people seem to overlook the Cardinals each year because they are not the flashy pick.
Although this team is one of the most consistent in Major League Baseball.
The Cardinals currently sit atop the NL Central with a record of 66-51.
They have won 13 of their last 16 games and have taken a three-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers throughout that stretch.
This team is well-balanced offensively with NL MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt leading the way.
THE ANNOUNCER CALLED IT!! 🗣️
Paul Goldschmidt is currently -125 to win NL MVP 🔥🔥
(Via @MLB)
— Pickswise (@Pickswise) August 3, 2022
The 34-year-old first baseman is once again having an amazing season.
His .335 batting average, 29 home runs, and 94 RBI all lead the Cardinals.
As a team, St. Louis ranks fifth in the MLB in runs and sixth in batting average.
Consistency is the name of the game for this team.
With Goldschmidt being the best hitter on the team, Nolan Arenado is almost equal to him in terms of value.
Arenado comes in with a 6.2 WAR compared to a 6.3 of Goldschmidt.
Arenado has 25 home runs, 75 RBI, and a .293 batting average.
To go along with the fact that he is arguably the best third baseman in all of baseball.
The Cardinals are a disciplined team and you can see that in their defensive ability.
This is the best defensive team in all of baseball.
Defense is easily overlooked in today’s MLB because of all the home runs and strikeouts.
But, the Cardinals’ .990 fielding percentage is the best in baseball.
Beginning to think Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt might be pretty good on defense.
TV: Bally Sports Midwest
Stream: https://t.co/6HlfelvwdB#STLCards pic.twitter.com/Vx6KwoPxBR— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) August 17, 2022
The bullpen has even pitched well this year thanks to a breakout season from All-Star Ryan Helsley.
The flame-throwing righty has a 0.91 ERA and 13.0 K/9.
Veteran Presence
Another underrated part of this Cardinals team that other NL contenders do not have is years of playoff/World Series experience.
Three names stand out when talking about the history of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina, and Albert Pujols.
All three of those players have won world championships and are still contributing in 2022.
Wainwright is the most consistent pitcher on the Cardinals despite being 40 years old.
He leads all Cardinals starters in innings pitched, ERA, and WAR.
Molina has been hurt a large portion of the season but when healthy he is still a great defensive catcher.
Pujols on the other hand still has some juice left in his bat.
Against lefties, Pujols is hitting .363 with seven home runs, 21 RBI, and an OPS of 1.102.
He has been borderline elite against lefties and is still looking to crack 700 home runs if he can have a great final month.
These three vets with all the other consistent Cardinals have the chance to do something special in the playoffs.
The Cardinals are one of the most underrated teams in the MLB and counting them out come October would be a massive mistake.
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