8) Dream Cardinals starting lineup: Tyler O’Neill bats eighth, LF
Tyler O’Neill did not have a good year in 2022. After breaking out and finishing eighth in the 2021 MVP race, O’Neill’s numbers declined in a major way. Because this is all a fantasy, his .286/.352/.560 performance in 2021 returns.
O’Neill remains an intriguing member of the Cardinals roster. There’s clearly upside there. You don’t accidentally hit 34 home runs and drive in 80 while putting up slash numbers like he did in 2021.
In this dream Cardinals lineup, O’Neill benefits from some upgrades around him. He cements himself as the left fielder, wins a Gold Glove, and returns to his old self.
9) Dream Cardinals starting lineup: Dylan Carlson bats ninth, CF
Dylan Carlson had an equally as perplexing decline last year from what he did the year prior. He joined O’Neill as a younger outfielder in St. Louis whose offense seemed to evaporate. Well, because this is a dream starting lineup, we get to see him also excel again.
Carlson is the center fielder on this dream team. At 24, if the Cardinals can indeed get the .266/.343/.437 performance from him again going forward, they’ll be in pretty good shape. Center field is a shallow position across the league. Cardinals fans are eager to see him fly again.
It’s not implausible for much of this dream Cardinals lineup to come together. Fans will have to wait and see just how much the front office wants to win.