Back in February, not long after the Cardinals acquired Nolan Arenado, I speculated that this 2021 team might be the best defensive club we have seen in St. Louis in 50 years. Heading into the spring, the team boasted Gold Glove-caliber defenders at five positions – third base, centerfield, left field, catcher, and first base. Paul DeJong has played at near Gold Glove levels in the recent past. Tommy Edman has flashed elite ability. It wasn’t even that hard to imagine Dylan Carlson being a solid-to-plus defender in right, considering his 2020 numbers.
So, I ran the stats.