Nolan Arenado dispels Coors Field myth in first homer as a Cardinal (Video)

Nolan Arenado’s first home run in a St. Louis Cardinals jersey was a thing of beauty.

For those of you who thought new St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado was only a product of playing 81 home games at Coors Field, think again.

Over the years, a lot has been made about the benefits of being a Colorado Rockies player offensively. A spacious outfield and the thinnest air in the league allows marginal offensive players to flourish in Denver. Arenado did not think being traded to the Red Birds would hurt his offensive game, since he views himself as a line-drive hitter. His first Cardinals home run was a no-doubter.

The St. Louis Cardinals are counting on Nolan Arenado big time this season

While it is nice to see Arenado go yard for the first time in a Cardinals uniform, it should be noted that Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati is one of the most hitter-friendly stadiums in the National League. The ball does fly out of there with favorable winds coming off the Ohio River. Even with that in mind, Arenado is viewed as the key piece to getting the Cardinals over the top.

With Arenado at third and Paul Goldschmidt at first, the Cardinals are about as good as it gets at the corner infield spots. Given that they play in the least menacing NL division, St. Louis is in great position to win a division crown. A big reason Arenado wanted out of Colorado was that he wanted to play for a winner and not be part of the Rockies’ rebuild. Now, he has gotten his chance to do so.

If Arenado can play up to his potential, he can win NL MVP for the division champion Cardinals.