Offense wins World Series, so draft a big bat

[ClassicO]

The pitching has been very good, yet the staff is still 11th in runs allowed. They are 8th in runs scored, and that has been the key as they were 22nd last year and 19th the year before in that category.

Say all you want about pitching and defense, which are indeed important, but as I've said before, offense wins the World Series in modern times. So draft a bat and/or find one as a free agent.

Offense: In the past 15 years, the teams with the #1 offense (runs scored per game) have won the World Series 6 times, lost in the WS 1 time, and lost to the WS winner in the ALCS or LDS 2 times.
Pitching/defense: Only three teams that won the World Series in those 15 years had a top-5 pitching staff in runs allowed. The others were #6-15 with an average of 11th in runs allowed.

So a pitching staff that's #11 has a chance, but not without a much better offense.

In 2015, the Cards were #1 in pitching runs allowed and won 100 games, but they were 24th in runs scored and lost in the Division Series.
In 2013, they won 97 games and lost to Boston in the WS. They were #1 in offense in the NL (#3 in MLB) and #5 in pitching.
In 2011, they won the WS with the #1 offense in the NL (5th in MLB) and #15 in pitching.

[3dender]

Every single team tries to draft a big bat multiple times in every single draft. The hit rate is famously low.

[sikeston bulldog2]

The pitching has been very good, yet the staff is still 11th in runs allowed. They are 8th in runs scored, and that has been the key as they were 22nd last year and 19th the year before in that category.

Say all you want about pitching and defense, which are indeed important, but as I've said before, offense wins the World Series in modern times. So draft a bat and/or find one as a free agent.

Offense: In the past 15 years, the teams with the #1 offense (runs scored per game) have won the World Series 6 times, lost in the WS 1 time, and lost to the WS winner in the ALCS or LDS 2 times.
Pitching/defense: Only three teams that won the World Series in those 15 years had a top-5 pitching staff in runs allowed. The others were #6-15 with an average of 11th in runs allowed.

So a pitching staff that's #11 has a chance, but not without a much better offense.

In 2015, the Cards were #1 in pitching runs allowed and won 100 games, but they were 24th in runs scored and lost in the Division Series.
In 2013, they won 97 games and lost to Boston in the WS. They were #1 in offense in the NL (#3 in MLB) and #5 in pitching.
In 2011, they won the WS with the #1 offense in the NL (5th in MLB) and #15 in pitching.

I always thought offense won games; pitching wins championships. You stats are telling. But they too show pitching to be a factor.

[rockondlouie]

The pitching has been very good, yet the staff is still 11th in runs allowed. They are 8th in runs scored, and that has been the key as they were 22nd last year and 19th the year before in that category.

Say all you want about pitching and defense, which are indeed important, but as I've said before, offense wins the World Series in modern times. So draft a bat and/or find one as a free agent.

Offense: In the past 15 years, the teams with the #1 offense (runs scored per game) have won the World Series 6 times, lost in the WS 1 time, and lost to the WS winner in the ALCS or LDS 2 times.
Pitching/defense: Only three teams that won the World Series in those 15 years had a top-5 pitching staff in runs allowed. The others were #6-15 with an average of 11th in runs allowed.

So a pitching staff that's #11 has a chance, but not without a much better offense.

In 2015, the Cards were #1 in pitching runs allowed and won 100 games, but they were 24th in runs scored and lost in the Division Series.
In 2013, they won 97 games and lost to Boston in the WS. They were #1 in offense in the NL (#3 in MLB) and #5 in pitching.
In 2011, they won the WS with the #1 offense in the NL (5th in MLB) and #15 in pitching.

+1

Use most of the draft on hitters, especially power hitters................a smaller portion of it for pitchers who you can trade for or sign once they've made it to MLB!

Pitcher injuries makes drafting them very volatile plus very, very few every become FOTR starters in MLB.

Plus in today's MLB give me a GREAT bullpen, that's what wins championships w/even the best of starters barely going 5+ innings.

[Futuregm2]

The pitching has been very good, yet the staff is still 11th in runs allowed. They are 8th in runs scored, and that has been the key as they were 22nd last year and 19th the year before in that category.

Say all you want about pitching and defense, which are indeed important, but as I've said before, offense wins the World Series in modern times. So draft a bat and/or find one as a free agent.

