(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The 2023 season has not gone according to plan for the St. Louis Cardinals thus far.
The team has had more than its fair share of struggles, both on the offensive side and in terms of pitching.
But with stars such as Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Willson Contreras in their lineup, there are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic.
In fact, the team finds itself in an elite offensive category.
Per Statcast, of the teams with the most hard-hit batted balls, the Cardinals have are third on the list with 224.
Ahead of them on the list are the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays, while the Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals rank behind them.
This is one reason why the #STLCards feel their offense will eventually come around:
Most hard-hit batted balls, team offenses in 2023, per Statcast:
1. Pirates: 242⁰2. Rays: 235
3. Cardinals: 224
4. Braves: 216
5. Royals: 208
Hard-hit: 95+ mph exit velocity
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) April 21, 2023
For context, hard-hit balls pertain to balls that have a 95-mph exit velocity off the bat.
Clearly, the Cardinals are centering some pitches and are making some solid contact.
The results are what matter, ultimately.
Still, there is reason to believe that sooner or later, the offense will explode.
It certainly did on Wednesday as they finished off their three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks by busting out for 14 runs and preventing a sweep.
That game included home runs from Tommy Edman and Nolan Gorman.
Gorman’s home run was a grand slam, and Edman was just a single shy of the cycle.
In short, the Cardinals believe that they are right on the verge of breaking out of their offensive funk and putting up numbers similar to what they showed during the days of the “MV3” of Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds, and Hall-of-Famer Scott Rolen.
The post The Cardinals Are In An Elite Offensive Group appeared first on The Cold Wire.