We’re now into the second season of Oli Marmol’s tenure as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, and one thing is clear - he likes to pinch hit more than his predecessor.
Last year, the Cardinals had the 8th most plate appearances by pinch hitters. That’s comfortably in the top third of the league even if it’s not an excessive amount but that’s a marked uptick from Mike Shildt’s tenure.
In Shildt’s 3 full seasons of management, the Cardinals ranked 11th in 2019, 18th in 2020, and 15th in 2021, putting the team right around the middle of the pack in terms of pinch hitting.