NL Central: Lineup shifts are looming

St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals haven’t had the turnaround they were hoping for in 2024. While it’s impossible to pin all of the team’s failures on one player, Paul Goldschmidt (1B, STL) certainly has to shoulder plenty of the blame. His falloff has been significant, as his contact rate has dropped from 72 percent in 2023 to 65 percent so far this season. Even when he has made contact, his barrel rate is just 4.3 percent, nearly a third of his rate last season.  

His struggles were thrust into the spotlight this week when he was out of the lineup both Wednesday and Thursday, specifically in an effort to get him on track. In two games since his return (Friday and Saturday), he’s gone 1-for-9 with four strikeouts (he did homer...

Almost!

You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

More From PT Tomorrow

The BHQ playing time metrics give us a new perspective on our previous beliefs about NL West players. So this week, let's see what we can learn.
May 16 2026 3:06am
Michael Conforto is playing more against righties during a hot streak, but the Cubs are trying to keep Moisés Ballesteros in the lineup against them as well
May 15 2026 3:05am
Using BaseballHQ's exclusive Playing Time Metrics to examine usage trends across the NL East.
May 14 2026 11:17am
Isaac Collins has struggled vs. LHP, and it might be time for the Royals to give Jac Caglianone another shot at everyday at-bats. Plus, Sam Antonacci's rise in CHW, Angel Martínez's platoon splits in CLE, an opportunity for Matt Vierling in DET, and why the Twins won't play Ryan Jeffers more.
May 14 2026 3:06am
Vaughn Grissom and Oswald Peraza are forcing the issue to change the platoon situation in Anaheim.
May 13 2026 3:05am

Tools