Cardinals: 4 mistakes Oli Marmol can't afford to repeat if he wants to keep his job
By Curt Bishop
3. Relying too heavily on analytics/In-game management
Marmol is a very analytically driven manager, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But he relies on analytics a little bit too much.
There were several occasions in 2023 when Marmol paid more attention to analytics than he should have, which led to some poor in-game decisions.
On April 9, the Cardinals trailed the Milwaukee Brewers 6-1 in the top of the eighth inning but had the bases loaded with nobody out and Brendan Donovan at the plate. It was a prime opportunity to get back into the game.
Milwaukee put in a left-hander to face Donovan, but despite Donovan's success against lefties, Marmol countered with Taylor Motter, a righty hitter, who struck out. The Cardinals stranded the bases loaded and lost.
On July 21, they trailed the Chicago Cubs 4-3 in the top of the eighth inning and had the bases loaded with one out. Nolan Gorman was set to pinch hit but was pulled back for Burleson, who grounded into a double play.
If Marmol wants to stay at the helm for the Cardinals, he'll need to improve his in-game decision-making skills, which means relying less on analytics and using the best man for the job.