Problems with the Cardinals Offense - Segment 6 6-17-24

·28 min·2 clips

Mason Winn's on-base percentage as a leadoff hitter is 250, which Bernie says kills the Cardinals' offense.

The episode is a solo sports talk segment where host Bernie Miklasz, joined by producer Jim, dissects the St. Louis Cardinals' offensive problems. Bernie begins by referencing Bob Nightengale's reporting that baseball insiders aren't counting out veterans Goldschmidt and Arenado, but Bernie argues for adjusted expectations, noting their declining power stats. He compares them to Anthony Rizzo's career stage. Bernie then shifts to pitching, acknowledging the staff's improved ERA over the last 31 games, but stresses the need for more runs. He discusses potential boosts from returning players like Willson Contreras, Lars Nootbaar, and Tommy Edman, though with caveats about Edman's streakiness and usage. The core of the episode focuses on lineup construction critiques. Bernie presents detailed stats showing Mason Winn's poor performance as a leadoff hitter (.250 OBP) versus his success batting lower (.348 average, over .400 OBP). He questions manager Oli Marmol's logic, suggesting it might stem from Donovan's struggles. Bernie then analyzes Brendan Donovan, blaming his attempt to become a power hitter for ruining his on-base skills, with his OBP dropping from .381 to .319. Bernie expresses frustration that Donovan changed his approach after offseason training, losing his identity as a versatile contact hitter. Later, Bernie quickly addresses other hitters: Alec Burleson's recent slump after hitting home runs, Dylan Carlson's inconsistency, and Nolan Gorman's extreme all-or-nothing pattern—hitting .177 with a 36% strikeout rate since May 31, but with five homers. Bernie emphasizes that when Gorman isn't homering, he's hitting .105. The episode wraps with a brief game update and a promo for tomorrow's guest, Ben Clemens from Fangraphs.

As heard by us

A clear lineup critique built around one leadoff spot and a sharp production split.

The Bernie Show's lineup discussion makes a focused case out of a batting-order choice. The argument rests on the split: with wRC+ using 100 as the average marker, the hitter sits 33 percent below average offensively as the leadoff man, but in the seventh, eighth, or ninth spots…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Want one lineup-card irritation turned into a numbers-first case against a hitter leading off?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from The Bernie Show