The Cardinals are undoubtedly the most skilled team in the division, but are the Cubs super far off? Let me know what you think in the comments below!
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48 Comments
I am a Cardinals fan and I was expecting to hate this video, but you did a phenomenal job! I really appreciate your honesty about both teams. I agree with your take on the cardinal's offense being significantly better (especially on paper). However, like you said, if Bellinger shows up like he did in his MVP year, it could really boost the entire lineup. I am interested to see if there will be any sophomore slumps, and how the teams will handle the shift change. It will be an interesting year for baseball! Thank you for the great video.
I’m a cards fan but how do the cards win at catcher if Wilson is on the cards and he is way better than the cubs catcher so the cards still win but Wilson is on the cards
Forgot Jordan walker he's the difference
As a Cards fan living near New York just across the G. Washington Br I will say that the Cubs are much improved, the great thing about baseball is one never knows about bounce back years or flops and such ! May be a fun year !!!
You said Donavan was a "Subpar" defensive player, He won a Gold Glove. You know nothing and talk like a automated phone bot. You also completely forgot to factor ine shedule change going into effect this season.
Great Video! This is probably the fairest observation for both teams I've seen. Just wanted to add a bit from the Cardinals side of the discussion. Apologizes for the long post.
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For the Cardinals OF/3B/DH, Jordan Walker is expected to break camp with the Cards (barring any unforeseen issues with Walker's bat, during this ST). Or at very least, get called up sometime around June or July – at the latest, mid-August.
I don't know what's going to happen with Gorman, however. If Gorman finds the fastball early this season, while keeping his performance on the off-speed stuff, he will create quite the "competition quagmire" between him, Walker and Yepez. That being said, if Yepez struggles (even slightly) at the plate, I see him get traded for some much-needed pitching. Which would be unfortunate, because I REALLY Like Yepez… moreso than Gorman.
Also, Paul DeJong is still around, and there's been a number of local StL sports articles talking about his resurgence at the plate. Yea, I know – I'll believe it when I see it… but his defense at SS is still very good (arguably, an edge better than Swanson). I still think Edman is the better SS, and Donovan can be an elite 2B. But if the DeJong "hype" articles are close to their mark, it'll be interesting to see what happens.
Regardless, coming from a Cardinals fan, the Cubs need to start acting like the big market team that they are. After the Brewers implosion last year, the Cards F/O is looking complacent. Seemingly "ok with" being a "one-round-n-out" playoff team. The Cubs need to be good, to cause parody within the Division, so to hopefully shake John Mozeliak and Bill DeWitt out of their apathy.
Cubs, most likely, are not going to win the division, but are going to be way more competitive than last year and compete for the 2nd WC spot. No doubt, the Cards are much better at 1st, 3rd and (offensively) catcher, but Chicago is way better defensively, especially up the middle. The Cubs' rotation is way deeper as is their bullpen with a couple guys that are unproven
Cards win the division the upcoming year w the cubs finishing behind the brewers.
The cardinals have the best offense in baseball. They have 8 players with 2.5 War or higher the most in the mlb.
Bro says Bellinger is as good as Carlson is cap
Cards fan here, great video man!
Great non-biased evaluation.
"Teams dont give other teams mvp candidates for free very often" How do you think the cardinals got their Mvp candidates 🤣
The Cubs will be much better and will be competitive this year. They will have to play the games to see who is better this season. All the young talent coming up with the Cubs adds nothing but optimism.
Cubs don’t have a closer, but you’re in seeing if you think the Cardinals defense is better than the Cubs I believe it’ll be very difficult to win the division just because Milwaukee has better starting pitching than anybody else in that division
gotta say you nailed this one. Cardinals clearly are the more elite team, got a mvp and mvp candidate in nado and goldy. Cardinals defense too is best in baseball and adding contreras only boostes there offense where yadi basically has been shit for three years there. but these cubs cards games will be fun as hell this year.
It will be competitive but we won't win the division. If we win the division it will be in September.
