Fantasy Baseball: St. Louis Cardinals 2015 Fantasy Outlook

Mar 19, 2015; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday (7) connects for a base hit against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium. The Mets defeated the Cardinals 7-2. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

Here we are! Pitchers and catchers have reported, and Spring Training is in full swing (pun intended). Most of us will start having fantasy baseball drafts very soon, and we here at Fantasy CPR are no different. It is time to dust off the notes from last season, and check out which players could have an impact on your fantasy league.

2015 St. Louis Cardinals Projected Lineup:

C: Yadier Molina (.282, 7HR, 38RBI, 1SB in 110 games)
1B: Matt Adams (.288, 15HR, 68RBI, 3SB)
2B: Kolten Wong (.249, 12HR, 42RBI, 20SB)
SS: Jhonny Peralta (.263, 21HR, 75RBI, 3SB)
3B: Matt Carpenter (.272, 8HR, 59RBI, 5SB)
LF: Matt Holliday (.272, 20HR, 90RBI, 4SB)
CF: Jon Jay (.303, 3HR, 46RBI, 6SB)
RF: Jason Heyward (.271, 11HR, 58RBI, 20SB)

Molina is still in the top five at the catcher position. He hits for a good average, will knock a few out, and wont hurt you anywhere. He is a solid pick once catchers start going in your league.

There is a good chance that Mark Reynolds (.198, 22HR, 45RBI, 5SB in 130 games with Milwaukee) could earn a platoon with Adams. Adams’s struggles against lefties is no secret. Then again, Reynolds has had a miserable spring, and he has never been a strong hitter.Ã‚Â Adams is worth drafting in the late to middle rounds of standard league drafts.Ã‚Â Reynolds is likely only a deeper league target because of a platoon at best situation for him.

Wong was a career .305 hitter in the minors, so there is reason to believe that he can hit for a respectable average in the majors. If he can get the average up around .270, he will be near the upper tier of second basemen. He has a great chance to go 15/30 this year. I would take him in the middle rounds.

I’m not sure why people don’t believe in Peralta. He has really only had one bad season after his rookie season. He might not hit 21 home runs again, but 15 is a good possibility. He has little to no speed left, but 15 bombs and a solid average at SS make him worth a later round pick in standard leagues.

Carpenter won’t offer you much in homers or steals, so don’t overpay, but he will be at or near the top of the Cardinals lineup. That should mean quite a few runs scored and a good average. That makes him a later round option in standard leagues due to scarcity at 3B.

Holliday keep producing at a very good level in relative obscurity in St. Louis. He is not going to post the gaudy numbers that he did on Colorado, but there is room in my outfield for a career .308 hitter who will get you around 20 homers and 90+ RBI. He is a solid pick in rounds 9 to 11.

All John Jay is going to do is take enough at-bats away from Peter Bourjos to make neither of them relevant in standard leagues. both of them are worth a look in deeper leagues because they will steal some bases and score some runs. The only problem is that this seems to be a straight platoon right now.That limits the value of both players.

The untimely passing of Oscar Taveras prompted the Cardinals to trade for Jason Heyward. I love the deal for St. Louis. Heyward should improve on his RBI and power numbers. It is easy to forget that he is only 25 years old, and is likely just entering his prime. I like Heyward as a bounceback candidate this year, and view him as a threat for 25 homers and steals while maintaining the .270 average. That makes him a solid pick in the 8th or 9th round.

Stephen Piscotty should be in St. Louis very soon. The question is: where will he play? Heyward has right field locked down, and neither of them look like a good fit in center. Piscotty has a great arm, and he will hit for a good average, but he is more like a Matt Carpenter type player. He will likely only help you in average and runs scored whenever he gets the call. He is worth a look in deep leagues late, but that’s it.

Randal Grichuk is also ready to play in the majors, as he showed during last year’s playoffs. He has good power, but can he hit for a good average? I would think that he needs everyday at-bats to reach his potential, but as of now, the Cardinals have him listed as a fourth outfielder. If he can take the center field job at some point, you standard leaguers should pounce. As for deep leaguers, he may be worth stashing if you have a bench slot available. He was taken one pick ahead of Mike Trout in the 2009 draft. He still has a lot of potential.

Next: How Does The Rotation Look?

Mar 30, 2015; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha (52) delivers a pitch against the Washington Nationals at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

2015 St. Louis Cardinals Projected Starting Rotation:

Adam Wainwright (20-9, 2.38 ERA, 179K)
Lance Lynn (15-10, 2.74 ERA, 181K)
John Lackey (14-10, 3.82 ERA, 164K)
Michael Wacha (5-6, 3.20 ERA, 94K in 19 starts)
Jaime Garcia (3-1, 4.12 ERA, 39K in 7 starts)
Carlos Martinez (2-4, 4.03 ERA, 84K in 7 starts, 50 relief appearances)
Trevor Rosenthal (2-6, 3.20 ERA, 87K, 45/51 saves)

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Wainwright is a legitimate ace. He is just a bit below the upper tier of starting pitchers since he doesn’t strike out as many batters as a Max Scherzer or Clayton Kershaw, but he will come enough cheaper that you can land a big bat and grab Wainwright in the third or fourth round. For around 50 strikeouts, and a lower ERA than Scherzer, it might be worth it.

Lynn really came into his own last year. He proved that he can rack up quite a few strikeouts with that stellar ERA. That is three straight 180 strikeout seasons for Lynn. His numbers are in line with the second tier of starting pitchers, but he often does not go that high in drafts. His WHIP is still a little high, but not enough that he should be taken after the eighth round.

Lackey actually had a worse ERA after arriving in St. Louis last year. At 36, Lackey has no upside, but he has proven that he can still be a solid pitcher. He is worth a late rotation slot in standard leagues, but don’t be afraid to drop him if he struggles like he did in 2011 (6.41 ERA).

A lot of people are high on Wacha this year, and with good reason. He has a 3.04 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 159 strikeouts in 171.2 major league innings over the last two years. Oh, and he won’t be 24 until July. Forget about the W-L record. If his peripherals are that good, the wins will come. You might be able to snag Wacha after the eighth round, but I probably wouldn’t wait that long. He could have a big year.

Carlos Martinez has won the fifth starter job with the injury to Jaime Garcia. He had mixed results in the rotation last year, but he also has great upside. If he falters, Marco Gonzales and Tim Cooney both look ready for the majors. They are middle of the rotation guys at best, but they would still be good fifth starters.

None of the three are worth anything more than a streaming option in standard leagues. Those of you in deeper leagues should grab Martinez later in your drafts. He could be a real steal if he lives up to his potential.

Rosenthal’s ERA is a little on the high side for a closer, but you can’t argue with the opportunities. If he could get that ERA in the mid 2’s, he would be in the upper tier of closers. Right now, he is in the second tier, but a move up could happen this season.

Stay tuned to Fantasy CPR as we head into the NL West!

Next: Is Bryce Harper A Top Ten Fantasy Outfielder?

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