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The St. Louis Cardinals were very successful in 2009, racking up 91 wins and easily taking the NL Central by 7.5 games over the Chicago Cubs. However, a World Series appearance just wasn't in the Cards, as they were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 2010 season looks bright for them, however, as they'll have a full season from outfielder Matt Holliday (acquired at the trade deadline last season) and bring back most of their 2009 division champion roster. Led by fantasy dynamo and future MLB Hall of Famer Albert Pujols and pitching aces Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, the Cards are most experts' favorite to take the NL Central again and make a deep playoff run. But while those big names are expected to repeat their 2009 success, there are some names that you might not know that will contribute big time for the Cardinals this season.
Hitters
David Freese - IF
Just call him Mr. Freese. He's no Batman villain, but this slugging third baseman is expected to be the Cardinals' starter at the hot corner in 2010, and for good reason. Freese is a career .308 hitter in the minor leagues and smacked a combined .313 with 13 homers and 55 RBI in just 289 combined plate appearances (225 at AAA Memphis) for the Cardinals organization in 2009. In '08, Freese banged out 26 home runs and 91 RBI in a full season for Memphis, and the 26 year-old University of South Alabama product looks like he's finally able to be a big league hitter. His defensive skills have been questionable, and the Felipe Lopez signing might've been done as a failsafe if Freese can't handle the glove at a major league level, but if Freese can replicate his minor league success in Busch Stadium this year, he should be a big part of the Cardinals' organization for years to come. Fun fact: Freese was traded from the Padres organization straight-up for Jim Edmonds back in 2007.
Ryan Ludwick - OF
A stint on the disabled list and an early-season slump weren't enough to keep Ryan Ludwick from turning in a pretty solid season in 2009, and if he's 100 percent there could be another big year in store for Cardinals rightfielder Ryan Ludwick in 2010. Ludwick exploded on the scene back in 2008, when he came from seemingly nowhere to post a .299 average with 37 home runs and 113 RBI at the age of 30. However, a look at his minor league history reveals that Ludwick has always been a very good hitter, albeit not a particularly healthy one. While the slugger is no spring chicken, he'll be hitting in a lineup that includes Pujols and Holliday, and there will be plenty of chances for the UNLV product to post his third straight 90-plus RBI season.
Colby Rasmus - OF
St. Louis centerfielder Colby Rasmus turned in a very quietly solid rookie season in 2009, hitting .252 with 16 home runs and 52 RBI in 520 plate appearances. While those aren't eye-popping numbers, they hint at the potential for the 23 year-old Georgia native. Rasmus racked up good power numbers in four minor league seasons, and also proved himself as a very good base runner by swiping 74 bases in 91 attempts from 2005 to 2008. While other young players throughout baseball might be flashier or get more attention, Rasmus may quietly have a great year for a potent St. Louis club in 2010, and with Ludwick and Holliday the Cardinals might have one of the best power-hitting outfields in the league.
Pitchers
Brad Penny - SP
The Boston Red Sox did not get what they expected to get from Brad Penny in 2009, as the right-hander went 7-8 with a 5.61 ERA in 24 starts for Boston. It was Penny's first foray into American League baseball, and it obviously did not go very well. Boston released their $5 million investment in late August last year, and just a few days later Penny was signed by the San Francisco Giants. Back in the National League, Penny posted a 4-1 record and a 2.59 ERA in 6 late-season starts for his new club. While Penny is still a few years removed from his last good wire-to-wire season for the Dodgers in 2007, St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan has been known to work miracles with veteran hurlers (see Braden Looper and Joel Pineiro) and there are high hopes that Penny could regain his All-Star form with the red birds in 2010.
Ryan Franklin - RP
I don't think Ryan Franklin's own family would've had hopes for the kind of excellence he achieved as the Cardinals' closer in 2009, but the 37 year-old put in what was easily his finest major league season. A 1.92 ERA and 38 saves speak for themselves, certainly, but the big question in St. Louis seems to be: can he do it again. Amazingly, Franklin actually had a microscopic 1.05 ERA and 35 saves (in 37 chances) entering September last year, but the veteran was finally roughed up a bit and saw his hopes for a sub-1.00 ERA dashed by several bad outings. Cardinal fans and manager Tony LaRussa are definitely hoping that 2010 is not an extension of Franklin's miserable 6.75 ERA in September of 2009. If he can pitch like he did in those first five months of 2009, Franklin could propel his team deep into the playoffs this year.
Kyle Lohse - SP
After a 15 win season for the Cardinals in 2008, there were high hopes for former Minnesota Twin Kyle Lohse going into 2009. However, they were largely unfulfilled, as Lohse missed time due to injury and posted a 6-10 record with a 4.74 ERA in 22 starts for St. Louis in 2009. While he's never been a dominant pitcher, Lohse has had several solid seasons throughout his career, and the Cardinals are hoping that the 31 year-old Lohse can find some of his magic once again. He'll be slotted in the pitching rotation behind Cy Young Award candidates Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright and could be a vital piece for the club.
All signs point to a good season from the Cardinals in 2010, but they'll have to get past the very good Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers to win their second straight NL Central crown. Those clubs were marred by injuries and inconsistency in 2009, and if they don't repeat those problems, the Cardinals could have a very tough road ahead of them. However, I suppose one can't worry too much about the road ahead when you have Albert Pujols driving the bus.
