The St. Louis Cardinals finally saw their eight-game winning streak end Wednesday but they're 20-7 and own the best record in baseball. If you don't like the Cardinals, it's probably because you're jealous of the best organization in the sport. So read this and weep your tears of resentment:
1. Matt Carpenter. This guy was a 13th-round pick, a fifth-year senior from TCU who signed for $1,000. Now he's one of the best players in the game, hitting .333 with five home runs and 14 doubles. In my dream world, he chases Earl Webb's record of 67 doubles in a season.
2. Yadier Molina. Because he's Yadi and you know you'd want him on your team. (OK, maybe not if you're a Giants fan.)
3. Matt Holliday. You have to appreciate this guy. At 35, he seems to have adapted his approach this year, sacrificing power for a higher average and getting on base. He has a .474 OBP.
4. Kolten Wong. Love this kid. I wrote earlier that he could start the All-Star Game, and not just because Cardinals fans will stuff the ballot box. (Yeah, you can't literally stuff the ballot box any longer.) He does a little of everything, has some flair and energy and, early in his career, seems to have the knack for getting the big hit.
5. Lance Lynn. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wins for pitchers are overrated and can be team-dependent. We know that. Still ... Lynn is tied for sixth in the majors with 49 since he joined the rotation in 2012. That's one fewer than Madison Bumgarner, three fewer than Clayton Kershaw and only eight fewer than MLB leader Max Scherzer. And he's only 1-3 this season after getting the loss Wednesday. But he's good, he chews up innings and he's underrated. He's even striking out more guys this year.
6. Jason Heyward. The new guy. Plays defense like Clemente. Off to a slow start at the plate. Or maybe this is what he is at the plate. If so, he's still a good player, graceful and beautiful to watch in right field, and I still think the team made a smart trade to get him for Shelby Miller.
7. The bullpen. This group had some issues last year but it's been dominant so far, with a 1.44 ERA, a key reason the Cardinals have the lowest ERA in the majors. Trevor Rosenthal's control still isn't quite what you want, but the closer is walking fewer batters than last year and shutting down opponents like he did back in 2013. Kevin Siegrist looks like the hard-throwing lefty from 2013. To top it off, they even have Mitch Harris, the first Naval Academy player in the majors since 1921. So, basically, if you don't like the Cardinals bullpen, you don't like America.
8. Michael Wacha. Chris Carpenter groomed Adam Wainwright and Wainwright groomed Wacha. If there's one thing the Cardinals do better than any other team, it's drafting pitchers from top college conferences. Lynn went to Mississippi; Wacha pitched at Texas A&M; prospect Marco Gonzales pitched at Gonzaga in the tough West Coast Conference; Tim Cooney, who made his MLB debut a few days ago, went to Wake Forest; Tyler Lyons went to Oklahoma State. Anyway, Wacha is 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA, although that low strikeout rate (5.0 per nine) is something to keep an eye on. .
9. They have the best fans in baseball!!!!!!
10. They're like the Terminator. They just keeping coming, relentless and unforgiving. New cast of characters? Doesn't matter. They remake the same story over and over and we all keep watching. They don't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And they absolutely will not stop, ever, until you die without your team winning a World Series.
