Rollin' On The River: Road to the World Series Runs Through St. Louis

Without a doubt, the St. Louis Cardinals are having a season to remember. But are they the best team in the National League? You could make the case that they are as good as, or even better than, the Dodgers or Phillies.

Obviously, the race for home field advantage is very tight in the National League, within two-and-a-half games. So, throwing records out the window, you could make the case for any team to win the National League. Especially if that team plays beneath the Gateway Arch.

Saint Louis is well on its way to their eighth divisional title and has the pitching to tussle with anyone in baseball. They have the hitters and the lineup, to compete with those of the Phillies, Yankees, or Angels. Their additions of Matt Holliday and Mark DeRosa greatly improved a lineup that already included Albert Pujols, the best player in baseball. But what makes the Cardinals better than the Phillies and the Dodgers?

• Hitting: Among these three teams, the Cardinals are a solid second. The Phillies lineup could be defined as one of the best ever and they deserve their spot there. However, on a good night, St. Louis can put up five or six runs before you can blink. Matt Holliday has been to the Cardinals what Manny Ramirez was in Los Angeles last year. And of course, there is Pujols.

• Pitching: The Cardinals have two of the top three contenders for the Cy Young Award in Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. The last pitching duo this dominant, Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, carried the Arizona Diamondbacks to the World Series. After Carpenter and Wainwright, Joel Piñeiro is a serviceable sinkerballer who can throw the occasional shutout.

• Defense: The Cardinals do not have a great defense. Several non-playoff teams can claim a better defense than the Birds on the  Bat. However, Rick Ankiel and Brendan Ryan can make flashy plays with their gloves and Albert Pujols is a rock at first base. Skip Schumaker is no slouch either, as the converted outfielder ranks eighth among National League second baseman in fielding percentage and ZR. He even comes fifth in Range Factor. If not for David Eckstein, Skip would be my pick for a Gold Glove. Yadier Molina is a Gold Glover, plus he is one of the best at handling a pitching staff.

• Bullpen: St. Louis has been home to the favorite for the National League Relief Man of the Year. Ryan Franklin is the NL leader in saves and is the leader in ERA among qualifying relievers. Trever Miller has absolutely dominated lefties with a .112 average against. What amazes me is that the majority of batters Miller faces are cleanup hitters and he holds them to a .031 average against. This is not just a small sample size, this is largest sample size possible for a reliever like Miller. John Smoltz could also be an impact arm out of the bullpen, as he has had success early in his starts.

St. Louis has not been without problems. Franklin has been shaky in the closer's role recently. However, he is still more reliable than whoever the Phillies send out in the ninth. Seasons can be won or lost in the final innings of a playoff game. A heartbreaking loss can cripple a team for the rest of the series. Jonathon Broxton is also a dominant closer, and you can expect to see him get some big outs in October. The offense, while thunderous since the Holliday trade, has had some bumps in the road.

In my opinion, the Cardinals' biggest issue has been their struggles against the Phillies. Their lineup frightens me and I can only hope the Cardinals amazing pitchers can hold it down. From top to bottom, they may have the greatest lineup since St. Louis was home to MV3.

In the current playoff format, 11 wins will earn you a World Series title. The Cardinals are shooting for their 11th title. So, I'd like to put out a slogan for the Cardinals "11 for the 11th". Anything is possible, but I have a hunch that they can keep on winning through October and even into November.