3 Cardinals players who’ll be better in 2023, and 2 who won’t

Oct 8, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Lars Nootbaar (21) slides safely into second base for a double during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in game two of the Wild Card series for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jul 23, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Steven Matz (32) throws a pitch against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /

Why Cardinals pitcher Steven Matz will have a better year in 2023

The Cardinals signed Steven Matz to a four-year $44 million dollar deal last offseason to be a key contributor in their rotation. Matz was coming off of a really strong year for the Blue Jays when he posted a 3.82 ERA in 29 starts and 150.2 innings pitched.

At one point Matz was seen as a highly touted prospect in the Mets system with a lot of upside but injuries and inconsistency derailed his Mets tenure. The fresh start in 2021 helped him earn the money he got, but 2022 was as disastrous as can be for the southpaw.

Matz posted a 5.25 ERA in 15 appearances (10 starts). He had two separate stints on the injured list this past season. He left a late-May start in Pittsburgh after just four pitches with left shoulder stiffness and would miss two months. In his first start back, Matz was pitching well, allowing just two runs in 5.2 innings pitched before tearing his MCL in his left knee.

Matz would come back in mid-September as a reliever, allowing one run in 5.1 innings pitched across five appearances.

While his ERA was obviously putrid, Matz did have a 3.78 FIP suggesting he was a victim of some bad luck. Better injury and batted ball luck should have Matz closer to the pitcher St. Louis thought they were getting.

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