2023 St. Louis Cardinals season

2023 St. Louis Cardinals
LeagueNational League
DivisionCentral
BallparkBusch Stadium
CitySt. Louis, Missouri
Record71–91 (.438)
Divisional place5th
OwnersWilliam DeWitt Jr.
General managersMike Girsch
ManagersOliver Marmol
TelevisionBally Sports Midwest
(Chip Caray, Jim Edmonds, Brad Thompson)
RadioKMOX NewsRadio 1120
St. Louis Cardinals Radio Network
(John Rooney, Rick Horton, Mike Claiborne)
StatsESPN.com
Baseball Reference
← 2022 Seasons 2024 →

The 2023 St. Louis Cardinals season was the 142nd season for the St. Louis Cardinals, a Major League Baseball franchise in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the 132nd season for the Cardinals in the National League and their 18th at Busch Stadium III. They entered the season as the defending NL Central champions.

Their 82nd loss on September 15 (65–82) guaranteed their first losing season since 2007 (78–84), after 16 consecutive winning seasons and only their third losing season since 1999 (75–86).[1]

After their 89th loss on September 27, they secured their first last-place finish since 1990 (70–92), with the Pittsburgh Pirates finishing above them in fourth place.

Previous season

[edit]

The Cardinals finished the 2022 season 93–69, to win the National League Central division title for the first time since 2019. They lost in the Wild Card round to the Philadelphia Phillies. The season also marked the final season for Cardinal legends Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina as both had announced their retirements prior to the season beginning.

Offseason

[edit]

Rule changes

[edit]

Pursuant to the CBA, new rule changes will be in place for the 2023 season:[2]

  • institution of a pitch clock between pitches, 15 seconds with no runners on base and 20 seconds with runners;
  • limits of two pickoff attempts per plate appearance;
  • limits on defensive shifts requiring two infielders to be on either side of second and be within the boundary of the infield; and
  • larger bases (increased to 18-inch squares from 15-inch squares);

Regular season

[edit]

Opening Day

[edit]
Opening Day starting lineup
No. Player Pos.
Batters
 33 Brendan Donovan 2B
 21 Lars Nootbaar LF
46 Paul Goldschmidt 1B
28 Nolan Arenado 3B
40 Willson Contreras C
27 Tyler O'Neill CF
16 Nolan Gorman DH
18 Jordan Walker RF
19 Tommy Edman SS
Starting pitcher
39 Miles Mikolas
References: [3]

Summary

[edit]

April

[edit]

The Cardinals won the opening series of the season, winning two out of three from the Toronto Blue Jays. However, the Cardinals went on to only win one more series against the Colorado Rockies, and they were swept twice by the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers. On April 4, drama ensued as outfielder Tyler O'Neill was thrown out by Ronald Acuña Jr. at home in a 4–1 loss to Atlanta. After the game, manager Oliver Marmol sharply criticized O'Neill's perceived lack of effort while rounding third base, calling it "unacceptable."[4] Following the public criticism, it was considered that O'Neill might have been trying to avoid injury, as he had dealt with two hamstring injuries in 2022 and at the time of the incident it was drizzling.[5] O'Neill criticized Marmol subtlety, telling media that he did not need to take the issue public and it could have been dealt with behind closed doors.[6] As punishment, Marmol benched O'Neill for the following game.[7]

Highly touted rookie Jordan Walker started his career off with a twelve game hit streak, which tied an MLB record for the longest by a player age 20 or younger to begin his career.[8] Following the end of his hit streak against the Pirates on April 13, Walker cooled down at the plate and with his subpar defensive ability in his new outfield position, he was optioned back to AAA Memphis on April 26.[9]

May

[edit]

To start May, the Cardinals were swept at home by the Los Angeles Angels followed by dropping a series against the Detroit Tigers. Following the back-to-back series losses to start the month, the Cardinals announced that first-year catcher Willson Contreras would be removed from the catching role and be exclusively used as a designated hitter.[10] The reason given for this move was to allow Contreras to communicate with the pitching staff and figure out how to work better together.

The Cardinals then started a successful run of baseball, where they won a series against the rival Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, followed by a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Following the sweep of the Red Sox, the Cardinals announced that Contreras would return to catching duties to start the upcoming home stand.[11] They then returned home to win back to back series, starting with a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers and then a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

To finish the month, the Cardinals cooled off with a split of a four-game series against the Reds in Cincinnati, followed by dropping a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians, which was also the Cardinals' first series loss since May 6. The Cardinals ended the month by splitting a two-game series with the Kansas City Royals at home, which involved a Game One loss where Royals pitchers Josh Staumont and Mike Mayers took a perfect game into the 8th inning before being broken up by a Nolan Arenado single.[12]

June

[edit]

In June, the Cardinals dropped their first four series, which included falling victim to sweeps by the Pittsburgh Pirates on the road and the San Francisco Giants at home. During this stretch, 2022 All-Star closer Ryan Helsley was also placed on the 15-Day IL with a right forearm strain on June 12,[13] which was followed with the decision to assign Jordan Hicks the closer role. Hicks was one of the few bright spots of the team in June, earning 5 saves in the second half of the month which involved earning saves on three straight days against the New York Mets and Washington Nationals and hitting 104.3 miles per hour.[14] These saves were also the first earned by Hicks since he earned 14 in the 2019 season.[15]

The Cardinals also played the Chicago Cubs in the 2023 London Series as the home team, which involved a two-game series split where the Cubs took game one by a score of 9–1 that involved outfielder Ian Happ hitting two home runs off of starter Adam Wainwright,[16] followed by the Cardinals winning game two by a score of 7–5.[17]

July

[edit]

The Cardinals won two of three series before the All-Star Break, in which Nolan Arenado was the sole Cardinal All-Star selection, starting at third base for the National League.[18] Coming out of the All-Star Break, the Cardinals pulled off a six-game win streak which included a sweep of the Miami Marlins at home, their best win streak of the season, before fading at the end of the month and losing the final two of three series of July, both to the Chicago Cubs.

