Da Windy City
Fansided

Which NL teams are the Chicago Cubs biggest threats?

By Paul Steeno

Oct 13, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago Cubs celebrate after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 in game four of the NLDS at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 13, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago Cubs celebrate after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 in game four of the NLDS at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Oct 9, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon (70) and St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny (26) shake hands before game one of the NLDS at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 9, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon (70) and St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny (26) shake hands before game one of the NLDS at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

St. Louis Cardinals

2016 Projected Lineup (courtesy of Rotochamp.com):

3B: Matt Carpenter

OF: Stephen Piscotty

OF: Matt Holliday

OF: Randal Grichuk

SS: Jhonny Peralta

1B: Brandon Moss

2B: Kolten Wong

C: Yadier Molina

Starting Rotation:

Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, Jaime Garcia, Carlos Martinez and Mike Leake.

Rundown

The Cardinals want revenge after losing to the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS last season. After having their way with the Cubs for so many years, the Cardinals will do whatever it takes to keep themselves atop the pecking order in the NL Central.

The Cardinals have issues in the starting rotation. They lost veteran John Lackey in free agency to the Chicago Cubs and the team announced in November that Lance Lynn will miss the 2016 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Carlos Martinez and Jaime Garcia had career-best ERA’s last season with the Cardinals. Can they expect to reciprocate these numbers or were they outliers? These are questions to keep an eye on as the 2016 season progresses.

More from Chicago Cubs

The good news on the pitching front is the return of ace Adam Wainwright. He missed the majority of the 2015 season with a torn Achilles tendon.

The biggest loss of the offseason for the Cardinals was Jason Heyward. In his press conference with his new team (the Chicago Cubs!), Heyward pointed out a glaring issue with the current construction of the Cardinals lineup: the age of the core.

The success of the Cardinals in 2016 will hinge on the ability of aging veterans like Matt Holliday, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright to stay healthy. The progression of the team’s group of young players is also important. Stephen Piscotty quietly had a fantastic rookie season slashing .305/.359/.494. Randal Grichuk, Kolten Wong and Tommy Pham are three other young players that the Cardinals need big contributions from to keep up with the Chicago Cubs slew of talented, young hitters.

The bullpen posted a 2.82 collective ERA in 2015 which was third best in the MLB. With key contributors like Seth Maness, Trevor Rosenthal and Kevin Siegrist returning, the bullpen shouldn’t be a problem.

If the Cardinals stay injury free, if the young guys step up and if they get repeat performances from the starters who pitched out of their minds last season, the Cardinals will be as good as anybody next season. It is a lot of ifs, but it would be foolish to count the Cardinals out. The team always reloads its roster quickly and their new additions (whether it be via free agency or young guys making midseason call-ups) always do well. As much as we Cubs fans hate to admit it, the Cardinals will continue to be a formidable force in 2016.

Next: Pirates want revenge too

Home/Chicago Cubs