Cardinals Dynamic Duo Will 'Need To Step Up' If Club Hopes To Contend

St. Louis is counting on these two star players

Apr 16, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals scoreboard as a plane passes by during the seventh inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals are not where they want to be right now in terms of their position in the playoff picture for both the National League Central and NL Wild Card races.

As it stands, the Cardinals are six games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in their division and two games behind the Atlanta Braves for the third NL Wild Card spot.

The team needs to start winning more games if it hopes to make the postseason and that might all start with two superstars who haven't played like themselves this year.

"St. Louis’ main issue is the same one the team has dealt with all season -- it needs more from its two-star corner infielders (Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt)," MLB.com's Thomas Harrigan wrote Thursday. "Just two seasons ago, Goldschmidt and Arenado combined for a .937 OPS and a 163 wRC+ in 1,271 plate appearances. They finished first and third, respectively, in the NL MVP Award voting. This year, the duo has a .688 OPS and a 95 wRC+."

It's no secret that Arenado and Goldschmidt haven't produced nearly as much on offense this season as they have in previous years. While both Gold Glove defenders have had bouts of success in 2024, overall, it's been a down year for the duo.

Earlier in the season, when the Cardinals were looking like they might sell at the deadline, Arenado and Goldschmidt were frequently mentioned in trade discussions. However, their declining performances likely would've contributed to a smaller return for St. Louis if they had been dealt.

Fortunately, the Cardinals didn't sell but the performances from Arenado and Goldschmidt still aren't good enough. If both sluggers can get hot and increase their production on offense, St. Louis should be in a good spot to play in October.

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