Though there is snow on the ground and winter in the air, baseball is just around the corner.  The Winter Warm Up, an annual Cardinal tradition, is a place where the previous season is reflected on, and the coming one is anticipated. The charity fund raiser for Cardinal Care will take place this weekend. With baseball coming, lets take a look at what the 2012 Cardinals may look like.

Stat Sheet:

Starting Caliber Players

C- Molina

1b- Berkman, Craig

2b- Schumaker, Descalso

SS- Furcal, Descalso

3B- Freese

OF- Berkman, Jay, Beltran, Holliday

Peter Baugh’s Projected Opening Day Line Up

The stats on the side are the projected stats (Batting average/RBIs/Home Runs)  for the starting line up. 

1: Furcal  (SS) .277/45/5

2: Jay (CF) .293/53/7

3: Berkman (1B) .301/92/29

4: Holliday (LF) .305/100/26

5: Beltran (RF) .279/87/28

6: Freese (3B) .299/76/18

7: Molina (C} .291/66/9

8: Schumaker (2B) .287/30/2

Pitching Rotation

1: Chris Carpenter

2: Adam Wainwright

3: Jaime Garcia

4: Kyle Lohse

5: Kyle McClellan

Bullpen:

Closer: Jason Motte

Set up Men: Rzepczynski, Salas, Boggs, Lynn, Romero

Long Reliever: Westbrook

Bench:

Descalso, Chambers, Greene, Cruz, M. Carpenter

Notables on the DL:

Allen Craig (When he returns IF M. Carpenter will be optioned to Triple A Memphis)

Future Faces:

Shelby Miller (#5 on MLB.com prospect list, #2 out of RHP)

Carlos Martinez (#25 on MLB.com prospect list, #9 RHP)

Zach Cox (#3 Cardinals prospect according to MLB.com prospect list)

Projection:

The Cardinals will make the playoffs in 2012, but first baseman Albert Pujols will be missed. Coming off a World Series championship, pressure is always high, and, weather or not the pressure is the reason, teams don’t seem to do well the year after a World Series Championship. Lets look back at some past World Series Champions not so special seasons.

2011 Giants: After a 2010 World Series Championship, the Giants struggled mightily. Despite the mid season acquisition of now Cardinal Carlos Beltran, the Giants finished with a 86-76 record, and failed to make the playoffs.

2007 Cardinals: Yup, that’s right, the Cardinals were World Series champions in 2006 too. The Cardinals had a disappointing 2007 year. Dealing with injuries to ace Chris Carpenter and a declining outfielder Jim Edmonds, the Cardinals finished with a measly 78-84 record, and failed to make the playoffs.

2006 White Sox: The White Sox swept the Astros in the 2005 World Series. Despite the thrilling ’05 team, the Sox failed to deliver in 2006. A third place finish kept them out of the playoffs.

Will the Cardinals have the same fate as these three teams? I don’t believe so.

The NL Central is not a very strong division. The Milwaukee Brewers are going to lose star first baseman Prince Fielder to free agency, and, unless something crazy happens, slugging outfielder Ryan Braun will miss fifty games due to a positive performance enhancing drug test. Braun is appealing the suspension, but he is expected to lose the appeal.

The Reds were division champions in 2010, and are still a strong team. That said, even with the acquisition of Padres pitcher Mat Latos, the Reds do not have a strong pitching staff. This will hold them back, and I do not expect to see them in the playoffs.

I expect the Cardinals to make the playoffs, and advance to the NLCS for a second straight year. However, the Cardinals luck will then run dry, and they will lose to the pitching strong Philadelphia Phillies.

Still, do not rule out the Cardinals to be  repeating champions. David Freese will be a year more experienced, and healthy (Freese dealt with injuries in both 2011 and 2010).

Only time will tell what this team holds, and don’t rule out anything. Nothings impossible in baseball. If that needs proving, just look at the 2011 Champion.

Photo by R. Baugh