Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Star Predicted To Reach Milestone For 1st Time In Career

The Cardinals still have some serious talent...
Patrick McAvoy|
Aug 14, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (40) hits a single against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Aug 14, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (40) hits a single against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals obviously didn't make any big changes this offseason.

St. Louis' roster looks pretty similar to how it did at the end of the 2024 season aside from the fact that Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, Paul Goldschmidt, and Andrew Kittredge are no longer with the team. There are others who aren't with the team any longer -- like Keynan Middleton -- but these guys are the most prominent.

Once the 2024 season ended, there were trade rumors about every veteran on the roster, including Willson Contreras. He specifically made it clear he wouldn't waive his no-trade clause and that he wanted to stay with the Cardinals. With Goldschmidt leaving, the Cardinals had a hole at first base and have moved Contreras to the position.

He's had a slow start to the season, but there's a lot of positive buzz about him still. ESPN shared its list of the top 100 players in the league for the 2025 season and had Contreras at No. 96 and Alden Gonzalez predicted that he will top 30 homers for the first time in his career.

"No. 96. Willson Contreras, 1B/DH, St. Louis Cardinals," Gonzalez said. "Contreras posted an .848 OPS in his second year in St. Louis, his highest mark since 2019, but forearm and middle-finger fractures limited him to 84 games. And so, in an effort to keep his bat in the lineup as often as possible, the Cardinals shifted him from catcher to first base.

"Contreras has embraced the move, seeing it as an opportunity to add more muscle and spend much more time focusing on the offensive portion of his game. Season prediction: Contreras has bulked up since his move to first base, and it will result in the first 30-homer season of his career."

His career-high in homers is 24 in 2019. Could he have a major power surge this year and top this?

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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