Rangel Ravelo is the Cardinals’ Plan B at first base. (AP Photo)
Now that Goldschmidt has found that Busch Stadium doesn’t offer up the extra home runs, he might settle for having more doubles. Goldschmidt had only 25 two-base hits in 2019 after seven years with at least 33.
He won’t have Marcell Ozuna as a threat behind him in the lineup, but Goldschmidt was impatient enough last year when he fanned so often that it may not matter who hits behind him. Goldschmidt needs to improve plate discipline so he can hit ahead in the count more and draw closer to the pro-rated average of the 103 walks he had in the four preceding seasons.
Should there be an injury to Goldschmidt, the Cardinals’ Plan B would be Rangel Ravelo, a longtime minor-leaguer who showed pinch-hitting ability for the Cardinals in 2019, plus the ability to play a good defensive first base.
But, if Goldschmidt was injured and missed considerable time, the Cardinals’ season might wind up in the dumper anyway, although non-roster player John Nogowski, who hit .295 at Class AAA Memphis last spring and showed both offensive and defensive skills this spring, could help.