A positive turn for the Cardinals in the month of July however as they fell further out of contention was starting pitcher Steven Matz, who had started the season with a 0–7 record and an ERA around five. In July however Matz found his stride, as he went 5.1 innings scoreless against the Chicago White Sox on July 9 before the All-Star Break. Matz then picked up his first win of the season on July 20 against the Chicago Cubs after going 5.0 innings and surrendering one earned run. Matz followed that start with two consecutive quality starts, going 6.0 innings scoreless against both the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs again, picking up his second win of the year in the start against Chicago. Matz finished the month of July with a 2–0 record and a 2.17 ERA in 29.0 IP in the month.[19]

September

[edit]
The Cardinals in action at Milwaukee on September 27

On September 18, Adam Wainwright, 42, pitching at home against the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers, won his 200th game, 1-0, pitching seven scoreless innings, giving up only four hits, walking two, striking out three. His 2,202 career strikeouts make him the 66th pitcher to have at least 2,200 strikeouts. His 200 wins make him the 122nd pitcher in baseball history to reach that milestone. His 200 wins, all with the Cardinals, rank him third in the team's history, joining Bob Gibson (251) and Jesse Haines (210).[20]

At home on September 29, Wainwright batted for the first time since October 6, 2021. In the sixth inning with the team trailing 14-2, he pinch-hit for designated hitter Luken Baker. On the second pitch, he grounded out sharply to second base. It was his only at-bat that night. Over his career, he has 10 home runs, 75 RBIs, and a .193 batting average. He has five seasons batting over .200.[21]

In his final game and the team for the season on October 1, Wainwright struck out swinging in the eighth inning, with the team leading 4-3, the final score. Wainwright was 0-for-2 for the season.[22]

