The Cardinals are back at the bottom of the NL Central through six weeks. At 15-21, they’re ahead of only the Marlins and Rockies in the National League. St. Louis viewed their 2023 last-place finish as an anomaly. They invested in their rotation to try for a quick turnaround, but their current 68-win pace is below where they ended last season.
Their problems aren’t quite the same as they were in 2023. Last year, the biggest issues were a starting rotation that couldn’t miss bats and a defense that was surprisingly the worst in MLB at turning batted balls into outs. The Cards haven’t been great in either area thus far in 2024, but the slight improvements they’ve made in those facets have been negated by a lifeless offense. At the center of those struggles: Paul Goldschmidt, who is amidst what is by far the worst stretch of his time in St. Louis.
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