Can Matt Carpenter produce another 20-home run season in 2016?
Despite the team facing injuries to guys like Matt Holliday, Adam Wainwright and Matt Adams, the St. Louis Cardinals still had the best record in baseball and won the NL Central. In the postseason, the Cardinals’ lost to the Cubs in the NLDS, but they are looking for revenge this year.
This season they feature a roster that lacks an elite bat, but features a lot of depth and has some nice young talent. The starting rotation has a lot of talent from top to bottom and could be one of the top rotations of the 2016 campaign.
The St. Louis Cardinals look healthy heading into camp, with the exception of Carlos Martinez, so don’t be surprised if they have another great year. A lot of people are looking at the Cubs to win the division, but don’t sleep on the Cardinals.
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Projected Lineup:
- Matt Carpenter – 3B
- Stephen Piscotty – RF
- Matt Holliday – LF
- Randal Grichuk – CF
- Matt Adams – 1B
- Yadier Molina – C
- Jedd Gyorko – SS
- Kolten Wong – 2B
- Pitcher
This lineup does not possess a lot of power, but it’s certainly one to watch out for. They will have Holliday back in the middle of the order, which provides the team with a consistent bat and an RBI machine.
Carpenter is another guy to watch out for. He went from hitting eight home runs in 2014, to hitting 28 in 2015. He is a great fantasy option this season as the leadoff hitter for the Cardinals and will have protection behind him.
Their are some question marks in the Cardinals’ lineup this season, and one of those question marks is at shortstop. The starting shortstop was supposed to be Johnny Peralta, but he tore a ligament in his left thumb and is expected to miss the next two-to-three months. This is a big blow for the Cardinals, as Peralta was their anchor in the middle of the order. Their are a couple of options within the organization to replace the three-time all star. One option is Jedd Gyorko. He started 28 games last season at shortstop for the San Diego Padres and does bring a little power into the lineup. The other option would be Cuban shortstop Aldemys Diaz. He spent most of 2015 in Double-A and Triple-A, and hit for .278/.339/.445 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI.
The other question mark for the Cardinals’ is at first base. Matt Adams and Brandon Moss will compete for the position in Spring Training. I don’t think that either of these guys has the edge in being named the starter, but I do know that they are hopeful that one of these guys will shine in Spring Training and make the decision easy on Mike Matheny.
Projected Rotation
Projected Bullpen:
After tearing his Achilles in 2015, will Wainwright be that elite pitcher he once was? In seven games last season, Wainwright had a 1.71 ERA and held opponents to a .238 AVG.
He is a pitcher to watch out for this season and could either be a steal in this year’s fantasy drafts, or he could be a complete bust.
Martinez is another guy to keep an eye out on. He is battling a shoulder injury, but if he is ready to go for the start of the season, he is a guy to pick up with his strikeout potential. This rotation is deep, and all of these pitchers are worth a roster spot on your fantasy teams.
Stud: Matt Carpenter (3B)
If you are looking for the stud of this team, I think you have to look at the guy playing third base. Molina, Holiday and Wainwright are the leaders of the team, but they are aging, and I see Carpenter having a big year for the Cardinals.
Last season, Carpenter hit 28 home runs. That might not seem like a whole lot, but that’s more home runs that he had hit in his previous four seasons in the majors combined! His .OPS jumped from .750 in 2014 to .871 in 2015. He showed us that he has some pop in his bat, and I would not be surprised if he has another 20-home run season for the Cardinals.
Bounce Back: Matt Adams (1B)
Adams hit for .243/.281/.375 with four home runs and 20 RBI in 60 games for the Cardinals last season. His season was cut short due to him injuring his quad and requiring surgery.
With Adams now healthy and ready to go for the 2016 campaign, I think he will bounce back to his 2014 form where he hit for .288/.321/.457 with 15 home runs and 68 RBI. This is a risky fantasy pick up because we are not certain who will start for the Cardinals, but I think he will hit for a pretty high average regardless, and should see over 300 at bats if he can remain healthy.
Sleeper: Randal Grichuk (OF)
Grichuk is a guy to watch out for in your season long leagues. In 103 games last season, Grichuk hit for a .278 AVG, 17 HR, 47 RBI and .877 OPS.
He showed us last season that he has some pop in his bat, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he hit 25 home runs this season. He is projected to hit behind Holliday to start the season, so he will get some pitches to hit and plenty of opportunities to drive in some runs.
Bust: Yadier Molina (C)
Molina is still one of the best defensive catchers in the league, but I think he is a player you should avoid drafting in your season-long leagues. Ever since winning the Silver Slugger award in 2013, his average has dropped from .319 to .270, his .OPS has dropped from .836 to .660 and his TB has dropped from 241 to 171. He will be turning 33 years old in the middle of the season, and I think his numbers will continue to drop.
Late-Round Flier: Stephen Piscotty (OF)
Piscotty is ranked as the 221st overall player this season and is a guy that I think can have a very good year for the Cardinals. Last season, in 256 plate appearances, Scott Piscotty hit for a .359 average with an OPS of .853. This season he is projected to hit second in the Cardinals’ lineup behind Carpenter and in front of Holliday, so he should see plenty of pitches to hit.
Prospect To Watch: Alex Reyes (SP)
Reyes is a 21-year-old prospect the Cardinals are very excited about. Last season, he had a 2.49 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 151 K and only allowed one home run in 101.1 innings pitched.
Reyes has two legitimate swing-and-miss pitches. One of those pitches is a fastball that averages 95mph, but it can reach triple digits! The other swing-and-miss pitch is his upper 70s curveball that has a ton of movement. Reyes has an easy delivery and is the No. 3 RHP prospect heading into the 2016 season.
More Advice: View Bust Picks for 2016
Nick is a DFS Writer for Daily Fantasy Cafe. You can follow him on Twitter @NRodriguezDFS.