Offense: In the past 15 years, the teams with the #1 offense (runs scored per game) have won the World Series 6 times, lost in the WS 1 time, and lost to the WS winner in the ALCS or LDS 2 times.
Pitching/defense: Only three teams that won the World Series in those 15 years had a top-5 pitching staff in runs allowed. The others were #6-15 with an average of 11th in runs allowed.

So a pitching staff that's #11 has a chance, but not without a much better offense.

In 2015, the Cards were #1 in pitching runs allowed and won 100 games, but they were 24th in runs scored and lost in the Division Series.
In 2013, they won 97 games and lost to Boston in the WS. They were #1 in offense in the NL (#3 in MLB) and #5 in pitching.
In 2011, they won the WS with the #1 offense in the NL (5th in MLB) and #15 in pitching.

+1

Use most of the draft on hitters, especially power hitters................a smaller portion of it for pitchers who you can trade for or sign once they've made it to MLB!

Pitcher injuries makes drafting them very volatile plus very, very few every become FOTR starters in MLB.

Plus in today's MLB give me a GREAT bullpen, that's what wins championships w/even the best of starters barely going 5+ innings.

While that sounds great, it’s not realistic. You have to fill out a minor league system still.

[rockondlouie]

The pitching has been very good, yet the staff is still 11th in runs allowed. They are 8th in runs scored, and that has been the key as they were 22nd last year and 19th the year before in that category.

Say all you want about pitching and defense, which are indeed important, but as I've said before, offense wins the World Series in modern times. So draft a bat and/or find one as a free agent.

Offense: In the past 15 years, the teams with the #1 offense (runs scored per game) have won the World Series 6 times, lost in the WS 1 time, and lost to the WS winner in the ALCS or LDS 2 times.
Pitching/defense: Only three teams that won the World Series in those 15 years had a top-5 pitching staff in runs allowed. The others were #6-15 with an average of 11th in runs allowed.

So a pitching staff that's #11 has a chance, but not without a much better offense.

In 2015, the Cards were #1 in pitching runs allowed and won 100 games, but they were 24th in runs scored and lost in the Division Series.
In 2013, they won 97 games and lost to Boston in the WS. They were #1 in offense in the NL (#3 in MLB) and #5 in pitching.
In 2011, they won the WS with the #1 offense in the NL (5th in MLB) and #15 in pitching.

+1

Use most of the draft on hitters, especially power hitters................a smaller portion of it for pitchers who you can trade for or sign once they've made it to MLB!

Pitcher injuries makes drafting them very volatile plus very, very few every become FOTR starters in MLB.

Plus in today's MLB give me a GREAT bullpen, that's what wins championships w/even the best of starters barely going 5+ innings.

While that sounds great, it’s not realistic. You have to fill out a minor league system still.

Noted

I should of said "most of the UPPER PICKS" on hitters.

[Janssen]

We got such a fantastic record of drafting power hitters.(or first rounders)

Walker
Gorman
Baez
Davis
Carlson
Delvin Perez
Nick Plummer
Scott Hurst(first pick, 3rd round)
Wetherholt TBD
Ryan Holgate
Tre Fletcher………

I’d go pitching all day, every day. I think hitters are much more affordable via free agency.

Again, JMO

[rockondlouie]

According to Wiki

39 of the Cardinals 77 first round picks have been pitchers

Was M. Morris really the best of those 39 first round picks?

He's better than T. Worrell, J. McGrane, M. Wacha, J. Flaherty and L. Lynn

Best of the hitters taken in the first round was T. Simmons.

Other notables included JD Drew, B. Jordan, G. Templeton and A. Van Slyke

All in all, thin pickin's indeed from the Cardinals in Round 1

[AZ_Cardsfan]

Every single team tries to draft a big bat multiple times in every single draft. The hit rate is famously low.

Yeah it is hard to predict which amateur hitters will do it in the majors. Heck, sometimes it's hard to predict which AAA stars will hit in the majors. Baseball drafts are the worlds biggest (bleep) shoot.

[craviduce]

if there were good power hitters this year, we'd likely draft them at #5. Unfortunately, there aren't any.

And LaViolette comps to Caglianone...are . Cags issue is still the same, he chases balls outside the zone. He makes contact on them...enough to excuse the K rate, but he doesn't square them up. Balls in the zone, he hits well enough for singles and HR's. LaViolette has trouble with balls out of the zone, in the zone, on the fringes....He's not half the hitter Cags was/is.