Game Log

[edit]
Legend
Cardinals Win Cardinals Loss Game Postponed Eliminated from playoff race
Boldface text denotes a Cardinals pitcher
2023 St. Louis Cardinals Game Log: 71–91 (Home: 35–46; Away: 36–45) [23]
March/April: 10–19 (Home: 5–8 ; Away: 5–11)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record Box / Streak
1 March 30 Blue Jays 9–10 García (1–0) Helsley (0–1) Romano (1) 47,649 0–1 L1
2 April 1 Blue Jays 4–1 Flaherty (1–0) Gausman (0–1) Helsley (1) 44,461 1–1 W1
3 April 2 Blue Jays 9–4 Montgomery (1–0) Bassitt (0–1) 45,525 2–1 W2
4 April 3 Braves 4–8 Morton (1–0) Woodford (0–1) 37,689 2–2 L1
5 April 4 Braves 1–4 Dodd (1–0) Matz (0–1) Minter (1) 36,501 2–3 L2
6 April 5 Braves 2–5 Elder (1–0) Mikolas (0–1) Chavez (1) 36,300 2–4 L3
7 April 7 @ Brewers 0–4 Woodruff (1–0) Flaherty (1–1) 28,459 2–5 L4
8 April 8 @ Brewers 6–0 Montgomery (2–0) Lauer (1–1) 43,077 3–5 W1
9 April 9 @ Brewers 1–6 Peralta (2–0) Woodford (0–2) 27,701 3–6 L1
10 April 10 @ Rockies 4–7 Márquez (2–1) Matz (0–2) 24,092 3–7 L2
11 April 11 @ Rockies 9–6 Gallegos (1–0) Johnson (0–1) Helsley (2) 25,399 4–7 W1
12 April 12 @ Rockies 7–4 Pallante (1–0) Lawrence (0–1) Helsley (3) 22,250 5–7 W2
13 April 13 Pirates 0–5 Velasquez (1–0) Montgomery (2–1) 37,805 5–8 L1
14 April 14 Pirates 3–0 Thompson (1–0) Oviedo (1–1) Gallegos (1) 40,637 6–8 W1
15 April 15 Pirates 3–6 (10) Bednar (2–0) Hicks (0–1) Moreta (1) 40,042 6–9 L1
16 April 16 Pirates 5–4 (10) VerHagen (1–0) Crowe (0–1) 40,346 7–9 W1
17 April 17 Diamondbacks 3–6 Kelly (1–2) Flaherty (1–2) Chafin (3) 36,405 7–10 L1
18 April 18 Diamondbacks 7–8 Nelson (3–0) Montgomery (2–2) Castro (1) 36,028 7–11 L2
19 April 19 Diamondbacks 14–5 Woodford (1–2) Bumgarner (0–3) 39,068 8–11 W1
20 April 21 @ Mariners 2–5 Kirby (2–1) Matz (0–3) Sewald (5) 29,633 8–12 L1
21 April 22 @ Mariners 4–5 Brash (2–2) Thompson (1–1) Sewald (6) 38,732 8–13 L2
22 April 23 @ Mariners 7–3 Flaherty (2–2) Flexen (0–4) 36,249 9–13 W1
23 April 24 @ Giants 0–4 Cobb (1–1) Montgomery (2–3) 20,203 9–14 L1
24 April 25 @ Giants 4–5 Hjelle (1–0) Helsley (0–2) 20,797 9–15 L2
25 April 26 @ Giants 3–7 DeSclafani (2–1) Hicks (0–2) Doval (3) 21,748 9–16 L3
26 April 27 @ Giants 6–0 Mikolas (1–1) Webb (1–5) 23,397 10–16 W1
27 April 28 @ Dodgers 3–7 May (3–1) Flaherty (2–3) 48,138 10–17 L1
28 April 29 @ Dodgers 0–1 Kershaw (5–1) Montgomery (2–4) Graterol (2) 48,763 10–18 L2
29 April 30 @ Dodgers 3–6 Syndergaard (1–3) Thompson (1–2) Phillips (3) 52,304 10–19 L3
May: 15–13 (Home: 7–8 ; Away: 8–5)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record Box / Streak
30 May 2 Angels 1–5 Sandoval (3–1) Matz (0–4) 37,048 10–20 L4
31 May 3 Angels 4–6 Tepera (2–1) Gallegos (1–1) Estévez (7) 42,148 10–21 L5
32 May 4 Angels 7–11 Canning (2–0) Flaherty (2–4) 40,508 10–22 L6
33 May 5 Tigers 4–5 Boyd (2–2) Hicks (0–3) Lange (6) 36,359 10–23 L7
34 May 6 Tigers 5–6 (10) Cisnero (2–0) Gallegos (1–2) 39,512 10–24 L8
35 May 7 Tigers 12–6 VerHagen (2–0) Englert (1–2) 44,465 11–24 W1
36 May 8 @ Cubs 3–1 Cabrera (1–0) Stroman (2–3) Helsley (4) 30,937 12–24 W2
37 May 9 @ Cubs 6–4 Stratton (1–0) Assad (0–2) Gallegos (2) 32,693 13–24 W3
38 May 10 @ Cubs 4–10 Steele (6–0) Montgomery (2–5) 36,413 13–25 L1
39 May 12 @ Red Sox 8–6 Helsley (1–2) Jansen (1–1) 34,553 14–25 W1
40 May 13 @ Red Sox 4–3 Pallante (2–0) Jansen (1–2) Gallegos (3) 35,935 15–25 W2
41 May 14 @ Red Sox 9–1 Mikolas (2–1) Kluber (2–5) 27,732 16–25 W3
42 May 15 Brewers 18–1 Flaherty (3–4) Peralta (4–3) 34,548 17–25 W4
43 May 16 Brewers 2–3 Payamps (2–0) Montgomery (2–6) Williams (6) 34,655 17–26 L1
44 May 17 Brewers 3–0 Liberatore (1–0) Burnes (4–3) Helsley (5) 35,433 18–26 W1
45 May 18 Dodgers 16–8 Wainwright (1–0) Urías (5–4) 36,982 19–26 W2
46 May 19 Dodgers 0–5 Gonsolin (2–1) Matz (0–5) 44,774 19–27 L1
47 May 20 Dodgers 6–5 Helsley (2–2) González (1–1) Gallegos (4) 45,177 20–27 W1
48 May 21 Dodgers 10–5 VerHagen (3–0) Kershaw (6–4) 44,721 21–27 W2
49 May 22 @ Reds 5–6 (10) Gibaut (4–1) Helsley (2–3) 9,194 21–28 L1
50 May 23 @ Reds 8–5 Wainwright (2–0) Ashcraft (2–3) Helsley (6) 14,159 22–28 W1
51 May 24 @ Reds 3–10 Lively (2–2) Matz (0–6) 12,626 22–29 L1
52 May 25 @ Reds 2–1 Mikolas (3–1) Sims (1–1) Gallegos (5) 15,978 23–29 W1
53 May 26 @ Guardians 3–4 Bieber (4–3) Liberatore (1–1) Clase (17) 31,303 23–30 L1
54 May 27 @ Guardians 2–1 (10) Helsley (3–3) Sandlin (2–2) Gallegos (6) 32,224 24–30 W1
55 May 28 @ Guardians 3–4 Curry (1–0) Helsley (3–4) 27,398 24–31 L1
56 May 29 Royals 0–7 Mayers (1–0) Wainwright (2–1) 45,911 24–32 L2
57 May 30 Royals 2–1 Mikolas (4–1) Hernández (0–2) Gallegos (7) 38,406 25–32 W1
June: 8–15 (Home: 3–8 ; Away: 5–7)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record Box / Streak
58 June 2 @ Pirates 5–7 Ramírez (1–0) Gallegos (1–3) Bednar (11) 24,388 25–33 L1
59 June 3 @ Pirates 3–4 Moreta (3–1) Montgomery (2–7) Bednar (12) 29,161 25–34 L2
60 June 4 @ Pirates 1–2 Hill (5–5) Mikolas (4–2) Bednar (13) 22,947 25–35 L3
61 June 5 @ Rangers 3–4 Smith (1–2) Cabrera (1–1) 25,161 25–36 L4
62 June 6 @ Rangers 4–6 Dunning (5–1) Liberatore (1–2) Smith (11) 28,151 25–37 L5
63 June 7 @ Rangers 1–0 Hicks (1–3) Gray (6–2) Helsley (7) 30,251 26–37 W1
64 June 9 Reds 7–4 Montgomery (3–7) Lively (3–4) Gallegos (8) 43,238 27–37 W2
65 June 10 Reds 4–8 Abbott (2–0) Mikolas (4–3) 45,246 27–38 L1
66 June 11 Reds 3–4 Gibaut (6–1) Hicks (1–4) Díaz (15) 42,445 27–39 L2
67 June 12 Giants 3–4 Webb (5–6) Stratton (1–1) Doval (17) 40,886 27–40 L3
68 June 13 Giants 3–11 Jackson (1–0) Flaherty (3–5) Winn (1) 40,917 27–41 L4
69 June 14 Giants 5–8 (10) Rogers (1–4) Matz (0–7) Doval (18) 39,165 27–42 L5
70 June 16 @ Mets 1–6 Megill (6–4) Mikolas (4–4) 33,948 27–43 L6
71 June 17 @ Mets 5–3 Wainwright (3–1) Senga (6–4) Hicks (1) 39,143 28–43 W1
72 June 18 @ Mets 8–7 VerHagen (4–0) Ottavino (0–3) Hicks (2) 43,110 29–43 W2
73 June 19 @ Nationals 8–6 Flaherty (4–5) Gray (4–6) Hicks (3) 19,997 30–43 W3
74 June 20 @ Nationals 9–3 Montgomery (4–7) Gore (3–6) 22,223 31–43 W4
75 June 21 @ Nationals 0–3 Williams (4–4) Mikolas (4–5) Harvey (4) 16,191 31–44 L1
76 June 24† Cubs 1–9 Steele (8–2) Wainwright (3–2) 54,662 31–45 L2
77 June 25† Cubs 7–5 Woodford (2–2) Stroman (9–5) Hicks (4) 55,565 32–45 W1
78 June 27 Astros 4–2 Montgomery (5–7) Valdez (7–6) Hicks (5) 41,512 33–45 W2
79 June 28 Astros 7–10 Martinez (2–3) Gallegos (1–4) Pressly (15) 41,452 33–46 L1
80 June 29 Astros 0–14 France (3–3) Wainwright (3–3) 42,504 33–47 L2
June 30 Yankees Postponed (inclement weather); Makeup: July 1
†The Cardinals were the home team against the Cubs in a two-game series at London Stadium in the 2023 MLB London Series.
