The St. Louis Cardinals struggled last season so much so that the front office was seemingly ready to enter a rebuild this year. The Cardinals opted out of signing a few veterans to contract extensions and even seemingly shopped Nolan Arenado on the trade market.
But this season, the Cardinals have looked like a completely different team. Their pitching, offense, and defense have all been excellent early this season. Players like Arenado and Victor Scott II have led the team, both on offense and defense.
While there have been some major improvements for the Cardinals, it's their improved defense that has quietly turned them into real contenders this season.
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Nolan Arenado and Victor Scott II lead an elite Cardinals defense
While looking at the Cardinals defense, it's hard to find a player more qualified to lead the defense than Arenado. The 13-year MLB veteran is a 10-time Gold Glove winner as well as a six-time Platinum Glove winner. He's been one of the best infield defenders in the entire league for his whole career. Arenado hasn't won a Gold Glove since 2022, but he's still been an elite defender, including this season.
The Cardinals' third baseman is tied for second on the team with five outs above average. Arenado is tied with shortstop Masyn Winn. Winn has been one of the more valuable defensive players in the league. He's elite in fielding run value as well as his aforementioned five outs above average.
While Arenado and Winn are tied at the top of the league in outs above average, they're not even the top players on their own team. Scott has quickly and quietly made himself into one of the best defensive players in the entire league.
Scott has posted three fielding run value and six outs above average, both ranking him among the best qualified players in the league. But the stats don't do a justice for his true value in center field. He routinely makes incredible plays to keep runs off the board in St. Louis.
Pair this trio of defenders with plus defensive players like Willson Contreras, Brendan Donovan, and Jordan Walker and you have one of the best defensive units in the league. A unit like this has the capability to take contact pitchers like Erick Fedde and Miles Mikolas to the next level.