We were being picky with Cags before last draft b/c we trying to find the slightest nick or blemish to 5 different offensive studs profiles.

I'm all for drafting Power in the 2nd, Comp B, 3rd Rounds.... But I don't want to ever dumpster dive with a Top #5 pick on power.

[Basil Shabazz]

Jace Michael LaViolette

[Futuregm2]

According to Wiki

39 of the Cardinals 77 first round picks have been pitchers

Was M. Morris really the best of those 39 first round picks?

He's better than T. Worrell, J. McGrane, M. Wacha, J. Flaherty and L. Lynn

Best of the hitters taken in the first round was T. Simmons.

Other notables included JD Drew, B. Jordan, G. Templeton and A. Van Slyke

All in all, thin pickin's indeed from the Cardinals in Round 1

Yet we got Pujols in the 13th round and Yadi in the 4th round.

[82birds]

According to Wiki

39 of the Cardinals 77 first round picks have been pitchers

Was M. Morris really the best of those 39 first round picks?

He's better than T. Worrell, J. McGrane, M. Wacha, J. Flaherty and L. Lynn

Best of the hitters taken in the first round was T. Simmons.

Other notables included JD Drew, B. Jordan, G. Templeton and A. Van Slyke

All in all, thin pickin's indeed from the Cardinals in Round 1

Yet we got Pujols in the 13th round and Yadi in the 4th round.

there's that !

[ClassicO]

I don't think many teams have a great number of star pitchers from the draft, unless they are from the top 5 picks.

I know it will bother a lot of this crowd, but Baseball America published an article in 2024 that named the Cardinals as the most successful team at drafting pitching from 2012-2023.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -pitchers/

"Much like the best hitters analysis, there is a pretty clear No. 1 when it comes to drafting and signing future big league pitchers in the current draft bonus pool era. St. Louis Cardinals #1. The Cardinals don’t have the best runs allowed per nine innings, but they have the third-best RA/9 and the 11th-best FIP (fielding independent pitching). So why are they clearly No. 1? Because they managed to be among the best in performance metrics while also being by far the best in terms of volume."

Screenshot 2025-05-19 at 1.22.29 PM.png (90.83 KiB) Viewed 137 times

[renostl]

if there were good power hitters this year, we'd likely draft them at #5. Unfortunately, there aren't any.

And LaViolette comps to Caglianone...are . Cags issue is still the same, he chases balls outside the zone. He makes contact on them...enough to excuse the K rate, but he doesn't square them up. Balls in the zone, he hits well enough for singles and HR's. LaViolette has trouble with balls out of the zone, in the zone, on the fringes....He's not half the hitter Cags was/is.

We were being picky with Cags before last draft b/c we trying to find the slightest nick or blemish to 5 different offensive studs profiles.

I'm all for drafting Power in the 2nd, Comp B, 3rd Rounds.... But I don't want to ever dumpster dive with a Top #5 pick on power.

There's not a tremendous separation, IMO, in tiers 2,3. Tier 1 has only a few players.
Now of course players will emerge but as of this draft there will be bit of luck involved
in who that is.

Holliday, Arquette are the bats while
Hernandez is the arm that if one is at #5 you shouldn't worry about position.

Whoever the Cards pick they need to feel go about in the #1 overall slot since
the #5 slot isn't a normal thing.
The rest of the draft can worry about the Bat vs arm debate.

[Wattage]

According to Wiki

39 of the Cardinals 77 first round picks have been pitchers

Was M. Morris really the best of those 39 first round picks?

He's better than T. Worrell, J. McGrane, M. Wacha, J. Flaherty and L. Lynn

Best of the hitters taken in the first round was T. Simmons.

Other notables included JD Drew, B. Jordan, G. Templeton and A. Van Slyke

All in all, thin pickin's indeed from the Cardinals in Round 1

I really dont see how matt morris is best. Morris may have had a better year ir 2 than lynn but lance lynn had a far superior long term career. Honestly wacha could be argued as superior career by the end too, except wachas fade was in the middle of his career but rebounded while.morris just completely faded after age 27-28

Flaherty as well could.be better.

I guess morris was better with strictly us, but i think he was.overrated as back then there was still some people judging on win-loss