July: 14–13 (Home: 8–5 ; Away: 6–8)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record Box / Streak
81 July 1 (1) Yankees 11–4 Flaherty (5–5) Severino (1–3) 44,237 34–47 W1
82 July 1 (2) Yankees 2–6 King (2–4) Liberatore (1–3) 44,846 34–48 L1
83 July 2 Yankees 5–1 Montgomery (6–7) Cole (8–2) 44,676 35–48 W1
84 July 3 @ Marlins 4–5 Brazobán (3–1) Pallante (2–1) Puk (14) 19,638 35–49 L1
85 July 4 @ Marlins 2–15 Luzardo (7–5) Wainwright (3–4) 16,437 35–50 L2
86 July 5 @ Marlins 9–10 Puk (4–2) Hicks (1–5) 9,911 35–51 L3
87 July 6 @ Marlins 3–0 Flaherty (6–5) Pérez (5–3) Hicks (6) 8,763 36–51 W1
88 July 7 @ White Sox 7–8 Middleton (2–0) Leahy (0–1) Graveman (7) 27,569 36–52 L1
89 July 8 @ White Sox 3–0 Mikolas (5–5) Toussaint (0–2) Hicks (7) 26,560 37–52 W1
90 July 9 @ White Sox 4–3 (10) Romero (1–0) Middleton (2–1) 29,769 38–52 W2
93rd All-Star Game in Seattle, Washington
July 14 Nationals Suspended (rain); Resuming: July 15th
91 July 15 (1) Nationals 5–7 (10) Finnegan (4–3) Hicks (1–6) Harvey (9) 42,042 38–53 L1
92 July 15 (2) Nationals 9–6 Hudson (1–0) Willingham (0–1) 41,900 39–53 W1
93 July 16 Nationals 8–4 Flaherty (7–5) Gray (6–8) 42,626 40–53 W2
94 July 17 Marlins 6–4 Mikolas (6–5) Floro (3–5) Hicks (8) 35,619 41–53 W3
95 July 18 Marlins 5–2 (10) Romero (2–0) Puk (4–4) 38,490 42–53 W4
96 July 19 Marlins 6–4 Thompson (2–2) Alcántara (3–9) Stratton (1) 35,906 43–53 W5
97 July 20 @ Cubs 7–2 Matz (1–7) Stroman (10–7) 34,251 44–53 W6
98 July 21 @ Cubs 3–4 Steele (10–3) Flaherty (7–6) Alzolay (8) 38,819 44–54 L1
99 July 22 @ Cubs 6–8 Palencia (2–0) Thompson (2–3) Alzolay (9) 40,425 44–55 L2
100 July 23 @ Cubs 2–7 Taillon (4–6) Montgomery (6–8) 38,223 44–56 L3
101 July 24 @ Diamondbacks 10–6 Gallegos (2–4) Chafin (2–3) 23,184 45–56 W1
102 July 25 @ Diamondbacks 1–3 Nelson (5–2) Romero (2–1) Ginkel (3) 23,572 45–57 L1
103 July 26 @ Diamondbacks 11–7 Pallante (3–1) Gallen (11–5) 22,457 46–57 W1
104 July 27 Cubs 3–10 Steele (11–3) Mikolas (6–6) 44,584 46–58 L1
105 July 28 Cubs 2–3 Smyly (8–7) Montgomery (6–9) Alzolay (12) 43,424 46–59 L2
106 July 29 Cubs 1–5 Taillon (5–6) Wainwright (3–5) 44,877 46–60 L3
107 July 30 Cubs 3–0 Matz (2–7) Hendricks (4–5) Romero (1) 43,670 47–60 W1
August: 11–16 (Home: 7–9 ; Away: 4–7)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record Box / Streak
108 August 1 Twins 2–3 López (6–6) Mikolas (6–7) Durán (18) 37,162 47–61 L1
109 August 2 Twins 7–3 Hudson (2–0) Ryan (9–8) 34,332 48–61 W1
110 August 3 Twins 3–5 Gray (5–4) Liberatore (1–4) Durán (19) 36,949 48–62 L1
111 August 4 Rockies 4–9 Flexen (1–5) Wainwright (3–6) 38,559 48–63 L2
112 August 5 Rockies 6–2 Matz (3–7) Blach (1–1) 38,121 49–63 W1
113 August 6 Rockies 0–1 Gomber (9–8) Thompson (2–4) Lawrence (9) 40,051 49–64 L1
114 August 8 @ Rays 2–4 Adam (3–2) Mikolas (6–8) Fairbanks (15) 15,522 49–65 L2
115 August 9 @ Rays 6–4 Hudson (3–0) Kelly (4–2) Gallegos (9) 11,203 50–65 W1
116 August 10 @ Rays 5–2 Liberatore (2–4) Littell (2–3) 11,990 51–65 W2
117 August 11 @ Royals 8–12 Zerpa (1–1) Wainwright (3–7) 26,271 51–66 L1
118 August 12 @ Royals 5–4 Matz (4–7) Ragans (3–4) Romero (2) 37,016 52–66 W1
119 August 14 Athletics 7–5 Romero (3–1) Felipe (1–1) 34,793 53–66 W2
120 August 15 Athletics 6–2 Hudson (4–0) Watkins (0–1) 32,528 54–66 W3
121 August 16 Athletics 0–8 Blackburn (3–3) Liberatore (2–5) 33,146 54–67 L1
122 August 17 Mets 2–4 Quintana (1–4) Wainwright (3–8) Gott (1) 36,155 54–68 L2
123 August 18 Mets 1–7 Lucchesi (2–0) Thompson (2–5) 42,076 54–69 L3
124 August 19 Mets 2–13 Senga (10–6) Mikolas (6–9) 40,303 54–70 L4
125 August 20 Mets 7–3 Hudson (5–0) Carrasco (3–7) 37,470 55–70 W1
126 August 21 @ Pirates 1–11 Falter (1–7) Rom (0–1) 12,270 55–71 L1
127 August 22 @ Pirates 3–6 Oviedo (7–13) Wainwright (3–9) Bednar (27) 11,823 55–72 L2
128 August 23 @ Pirates 6–4 Thompson (3–5) Ortiz (2–4) Romero (3) 11,504 56–72 W1
129 August 25 @ Phillies 2–7 Sánchez (2–3) Mikolas (6–10) 34,118 56–73 L1
130 August 26 @ Phillies 1–12 Wheeler (10–6) Hudson (5–1) 44,097 56–74 L2
131 August 27 @ Phillies 0–3 Nola (12–8) Rom (0–2) Kimbrel (20) 41,141 56–75 L3
132 August 28 Padres 1–4 Snell (11–9) Wainwright (3–10) Hader (28) 35,917 56–76 L4
133 August 29 Padres 6–5 (10) Romero (4–1) Hader (0–2) 36,851 57–76 W1
134 August 30 Padres 5–4 Pallante (4–1) Hader (0–3) 32,583 58–76 W2
September/October: 13–15 (Home: 5–8 ; Away: 8–7)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record Box / Streak
135 September 1 Pirates 2–4 (10) Selby (2–0) Romero (4–2) Bednar (30) 33,842 58–77 L1
136 September 2 Pirates 6–7 Bolton (1–0) VerHagen (4–1) Bednar (31) 38,276 58–78 L2
137 September 3 Pirates 6–4 Thompson (4–5) Oviedo (8–14) Gallegos (10) 35,856 59–78 W1
138 September 5 @ Braves 10–6 Mikolas (7–10) Soroka (2–2) 33,553 60–78 W2
139 September 6 @ Braves 11–6 Hudson (6–1) Strider (16–5) 35,514 61–78 W3
140 September 7 @ Braves 5–8 Fried (7–1) Wainwright (3–11) 34,349 61–79 L1
141 September 8 @ Reds 9–4 Liberatore (3–5) Abbott (8–5) 29,870 62–79 W1
142 September 9 @ Reds 4–3 Thompson (5–5) Moll (1–4) Helsley (8) 40,810 63–79 W2
143 September 10 @ Reds 1–7 Greene (4–6) Mikolas (7–11) 31,190 63–80 L1
144 September 11 @ Orioles 5–11 Hall (1–0) Hudson (6–2) 15,485 63–81 L2
145 September 12 @ Orioles 5–2 Wainwright (4–11) Means (0–1) Helsley (9) 15,526 64–81 W1
146 September 13 @ Orioles 1–0 Rom (1–2) Gibson (14–9) Helsley (10) 14,442 65–81 W2
147 September 15 Phillies 4–5 Strahm (9–4) Thompson (5–6) Alvarado (8) 42,166 65–82 L1
148 September 16 Phillies 1–6 Suárez (3–6) Mikolas (7–12) 42,817 65–83 L2
149 September 17 Phillies 6–5 King (2–1) Domínguez (4–5) Helsley (11) 40,996 66–83 W1
150 September 18 Brewers 1–0 Wainwright (5–11) Peralta (12–9) Helsley (12) 33,176 67–83 W2
151 September 19 Brewers 3–7 Rea (6–6) Rom (1–3) 35,760 67–84 L1
152 September 20 Brewers 2–8 Houser (7–4) Thompson (5–7) 37,008 67–85 L2
153 September 21 Brewers 0–6 Miley (9–4) Mikolas (7–13) 37,105 67–86 L3
154 September 22 @ Padres 2–4 Suárez (4–2) Liberatore (3–6) 42,983 67–87 L4
155 September 23 @ Padres 5–2 (11) Lawrence (1–0) Barlow (2–5) 42,525 68–87 W1
156 September 24 @ Padres 2–12 Wacha (13–4) Rom (1–4) 42,505 68–88 L1
157 September 26 @ Brewers 4–1 Mikolas (8–13) Houser (7–5) Helsley (13) 36,755 69–88 W1
158 September 27 @ Brewers 2–3 Payamps (7–5) Barnes (0–1) Williams (36) 31,256 69–89 L1
159 September 28 @ Brewers 0–3 Teherán (3–5) Hudson (6–3) Small (1) 29,185 69–90 L2
160 September 29 Reds 2–19 Williamson (5–5) Woodford (2–3) Spiers (1) 38,964 69–91 L3
161 September 30 Reds 15–6 VerHagen (5–1) Phillips (1–1) 39,923 70–91 W1
162 October 1 Reds 4–3 Mikolas (9–13) Greene (4–7) Helsley (14) 44,614 71–91 W2

