Oli Marmol places blame squarely on Cardinals stars for lackluster offense

The St. Louis Cardinals are back on the road to nowhere with a 9-11 record that places them dead last in the competitive NL Central. A traditionally blue-chip franchise with an illustrious and accomplished past, we aren't used to talking about the Cardinals on such mediocre terms. And yet, after last season's brutal disappointment, fans have been treated to more of the same in 2024.

A natural lightning rod for criticism is Oli Marmol, the youngest manager in baseball. He signed a two-year extension before the season, a decision from John Mozeliak and the front office that was confounding at the time and feels downright irresponsible in the present. Marmol continues to show little command over his lineup, and the Cards continue to perform well below their means on paper.

St. Louis should be a much better offensive team. That is the issue right now. While Marmol is not opposed to tinkering with lineups, he is shifting the blame to his players. Frankly, with how the numbers look right now, it's hard to disagree, as much as a coach should take responsibility, the Cards' stars need to step it up a notch (or several).

Oli Marmol shifts blame to Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Gorman for Cardinals' offensive struggles

The Cardinals are second-worst in the MLB when it comes to home runs (13), leading only the 3-16 Chicago White Sox. St. Louis also ranks near the bottom in hits (150, 23rd) and runs scored (75, 25th). Those powerful bats in the middle of the Cards' lineup are only powerful in theory right now. The results aren't there. There's no proof in that pudding.

Goldy was the MVP two seasons ago. Through 19 games, he is slashing .169/.272/.211 with one home run, one extra-base hit (the HR), and only seven RBI. That won't cut it. Maybe Goldschmidt is over the hill at 36 years old, but this is a contract year. For him to perform this poorly is a shock, and the Cardinals need to hope it's just an extended slump.

It hasn't been too much better for Gorman. Fresh off a breakout sophomore campaign, the talented infielder is slashing .178/.241/.342 with three home runs, three doubles, and eight RBI in 19 games. The other Nolan, Mr. Arenado, is at least putting the bat on the ball with some level of consistency (.293/.314/.390), but even he has been short on home runs (one) and extra-base knocks (six).

It's hard to pinpoint an exact cause for the Cardinals' offensive struggles, but it doesn't take an expert to draw a simple conclusion. St. Louis needs its best bats to come alive, lest their season fall apart before it gets started. At this rate, Marmol might not finish that extension after all.

He is no doubt hoping to light a fire under his players with that comment, but Marmol is also responsible as the manager. The Cardinals need to fix something, fast.