Surprising Cardinals Slugger Leading Way For Club With Eye-Popping Stats
The St. Louis Cardinals certainly are having a down year, but that doesn't mean there aren't any bright spots.
St. Louis currently is in last place in the National League Central with an abysmal 56-76 record and already has turned its focus to the 2024 campaign. Even though the club has mightily struggled, one player who surprisingly has been one of the club's biggest bright spots lately is catcher Willson Contreras.
The backstop signed with the Cardinals as a free agent ahead of the 2023 campaign and was expected to play a major role with the team but struggled out the gate. Drama has swirled around the club this season due to the Cardinals' handling of Contreras -- namely moving him from the catcher spot early on only to return him shortly after. There even were talks of dealing the three-time All-Star ahead of the trade deadline, although a move ultimately didn't happen.
It's certainly a good thing that St. Louis didn't trade away Contreras as he arguably has been the club's best hitter over the last two months. Since July 1, Contreras has slashed .328/.438/.529 to go along with five home runs and 20 RBIs in 38 games played.
St. Louis is going to have plenty of difficult decisions to make this upcoming offseason. The Cardinals will have to reload the starting rotation with at least three new hurlers and it wouldn't hurt to add another bat or two. Contreras had a rocky start to his Cardinals career, but he's certainly playing like someone who should stick around for a while.
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