Season standings

[edit]

National League Central

[edit]
NL Central
Team W L Pct. GB Home Road
Milwaukee Brewers 92 70 .568 49‍–‍32 43‍–‍38
Chicago Cubs 83 79 .512 9 45‍–‍36 38‍–‍43
Cincinnati Reds 82 80 .506 10 38‍–‍43 44‍–‍37
Pittsburgh Pirates 76 86 .469 16 39‍–‍42 37‍–‍44
St. Louis Cardinals 71 91 .438 21 35‍–‍46 36‍–‍45


National League Wild Card

[edit]
Division leaders
Team W L Pct.
Atlanta Braves 104 58 .642
Los Angeles Dodgers 100 62 .617
Milwaukee Brewers 92 70 .568
Wild Card teams
(Top 3 teams qualify for postseason)
Team W L Pct. GB
Philadelphia Phillies 90 72 .556 +6
Miami Marlins 84 78 .519
Arizona Diamondbacks 84 78 .519
Chicago Cubs 83 79 .512 1
San Diego Padres 82 80 .506 2
Cincinnati Reds 82 80 .506 2
San Francisco Giants 79 83 .488 5
Pittsburgh Pirates 76 86 .469 8
New York Mets 75 87 .463 9
St. Louis Cardinals 71 91 .438 13
Washington Nationals 71 91 .438 13
Colorado Rockies 59 103 .364 25


