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While 91 wins is a great season, losing in the wild card round of the playoffs makes that a secondary achievement. While you know someone has to lose, a team that is as stacked as the Cardinals is a complete surprise when they get swept under the rug. Not taking anything away from the Dodgers, but that was hardly the best effort that the St. Louis Cardinals put out all season.
The Cardinals are a team that is built for success. They have some of the best talent in baseball and match up well against every team that they will play. Being considered the favorite for the division is pretty much automatic; however, the division is not what this team has in mind.
The starting rotation is extremely impressive as any of their top 4 starters would probably be an Ace or number two on any team. How many rotations can claim that they have four pitchers that have won at least 15 games in a single season? While some of these pitchers are crafty veterans, there is also the likes of Wainwright, who is in his prime.
The talent continues into the bullpen where Ryan Franklin takes center stage. This is another product of the Seattle farm system that was once stocked like a brook in the middle of trout season. After struggling as a starter, he found his role in the bullpen and has excelled to what everyone knew he could be.
He is a perfect example of someone needed a change of scenery as the moment that he went to St. Louis, something just started to click for him. The second part of 2008 was incredible and he carried that right into 2009 and put up some of the best numbers in the league. He is still relatively young and the Cardinals can turn the ball over to him in good faith.
If you are talking about offense in St. Louis you have to be talking about Pujols. Here is a ballplayer that has lit up the league from day one and is actually averaging just over 40 home runs for each of his 9 seasons in the majors. He will surely surpass the 400 mark in the second half of this season and there are plenty more to hit after that.
It is not as though St. Louis fans need a reason to get to the ballpark, but they definitely have one. The starting rotation will probably win close to 80 games by themselves and if the bullpen can hold the games close when they get the ball, St. Louis can easily win close to 100 games this season. Get your gear and get your tickets St. Louis fans because October and November baseball is in your future.
Written by Jake Kohler, article sponsored by TicketSeating.com. TicketSeating.com sells St. Louis Cardinals Tickets, MLB Tickets, Sports Tickets and more to your favorite events around the world.
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