The St. Louis Cardinals have started the 2024 season with a disappointing 10-13 record, and one of the main reasons for their struggles has been an inability to get clutch hits and make good contact with the ball. The Cardinals are currently fifth-worst in the league in runs scored with just 81, and they have a team batting average of .220.
When runners are in scoring position, their batting average drops to .201, and with the bases loaded, it falls to .118. For example, on Sunday, the Cardinals lost to the Brewers with a 2-0 loss, and they failed to score a run despite having a runner on third base with one out in the first two innings.
The Cardinals have also struggled to make hard contact, with just 36.7% of their batted balls being hit at 95 mph or higher. This has led to the Cardinals being third-worst in the league in barrels per plate appearance and second-worst in weak contact percentage.
Despite these struggles, Cardinals management remains confident that the team will start hitting. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak said, “It’s really just about being patient. These guys know what they’re doing, they know how to do it. In time we think it’s going to work out.”