Record vs. opponents

[edit]

Record vs. National League

[edit]

Source: MLB Standings Grid – 2023

Team AZ ATL CHC CIN COL LAD MIA MIL NYM PHI PIT SD SF STL WSH AL
Arizona 3–3 6–1 3–4 10–3 5–8 2–4 4–2 1–6 3–4 4–2 7–6 7–6 3–3 5–1 21–25
Atlanta 3–3 4–2 5–1 7–0 4–3 9–4 5–1 10–3 8–5 4–3 3–4 4–2 4–2 8–5 26–20
Chicago 1–6 2–4 6–7 4–2 3–4 2–4 6–7 3–3 1–5 10–3 4–3 5–1 8–5 3–4 25–21
Cincinnati 4–3 1–5 7–6 4–2 4–2 3–3 3–10 4–2 3–4 5–8 3–3 3–4 6–7 4–3 28–18
Colorado 3–10 0–7 2–4 2–4 3–10 5–2 4–2 4–2 2–5 2–4 4–9 4–9 3–3 3–4 18–28
Los Angeles 8–5 3–4 4–3 2–4 10–3 3–3 5–1 3–3 4–2 4–3 9–4 7–6 4–3 4–2 30–16
Miami 4–2 4–9 4–2 3–3 2–5 3–3 3–4 4–8 7–6 5–2 2–4 3–3 3–4 11–2 26–20
Milwaukee 2–4 1–5 7–6 10–3 2–4 1–5 4–3 6–1 4–2 8–5 6–1 2–5 8–5 3–3 28–18
New York 6–1 3–10 3–3 2–4 2–4 3–3 8–4 1–6 6–7 3–3 3–3 4–3 4–3 7–6 19–27
Philadelphia 4–3 5–8 5–1 4–3 5–2 2–4 6–7 2–4 7–6 3–3 5–2 2–4 5–1 7–6 28–18
Pittsburgh 2–4 3–4 3–10 8–5 4–2 3–4 2–5 5–8 3–3 3–3 5–1 2–4 9–4 5–2 19–27
San Diego 6–7 4–3 3–4 3–3 9–4 4–9 4–2 1–6 3–3 2–5 1–5 8–5 3–3 3–3 28–18
San Francisco 6–7 2–4 1–5 4–3 9–4 6–7 3–3 5–2 3–4 4–2 4–2 5–8 6–1 1–5 20–26
St. Louis 3–3 2–4 5–8 7–6 3–3 3–4 4–3 5–8 3–4 1–5 4–9 3–3 1–6 4–2 23–23
Washington 1–5 5–8 4–3 3–4 4–3 2–4 2–11 3–3 6–7 6–7 2–5 3–3 5–1 2–4 23–23

Updated with the results of all games through October 1, 2023.

Record vs. American League

[edit]

Source: MLB Standings

Team BAL BOS CWS CLE DET HOU KC LAA MIN NYY OAK SEA TB TEX TOR
Arizona 1–2 1–2 2–1 2–1 3–0 0–3 2–1 2–1 0–3 1–2 2–1 1–2 1–2 3–1 0–3
Atlanta 2–1 1–3 1–2 2–1 2–1 0–3 3–0 2–1 3–0 3–0 1–2 2–1 2–1 2–1 0–3
Chicago 2–1 1–2 3–1 1–2 2–1 0–3 2–1 0–3 1–2 2–1 3–0 2–1 2–1 2–1 2–1
Cincinnati 2–1 2–1 1–2 2–2 2–1 3–0 3–0 3–0 1–2 0–3 2–1 2–1 1–2 3–0 1–2
Colorado 1–2 2–1 2–1 2–1 1–2 1–3 2–1 2–1 1–2 2–1 1–2 0–3 0–3 0–3 1–2
Los Angeles 2–1 2–1 2–1 2–1 2–1 2–1 1–2 4–0 2–1 1–2 3–0 3–0 1–2 2–1 1–2
Miami 0–3 3–0 2–1 2–1 2–1 1–2 3–0 3–0 2–1 2–1 3–0 1–2 1–3 0–3 1–2
Milwaukee 2–1 1–2 3–0 2–1 1–2 2–1 3–0 2–1 2–2 2–1 0–3 3–0 1–2 3–0 1–2
New York 0–3 1–2 2–1 3–0 0–3 1–2 0–3 1–2 1–2 2–2 3–0 2–1 2–1 1–2 0–3
Philadelphia 2–1 1–2 2–1 1–2 3–0 2–1 2–1 2–1 1–2 1–2 3–0 2–1 3–0 0–3 3–1
Pittsburgh 1–2 3–0 2–1 1–2 2–2 1–2 3–0 1–2 1–2 1–2 1–2 1–2 0–3 1–2 0–3
San Diego 2–1 1–2 3–0 2–1 2–1 1–2 1–2 3–0 1–2 1–2 3–0 1–3 2–1 3–0 2–1
San Francisco 1–2 2–1 2–1 2–1 0–3 2–1 1–2 1–2 2–1 1–2 2–2 1–2 1–2 1–2 1–2
St. Louis 2–1 3–0 2–1 1–2 1–2 1–2 2–2 0–3 1–2 2–1 2–1 1–2 2–1 1–2 2–1
Washington 0–4 2–1 2–1 1–2 2–1 1–2 2–1 1–2 2–1 2–1 3–0 2–1 0–3 2–1 1–2

Updated with the results of all games through October 1, 2023.

