Four Cardinals sluggers who should take advantage of Nolan Arenado’s absence in lineup ft. Masyn Winn and Willson Contreras

The St. Louis Cardinals are in danger of missing out on this year's postseason after establishing a respectable run to begin the campaign. The Cards currently sit in fourth place in the National League Central with a 57-57 record and are 5.5 games away from the wild card spots.

Apart from the surging Brewers and Cubs that have both challenged for the division lead, the Cardinals have largely struggled on the offensive side of the ball, producing the 10th-worst OPS across MLB at .705.

With their playoff hopes all but gone, the Cards have elected to place star Nolan Arenado on the 10-day injured list with a right shoulder strain, with Nolan Gorman being activated in the former's stead. An eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glover, Arenado showed flashes of brilliance this year but has failed to find consistency, batting just .235 with 10 homers and 43 RBIs.

In his absence, questions will be asked as to who will step up among the Cards' hitters and if, by some minor miracle, the squad does turn around the season down the stretch.

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4 Cardinals sluggers who should take advantage of Nolan Arenado’s absence in lineup

#1. Masyn Winn

After a productive 2024 campaign, upstart Masyn Winn has solidified his claim as the Cardinals' undisputed shortstop of the future. The young gun is currently batting .270 with an OPS of .720 and 42 RBIs so far.

In the absence of the veteran Nolan Arenado, Winn's rising momentum might just push the Cards to have a better second half of the season.

#2. Nolan Gorman

Arenado's namesake and replacement, Nolan Gorman, has struggled in 2025 with a .222/.308/.401 slash with nine homers and 31 RBIs. Although his averages and counting stats are underwhelming, Gorman has proven that he can produce at the plate with a 27-homer season in 2023.

With Arenado out for the foreseeable future, Gorman should take full advantage of the chance given to him so he can once again be a mainstay in the organization's main roster.

#3. Alec Burleson

A revelation in 2024, Burleson has turned up the notch this year with a .281 BA, .793 OPS, and 14 home runs so far. The 26-year-old slugger has spent time between first base, left field and designated hitter as the Cardinals experiment to arrive on an optimal lineup. In the absence of Arenado, Burleson has a case of being the best slugger for the team this year, that is, if he can sustain his momentum.

#4. Willson Contreras

At the time of writing, Contreras leads all Cardinals players in home runs, games played and at-bats. The three-time All-Star has fully transitioned to the less-demanding first baseman role from his more familiar position as catcher. He's batting a respectable .256 with 15 home runs, tying his 2024 tally for long bombs.

With several games to spare and one of the team's main sluggers out due to injury, Contreras will be relied upon to initiate an inspired run to end the year.