Matt Carpenter has no shortage of critics.
The man who was supposed to thrive in the middle of the Cardinals' order is still on pace to take a step back offensively compared to last season. For reasons that are hard to determine, he just seems to hit better at leadoff. That confuses everyone, and it really bothers some.
And while he has scored well above average defensively since switching to first base full-time, there are moments when he looks a bit out of place, blips that have become fodder for his defensive detractors.
But if there is one aspect of Carpenter's game that causes the most chafing and draws the most criticism these days, it's his baserunning.