Roster

[edit]
2023 St. Louis Cardinals
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders Manager

Coaches

Player statistics

[edit]
= Indicates team leader

Batting

[edit]

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases; BB = Walks; SO = Strikeouts; AVG = Batting average; OBP = On-base percentage; SLG = Slugging percentage
* = bats left-handed
# = bats both (switch-hitter)
TEAM .742 OPS (On-base + Slugging percentages; 6th of 15 NL teams), 101 OPS+ (adjusted for the team's ballpark)

Player G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG
Paul Goldschmidt 154 593 89 159 31 0 25 80 11 87 161 .268 .363 .447
Nolan Arenado 144 560 71 149 26 2 26 93 3 41 101 .266 .315 .459
Tommy Edman# 137 479 69 119 25 4 13 47 27 35 84 .248 .307 .399
Willson Contreras 125 428 55 113 27 0 20 67 6 51 111 .264 .358 .467
Lars Nootbaar* 117 426 74 111 23 1 14 46 11 72 99 .261 .367 .418
Jordan Walker 117 420 51 116 19 2 16 51 7 37 104 .276 .342 .445
Nolan Gorman* 119 406 59 96 17 0 27 76 7 53 148 .236 .328 .478
Brendan Donovan* 95 327 48 93 10 1 11 34 5 33 53 .284 .365 .422
Alec Burleson* 107 315 34 77 20 1 8 36 3 23 45 .244 .300 .390
Paul DeJong 81 279 38 65 11 0 13 32 4 21 87 .233 .297 .412
Tyler O'Neill 72 238 27 55 14 0 9 21 5 28 67 .231 .312 .403
Andrew Knizner 70 224 30 54 11 0 10 31 2 12 62 .241 .288 .424
Dylan Carlson# 76 219 27 48 8 1 5 27 3 26 49 .219 .318 .333
Masyn Winn 37 122 8 21 2 0 2 12 2 10 26 .172 .230 .238
Richie Palacios* 32 93 9 24 6 0 6 16 2 6 11 .258 .307 .516
Luken Baker 33 86 9 18 3 0 2 10 0 13 31 .209 .313 .314
Taylor Motter 29 76 3 13 3 0 0 2 0 5 31 .171 .232 .211
Juan Yepez 28 60 5 11 1 0 2 2 0 4 20 .183 .246 .300
José Fermín 21 51 5 12 1 0 0 4 0 6 8 .235 .339 .255
Iván Herrera 13 37 6 11 2 0 0 4 0 5 11 .297 .409 .351
Óscar Mercado 20 31 3 9 3 0 0 5 2 1 4 .290 .313 .387
Juniel Querecuto# 9 20 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 6 .100 .143 .150
Irving Lopez* 5 11 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 .000 .000 .000
Michael Siani* 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 .000 .000 .000
Tres Barrera 6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Adam Wainright 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000
Player G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG
Totals 162 5,510 719 1,376 264 12 209 697 101 570 1,326 .250 .326 .416
Rank in NL 5 10 7 11 15 5 8 12 4 6 7 7 6

Source:[1]

Pitching

[edit]

Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; HR = Home runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; SO = Strikeouts; WHIP = Walks plus hits per inning pitched
* = throws left-handed
TEAM BF = 6,273; ERA+ = 90

Player W L ERA G GS SV IP H R ER HR BB SO WHIP
Miles Mikolas 9 13 4.78 35 35 0 201.1 226 110 107 26 39 137 1.32
Jordan Montgomery* 6 9 3.42 21 21 0 121.0 116 54 46 12 35 108 1.25
Jack Flaherty 7 6 4.43 20 20 0 109.2 116 56 54 10 54 106 1.55
Steven Matz* 4 7 3.86 25 17 0 105.0 108 48 45 9 32 98 1.33
Adam Wainwright 5 11 7.40 21 21 0 101.0 151 89 83 20 41 55 1.90
Dakota Hudson 6 3 4.98 18 12 0 81.1 88 46 45 9 34 45 1.50
Andre Pallante 4 1 4.76 62 0 0 68.0 76 37 36 6 30 43 1.56
Zack Thompson* 5 7 4.48 25 9 0 66.1 69 35 33 8 25 72 1.42
Matthew Liberatore* 3 6 5.25 22 11 0 61.2 66 42 36 5 25 46 1.48
Drew VerHagen 5 1 3.98 60 0 0 61.0 52 30 27 9 26 60 1.28
Giovanny Gallegos 2 4 4.42 56 0 10 55.0 54 28 27 11 12 59 1.20
Chris Stratton 1 1 4.19 42 0 1 53.2 45 28 25 4 17 59 1.16
Jake Woodford 2 3 6.23 15 8 0 47.2 61 34 33 11 22 29 1.74
Jordan Hicks 1 6 3.67 40 0 8 41.2 39 21 17 2 24 59 1.51
Ryan Helsley 3 4 2.45 33 0 14 36.2 22 11 10 1 17 52 1.06
JoJo Romero* 4 2 3.68 27 0 3 36.2 29 17 15 1 10 42 1.06
Drew Rom* 1 4 8.02 8 8 0 33.2 51 34 30 7 19 32 2.08
Génesis Cabrera* 1 1 5.06 32 0 0 32.0 32 18 18 6 18 38 1.56
Andrew Suárez* 0 0 7.16 13 0 0 27.2 33 27 22 7 15 17 1.74
Casey Lawrence 1 0 6.59 15 0 0 27.1 32 20 20 7 10 20 1.54
John King* 1 0 1.45 20 0 0 18.2 19 3 3 1 6 10 1.34
James Naile 0 0 8.80 10 0 0 15.1 27 19 15 1 9 7 2.35
Jacob Barnes 0 1 5.93 13 0 0 13.2 18 11 9 1 3 8 1.54
Packy Naughton* 0 0 0.00 4 0 0 5.0 2 0 0 0 1 5 0.60
Ryan Tepera 0 0 9.00 2 0 0 2.0 3 2 2 1 1 1 2.00
Guillermo Zuñiga 0 0 4.50 2 0 0 2.0 2 1 1 0 0 4 1.00
Alec Burleson* 0 0 21.60 2 0 0 1.2 8 4 4 1 0 1 4.80
Kyle Leahy 0 1 21.60 3 0 0 1.2 4 4 4 1 5 2 5.40
Player W L ERA G GS SV IP H R ER HR BB SO WHIP
Totals 71 91 4.79 162 162 36 1,428.1 1,549 829 760 179 530 1,215 1.456
Rank in NL 13 2 12 11 12 14 13 12 3 8 14

