(PHOTO CREDIT) St. Louis Cardinals v Washington Nationals / Mitchell Layton/GettyImages

After a terrible first month and a half to the 2024 season, the St. Louis Cardinals have picked things up in high gear in recent weeks, possessing the best record in the National League since Mother’s Day.

A part of that is thanks to established veterans such as Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson, and All-Star closer Ryan Helsley.

But lost among them are those who shined beyond even the biggest of expectations.

So, let’s talk about three St. Louis Cardinals who have exceeded expectations thus far.

1. Michael Siani CF

Siani legitimately might be the most exciting Cardinals’ outfielder we’ve seen in years. He’s already fielding at an elite level. And yes, I know elite means different things to different people. But so far, Siani is truly elite at what he does in center field.

Given the injury bug with St. Louis, having someone as good as Siani defensively is a major win with how the Cardinals’ pitching staff is constructed this year. A great defense makes or breaks games for the Cardinals, and they literally cannot ask for anything better from Siani in center field.

Offensively, Siani does need some work, however. Through the month of May, Siani was slashing .206/.264/.265 with just three extra-base hits and a 55 wRC+. Since the beginning of June, Siani has been hitting .264/.270/.368. His strikeout rate is high (26%), and he lacks patience at the plate.

But for a 24-year old whose still fresh to The Show, he’s shined.

2. JoJo Romero RHP

Talk about an All-Star snub.

JoJo Romero leads MLB in holds by a reliever (31), is 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA, and has 34 strikeouts in 40 innings pitched. When called upon, he is one of the best relievers in all of baseball, and has really set up Helsley nicely in multiple situations throughout the season.

During the Cardinals’ recent 7-game road trip against Washington and Pittsburgh, St. Louis relievers worked 44 percent of the innings, faced 42 percent of the Pittsburgh-Washington hitters, and clamped down for a 1.59 ERA. Perhaps one of the biggest notes was that opposing hitters had a mere .119 batting average with runners in scoring position.

The St. Louis bullpen had a 0.90 ERA after the sixth inning over the seven games, and Romero has an outstanding 0.00 ERA in his last five outings. It’s sad that Romero hasn’t nearly gotten the recognition he deserves.

3. Masyn Winn SS

Always considered a glove-first guy, Winn has been outstanding all around for the Cardinals, with 3.4 Wins Above Replacement ranking eighth among NL position players and behind only CJ Abrams among healthy shortstops. A .294/.343/.416 line pairs nicely with his defensive excellence.

The problem for Winn is the magnitude and star power of the NL’s shortstop group in 2024. He’s having the kind of rookie campaign that would put him in serious All-Star consideration – or on the team – in a “normal” year. But ‘24 2024 is the Year of the Shortstop in the National League. There are so many many outstanding players at the position including Trea Turner, CJ Abrams, Elly De La Cruz, Winn, Francisco Lindor, Ezequiel Tovar, and ONeil Cruz, Willy Adames and Ha-Seong-Kim.

It’s an elite group at an elite position. Perhaps the best position in baseball! And we’re just at the point right now where Winn is the odd man out of the equation. Winn leads NL shortstops in defensive runs saved at +10. He’s a fantastic fielder who at this rate will be a Gold Glove Award winner in his rookie season.

Winn has a powerful arm and amazing grace around the bag in turning acrobatic, artistic double plays, and quick throwing motion. His offense has shown a lot of consistency that the team needs, and has firmly established himself as a mainstay in St. Louis.

We’re nearly at the second half of the season, and if the Cardinals want to continue their playoff push, they will want these three players especially to shine.