Quote:
Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins
FWIW, it's also nice to have a manger that used more than 23 guys on the roster.
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From Viva EL Birdos
Shildt has taken an aggressive, youth-first approach with the bullpen and it’s completely paid off, as the team’s 2.09 ERA since July 27 is the best in the majors in that span.
The bullpen isn’t the only source of young talent contributing to the team; far from it. Overall, the St. Louis active roster has an average age of 27.2, tied for the third-youngest in the majors and sandwiched between five rebuilding teams: the
Rays,
Padres,
Marlins,
Orioles, and
White Sox.
The Cardinals are the youngest team in the NL Central, ahead of both the rebuilding
Reds and the hybrid
Pirates. For what it’s worth, this Cardinals team is roughly two years younger than both the
Brewers (29.1) and the
Cubs (29.2). The age alone should speak to the potential of this team in the future, given that they’re in the thick of a postseason race at this moment.
The young players have responded to the trust put in them with some very solid performances. The Cardinals have both a position player and pitcher who are close to leading the fWAR leaderboards for rookies on the season.
Jack Flaherty is in a three-way tie for fWAR among rookie pitchers with 1.6, just 0.2 shy of the
Giants’
Dereck Rodríguez (though
Flaherty has pitched about 23 more innings than Rodríguez).
Harrison Bader has been perhaps the most impressive, as his 2.5 fWAR has him in sole possession of second place on the rookie position player boards, 0.2 behind teenage phenom
Juan Soto—and
Bader has done so in 44 fewer plate appearances than
Soto. He sits ahead of
Ronald Acuña Jr.,
Miguel Andújar, and
Brian Anderson, all having accumulated more PA than Bader. Though his total isn’t outstanding,
Yairo Muñoz’s 0.3 fWAR has him 24th on the rookie list