SPRING BRINGS US CHANGE! …change in weather, changes in our outdoor activities, change in how we dress, etc, etc.  Same is true in sports.

…Clearly there is CHANGE this spring.  The Cardinals have completely revamped their roster as they have parted with any veterans earning “real” money and have now gone to a younger team. Clearly, the emphasis isn’t on power…it’s on player growth.  An early look is not very surprising since this young roster is adjusting to MLB standards, constant transportation, day-day grind against quality MLB pitchers each day, etc, etc.  The Cards are in a 3-way tie for 18^th place in team batting average @ .226. They are 8^th in the Majors in runs scored-59 in 12 games!! Shockingly (at least to me), tied for 6^th in home runs(13) & in OPS the Cardinals are 11^th.  A look at the pitching stats is not so glowing….the Cardinals are 26^th (30 teams) in team ERA; tied for 19^th in Home runs given up; 21^st in walks allowed; and 30^th (last place) in strikeouts recorded by the pitchers.

…It’s very early, overall, I think most fans are pleased WITH THE CHANGE that they have seen on the field. Now….it’s a long, long 6 month season, we have about 2 weeks under our belts at this point. So….things will definitely change. However, keep in mind the first 3 opponents were not the strongest. (Detroit(4-9)-last place in their division. Mets are 7-6 while the Washington Nationals sit in last place in NL East.  But….the SPRING CHANGE on the field for the Cardinals is noticeable. Let’s hope that it remains close to these stats (or even better) for the rest of 2026 season.

…Clearly, the star with the MOST CHANGE thus far in the early days of ’26 has been Jordan Walker. Some background…he was drafted in the 1^st round in 2020. He arrived in 2023 to the MLB and hung up some nice, actually some very good,  stats—batting .276, 16 home runs, 51 RBI’s with an OPS (on base+slugging%) of .787.

… But, he dipped significantly in the last 2 seasons as he saw one breaking ball after another (usually low & outside) and often “went fishing” for them (unsuccessfully). But, now he looks more mature, more prepared at the plate in 2026. Those low breaking curve balls out of the strike zone that he’d chased for the last 2 years appear to be a thing of the past (well, let’s hope so). His 78.1 mph average swing speed since the start of last season is the third-fastest among qualified players. He’s unleashed a “fast” swing — any swing at 75 mph or more — 78.5% of the time during that span. Only the Rays’ Junior Caminero has logged a fast swing more frequently in the entire MLB!!

…This SPRING, CHANGE has been OBVIOUS!! Walker has scorched the ball through 12 games (that’s 7% of the season—we’ve got a long, long way to go). His OPS is 1.049. Many of his Statcast metrics are at, or near the top, of the league. On Wednesday, Walker homered for the fourth time in his past five games, putting him one homer shy of matching his 2025 total, which spanned 111 games. 

…It’s not just the results that are vastly CHANGED! We’re seeing a player who has completely modified the frequency & level of contact. Walker’s whiff rate last year was 35.6%, the 6th-highest among players who took at least 500 swings in 2025. His chase rate was also elevated at 34.1%. This year, Walker has cut into those two numbers significantly, so they now sit at 32.6% and 28.0% respectively.

Clearly, the frequency & the type of contact he’s making at the plate have upgraded. It now looks like he may have finally unlocked that immense potential. Walker was once viewed as the next big thing in St. Louis 3 years ago. Let’s hope it continues!!

…Players don’t all flash star-status immediately …or sometimes –EVER, because PLAYERS MUST CHANGE! Constantly CHANGE! Each day they must adjust to a new pitcher with a unique style & skill set of pitches. The skills required to compete at the highest level of baseball is extremely high. For some it’s a couple years, for some it’s several years, for some it’s a success for a year and then a severe drop. For many minor leaguers, it’s NEVER!  With the expansion of players from around the globe, competition is even steeper than it was 50-60 years ago (1960’s & 70s). Think about it…you’re trying to hit a moving target that’s moving 90+ MPH from 60ft 6in away and it isn’t going straight!!!