Cardinals fan here. Really good analysis. Although I am higher on the Cardinals RF breakout prospects: I think Nootbaar is going to have an All-Star year, and if he does not, Walker will come up and mash after the All-Star game. However, I am higher on the Cubs starting pitching staff than you seem to be… or maybe I am just not as sold on our own starting pitching. Flaherty has not been healthy in years, and Wainwright is not pitching to Yadi anymore. His career ERA when caught by any other catcher is one full run higher. Anyway, for both teams – for every team – health is the number one factor in success. A healthy Cardinals team up and down the line-up could – COULD – run away with the division. But that is a huge "'if."
Wouldn’t sure me at all if the Cubs finished ahead of the Cardinals.
As a Cards fan, I thought your analysis was fair. As they say…that's why they play the game.
I am a Cardinals fan I will say I think the Cubs have improved over last year but this is still the Cardinals division to lose and we can't forget about Milwaukee with that good pitching that got
Regardless of lineups Cards and Cubs are always a pain in each others ass.
One thing i would say missed was Jordan walker for the cardinals
I think the catcher position, with all the rule changes, will value defense more than ever before. With the pitch clock, managing a staff and game calling will be important. This may narrow the gap between the two teams and even give the Cubs an edge.
From a cardinals fan I gotta say this was extremely unbiased! Good stuff.
I think it’s definitely possible that the brewers have a full on collapse and the Cubs get second place. The brewers have traded away Kolton Wong and Hunter Renfroe and have only really gotten better at catcher. This may be there last year as a good team for a while.
What a joke! Swanson
( Gold Glove) is tied with Edmonds ? Suzuki is tied with Carlson ? 😂
Seriously??? Swanson wins at short by a mile and Bellinger has the edge in center. Just admit you're a Cardinal fan
how can you give the cubs a tie in cf based off past production(4 years ago) but then say the cubs easily win left field, not factoring in tyler oneills past production(2 years ago). not to mention bellinger has basically proven he is no longer the guy he used to be. he played 144 games last year. TON was injured a lot and only played 96 games, which clearly impacted his performance. It's 50x more likely for TON to bounce back than for Bellinger to bounce back. i mean fangraphs literally projects TON to be better at offense next season than Ian Happ and they both won a GG in the past 2 seasons.
I mean whats better for Dansby. . Hitting 6th with 3-4 mvp caliber players in Turner field…. or hitting 3rd with lesser talent…. Dansby getting looked at now. Those numbers gonna dip
Great vid. Only argument is imo obviously kinda like cubs starting better
I'm a Cardinal fan, but I'm not totally sure we will win the Central this year. I'm thinking it won't be the Cubs that take the top spot, but rather the Brewers.
Cards are overrated! Cubs are better now.
Your right, but the Cardinals are getting old in a hurry. The Cubs are loaded with money and a solid Minor league system. This in the end will be all about injuries.
Sorry, but you are Very biased towards Cardinals. 2B, SS, overall outfield & starting pitching go to the Cubs with no ties. Conteras is mostly offense and will hurt what little pitching the Cardinals have… I guess we will see which team gels first.
if you give a point to bellinger for his "upside" then why is it completely ignored with o'neill, people instantly forget him receiving mvp votes after his injury ridden season. good video though
Cubs never stand up/
As a Cardinals fan, I would much rather see the Cubs be our main competition over the Brewers.
Baseball is just a lot more FUN when the Cards and Cubs are neck-and-neck.
Bro actually had to debate Swanson and Edman
Tyler o'neill will probably play center field
solid video except for the outfield takes, no sane person would take Bellinger over Carlson (Carlson has a higher floor and as a 23 year-old his ceiling is still undetermined) and Nootbar was worth more WAR than Seiya in 100 less PAs.
Actually hilarious. Unreal bias for cubs. Bending the criteria to get cubs points
10:01 “Cubs look a lot like the cardinals, minus their two MVP candidates”
LMAO you can NOT be serious. Are you comparing the current cardinals to the 2016 cubs???
Great job! Very well done
Edman beat Swanson in WAR at SS, try again
Jordan Walker? for the Cardinals
As a Cards fan, I applaud your fairness in assessment of the players on both teams. It places considerable weight on 2022 performance – rarely do players match numbers year-to-year – but that may be the fairest on-paper comparison. Kudos to Cubs' management for an active off-season to make life interesting at the Friendly Confines.
Hope Belanger has terrific season 👏