Source:[2]

Minor league system and first-year player draft

[edit]

Teams

[edit]
Level Team League Division Manager W–L/Stats Standing Refs
Triple-A Memphis Redbirds International League West Ben Johnson 7–8 [24]
Double-A Springfield Cardinals Texas League North José Leger 9–0
High-A Peoria Chiefs Midwest League West Patrick Anderson 5–4
Single-A Palm Beach Cardinals Florida State League East Gary Kendall 64–63
Rookie FCL Cardinals Florida Complex League East Roberto Espinoza 17–33
Foreign Rookie DSL Cardinals Dominican Summer League South Fray Peniche 17–36

Major League Baseball draft

[edit]

The 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft took place on July 9–11, 2023, in Seattle. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams.

2023 Draft Order

2023 Draft Tracker (STL Cardinals)
Cardinals Draft Signings Tracker

2023 St. Louis Cardinals complete draft list
Round Pick Name, Age Pos / Bats (P throws) School (State) Signing bonus
1 21 Chase Davis, 21 OF / L University of Arizona (AZ) $6.3 million[25][26]
2 No pick due to the signing of Willson Contreras
3 90 Travis Honeyman, 21 OF / R Boston College (MA) $700,000
4 122 Quinn Mathews, 22 P / L Stanford University (CA) $600,000
5 158 Zach Levenson, 21 OF / R University of Miami (FL) $381,300
6 185 Jason Savacool, 21 P / R University of Maryland (MD) $302,300
7 215 Charles Harrison, 21 P / R UCLA (CA) $236,700
8 245 Ixan Henderson, 21 P / L Fresno State University (CA) $230,000
9 275 Christian Worley, 21 P / R Virginia Tech (VA) $200,000
10 305 Caden Kendle, 21 OF / R University of California-Irvine (CA) Did not sign
11 335 Dakota Harris, 21 SS / S University of Oklahoma (OK) $150,000
12 365 Brayden Jobert, 22 OF / L LSU (LA) $150,000
13 395 William Sullivan, 22 1B / L Troy University (AL) $150,000
14 425 Jacob Odle, 19 P / R Orange Coast College (CA) $150,000
15 455 Tre Richardson, 21 SS / R Texas Christian University (TX) $150,000
16 485 Tyler Bradt, 22 P / R East Carolina University (NC) $75,000
17 515 Trey Paige, 22 3B / L Delaware State University (DE) $150,000
18 545 Hunter Kublick, 20 P / R Umpqua Community College (OR) $150,000
19 575 Graysen Tarlow, 22 C / R California State-Northridge (CA) $125,000
20 605 Cameron Johnson, 18 P / L IMG Academy HS (FL) Did not sign

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals Team History & Encyclopedia". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  2. ^ "Pitch clocks and shift limits: MLB adopts sweeping rule changes for 2023". the Guardian. Associated Press. September 9, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  3. ^ "Toronto Blue Jays at St. Louis Cardinals Box Score, March 30, 2022". Baseball-Reference.com. March 30, 2023.
  4. ^ "After loss, Cardinals manager questions O'Neill's base running effort in key play". FOX 2. April 5, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  5. ^ Artola, Alicia de (April 6, 2023). "Cardinals: Ken Rosenthal sheds light on Oli Marmol-Tyler O'Neill feud". FanSided. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  6. ^ Neville, Scott (April 5, 2023). "Cardinal's Tyler O'Neill Takes Subtle Shot At Manager Oli Marmol As Feud Heats Up". Sports Illustrated Saint Louis Cardinals News, Analysis and More.
  7. ^ Thompson, Jaylon. "Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol benches Tyler O'Neill after 'unacceptable' baserunning effort". USA TODAY. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  8. ^ "Rookie sensation Walker's hit streak ends at 12". MLB.com. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  9. ^ Taylor, Brett (April 26, 2023). "Cardinals Sending Top Prospect Jordan Walker Back Down to the Minor Leagues". www.bleachernation.com. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  10. ^ Taylor, Brett (May 6, 2023). "WOW: The Cardinals Are Removing Willson Contreras From Catching Duties". www.bleachernation.com. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  11. ^ "With Cards' confidence, Contreras to return to catcher". MLB.com. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  12. ^ "Cardinals' Nolan Arenado breaks up Royals' combined perfect game in eighth inning". CBSSports.com. May 29, 2023. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  13. ^ "Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Heads to IL with forearm strain". CBSSports.com. June 12, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  14. ^ "Hicks fires up Cards with 104.3 mph heat". MLB.com. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  15. ^ "Jordan Hicks Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  16. ^ "Cubs 9-1 Cardinals (Jun 24, 2023) Box Score". ESPN. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  17. ^ "Cubs 5-7 Cardinals (Jun 25, 2023) Game Recap". ESPN. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  18. ^ "Arenado to represent Cardinals as All-Star Game starter". MLB.com. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  19. ^ "Steven Matz 2023 pitching Stats Per Game - MLB". ESPN. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  20. ^ Goold, Derrick (September 18, 2023). "200! Adam Wainwright outwits, outpitches in outstanding 1-0 win for history, for Cardinals". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  21. ^ Worthy, Lynn (September 30, 2023). "Cardinals veteran Adam Wainwright turned a grounder into a showstopper at Busch Stadium". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  22. ^ Goold, Derrick (October 1, 2023). "Cardinals close out losing, horrid 2023 with a win, grin & one last swing for Adam Wainwright". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  23. ^ "2023 St. Louis Cardinals sortable schedule". St. Louis Cardinals.[dead link]
  24. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals Minor League Affiliates". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  25. ^ Polishuk, Mark (July 15, 2023). "Cardinals to sign first-rounder Chase Davis". yardbarker.com.
  26. ^ Denton, John (July 15, 2023). "2023 1st-rounder signs with Cards, takes BP in St. Louis". MLB.
[edit]