…reaching the MLB level is a challenge! Only about 10% of minor league players EVER reach the Major Leagues, with an even smaller fraction—likely under 5-7%—sticking around for 3 or more years to achieve major league status.

…There is also CHANGE in the Standings! Yes…I know it’s still April but some of these teams might need oxygen…they haven’t been this high in a long, long time!!(maybe since high school…oops… wrong kind of “high”) In the NL East, Miami (8-5) is tied for 1^st place with Braves! Miami is still benefitting from one of the worst trades in Cardinals history. Seeking a “big bat”, the Cardinals went for & obtained, Marcel Ozuna from Miami in 2017. In exchange, the Cardinals traded Sandy Alcantara (along with Zac Gallen, Magneuris Sierra, and Daniel Castano). The big names there are Alcantara & Gallen. Alcantara won the Cy Young Award unanimously  in 2022!   As of April 2026, he has 54 career wins, a 3.58 ERA, 949 strikeouts, and over 1,099 innings. This is a team that’s only been over .500 ONCE since 2010 (not counting the short, strike season). Think how many wins he could have piled up on a good team or as a Cardinal??

…Gallen has also been a very effective MLB pitcher, he was moved to Arizona by Miami.  A 2023 All-Star, he finished 3rd in NL Cy Young voting in 2023 and 5th in 2022. He set a club record with a 44.1-inning scoreless streak. He has over 1,000 career strikeouts and has been the leader of  Arizona’s rotation. Just think….those guys are STILL both in the MLB. He has piled up a good MLB career. IN fact, he was the opening-day pitcher for Arizona this year (usually indicating that he’s the ace).

…thank goodness, Ozuna was moved on after 2 seasons, batting .280 & .241 for the Cards. But, it wasn’t so much his batting but, to my eyes, he was the weakest Cardinal outfielder that I’ve ever seen

…Quick CHANGE IN THOUGHT…the last  Cardinal, Cy Young winner was –Chris Carpenter in 2005. During that season, the right-hander went 21-5 with a 2.83 ERA, He was the first Cardinal to win the award since Bob Gibson in 1970. Soooo …Just TWO Cy-Young winners in the last 55 years!!! BTW… Gibson won two CY-Young awards—1968 & 1970.

…THINK OF THE CHANGE if the Cardinals had held onto Steve Carlton?  He won 4 Cy Young awards—he was the 1^st to do so.  We traded him, reportedly,  because he & the Cardinals could not come to an agreement on a contract..ugh!! What would the 70’s have looked like for the Cardinals with Carlton?

…THE BIGGEST CHANGE SURROUNDING Ozuna to me was that even the mild- mannered, STL fans booed Ozuna. That is a Real rarity in this town. Heck, we even cheered for Dal Maxvill (1962-72) who only hit above .250 once in his career.(.253 in 1968). BTW… Maxie’s career batting average was .217. To be fair, he was probably far better OFF the field than ON the field!!  He was the General Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1985 to 1994. Hired on Feb. 25, 1985, he built teams that won National League pennants in 1985 and 1987.

…HERE’S A CHANGE…. An early, very early pick for a World Series team.  How about the Cleveland Indians?  It’ll be their pitching that’s going to carry them into the Fall Classic. Accomplished  by the league’s most underrated rotation! Take a sec and learn the names Parker Messick, Slade Cecconi and Joey Cantillo, because they’re going to comprise three-fifths of this rotation. It’ll likely be the second rotation in history since the 1998 Braves with 150-plus K’s each!!!.

…THERE’S NOT A CHANGE HERE!  While Milwaukee isn’t a surprise being in 1^st place, they are stunning most everyone at the plate.  They are 2^nd in the MLB in runs scored (behind only LA) with 70 runs in 12 games. (almost 6 runs/game). They’ve relied on pitching, defense & smart baserunning in the past few years.

…. Well, there’s NO CHANGE HERE! Every REWIND has to come to an end (at least at some point)! I really appreciate your time/read/ comments. You don’t have to agree with me (but if want to do that, it’s OK 😊) Please spread the word, the REWIND CAN BE found each week on http://www.bobryansportsblog.com.  Bob