2008 St. Louis Cardinals Picks & Predictions
May 22, 2008
A lot has changed for the Red Birds since bringing home a World Series title in 2006. Find out if the Cards can bounce back from a 78-84 season to reign atop the NL Central again in this 2008 St. Louis Cardinals predictions article.
Pitching
This was the strength of the Cards in 2006. Now it is a mess. Mark Mulder has not been the same since undergoing shoulder surgery. Chris Carpenter will miss half the season after elbow surgery. Adam Wainwright is the only remaining bright spot. He was brilliant in the pen in 2006, but he moved into the starting rotation last year and posted 14 wins with a respectable 3.70 ERA. Braden Looper is still unproven, but showed promise, winning 12 games in his first season as a starter. Anthony Reyes was terrible last season with a 2-14 record and a 6.04 ERA. It’s a crime that he’ll get another shot. Joel Pineiro pitched well enough to earn a spot after coming over from Boston.
The pen saved the Cards’ tails countless times in 2007. Jason Isringhausen saved 32 games in just 34 chances last season. Ryan Franklin is an All-Star quality setup man and Russ Springer went 8-1 out of the bullpen last season.
Offense
Rick Ankiel could provide the Red Birds with some much needed power if he continues the tear he was on in 2007 and can put the HGH talk behind him. Albert Pujols is one of the elite hitters in the game. We’re talking about a perennial 30 homerun/100 RBI guy. He has reached those benchmarks in each of his first seven seasons in the bigs. Chris Duncan had a solid 2007 with 21 homers and 70 RBIs. A sports hernia injury limited him to just 127 games. I’m expecting him to emerge as a 30 homerun/100 RBI guy as well. Troy Glaus is the other guy in this lineup with power potential.
Defense
The middle infield was a huge weakness for the Cards last season. It accounted for 49 of the team’s 121 errors. Shortstop Cesar Izturis is expected to upgrade that department. He is a former Gold Glover. Second baseman Adam Kennedy must be better in the field and at the plate. Pujols is a Gold Glove first baseman with great range and a strong arm. Glaus is as good a replacement for Scott Rolen as the Cards could come up with at third. He has no reason not to perform his best in what is a contract year. Without Jim Edmonds in centerfield, you know outfield defense is going to take a hit. Yadier Molina is one of the best defensive catchers in baseball. He hosed 54 percent of would-be base stealers last season and runners rarely try him.
With Mulder still adjusting to life after shoulder surgery and Carpenter not scheduled to return until the midway point, the Cards are going to struggle early on. Chalk this up as a rebuilding year for the Red Birds.
Odds to win NL Central: 7/1
Odds to win 2008 NL Pennant: 15/1
Odds to win 2008 World Series: 45/1
NL Central
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