Cards' Big Guns Impose Big Obstacle

In Advanced Scouting, MLB FanHouse's professional talent evaluator breaks down each of the playoff teams from a scouting perspective.

To put it lightly, it'd take a naïve team to believe that Games 1 and 2 against the Cardinals will be anything less than an all-out struggle. In Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, the St. Louis Cardinals own arguably the best 1-2 punch in baseball. Odds are that these two are not going to be knocked out of a game early and will need to be matched zero for zero.

But, what's the best way to scratch out some production against these two? We'll touch more on that later, but let's not sugarcoat it -- Carpenter and Wainwright are who they are for a reason and beating them will take a patient, intelligent approach.

Then, of course there is Albert Pujols. Any time a player like Pujols is in the lineup, obviously the task is trying to minimize the damage he does as much as possible. But, stopping him quite often just is not realistic, so minimizing the production of the hitters around him is the next best option for the Cardinals' opposition. Skip Schumaker will likely be a big part of the advanced scouting preparation before facing St. Louis. All in all, this is the realistic approach to beating the Cardinals; attack the top of the lineup aggressively and try to keep the bases clear before Mr. Pujols digs into the batter's box.

Matchups To Watch

Even if you are a confident Cardinals fan, you have to at least wonder how Ryan Franklin will perform in the coming weeks. Being the closer in the playoffs can be a totally different animal for a pitcher, and how he matches up simply with the role will be interesting to monitor. With a fastball in the low 90s, Franklin is not someone who is going to step onto the mound and blow hitters away. Sometimes late-inning relievers can survive their jitters or just plain lack of command through pure stuff. Franklin does not have that luxury and will need to rely on the location of his cut fastball and breaking ball.

X-Factors

Albert Pujols: No look at the St. Louis Cardinals can be complete without a look at Pujols. Sure, a productive Pujols in the playoffs isn't going to shock anyone, but with the likes of Matt Holliday now protecting him, his opportunity for an explosive October may be greater than ever.

• Scouting Perspective: Look for Pujols to see a lot more fastballs this postseason with Holliday batting behind him. With the mechanics of his swing, Pujols employs as much torque as any hitter in baseball. Sitting on a strong base -- his spread out lower half -- he can stay balanced on any speed in any zone. A hitter that can remain this balanced and keep his hands back and coiled, still creating massive power, is not just talented, but a hitting marvel. Pujols' swing mechanics bring together all the most important aspects of being a high-average hitter and a power hitter. Now that he can plan on seeing better pitches to hit, good luck getting him out.

Chris Carpenter: As tough as Wainwright is, beating Carpenter will be an even greater chore. Facing a pitcher with three outstanding pitches that can mix a fourth one, it's usually going to be a guessing game for hitters. Carpenter has found a couple extra ticks of velocity this year, sitting around 92-94 mph, making it almost unfair for a hitter. It's not often that you see the raw velocity and stuff that Carpenter has coupled with his technician approach. Very few pitchers have the skills to carry a team; this is one of those pitchers.

• Scouting Perspective: Much like Roy Halladay, Carpenter has the uncanny ability to slowly expand the zone and to pinpoint his pitches to find out just how far out of the zone a hitter will go. This will be the challenge for hitters specifically with his slider. Acting sometimes more like a cutter, thrown at 85-89 mph, it's an outstanding weapon against lefties. The Cardinal ace has the command to spot it for strikes as well as throw it in off the plate. For one of these lefties, the best chance is to lay off the slider and try to get a fastball on the outer half.

Adam Wainwright: Then there is the other tall righthander in this incredibly dynamic duo, Wainwright. He likes to start hitters off with his trademark big curveball. With that 12-6 action, he's able to steal a lot of quick first-pitch strikes by throwing it to either corner with consistency. If he makes a mistake in location, however, the curveball becomes a very vulnerable pitch at that velocity. Wainwright makes very few mistakes with his fastball location, missing down if he misses at all.

• Scouting Perspective: Sitting 90-92 mph, reaching for 94 if he needs it, it's going to be a challenge for any team to do big damage as well as he spots his good moving fastball. If teams can make him come over the plate with the breaking ball or sit on it early in the count, that is probably the best way to go at him. Also, he doesn't go to it all that often but the command of his changeup is not at the level of his curveball and fastball. But, if you give him strike one and let him work his magic spotting the fastball, he'll likely roll through hitters like he's done most of the year.

Frankie Piliere spent the last three seasons working as a scout, most recently in the professional scouting department for the Texas Rangers in 2009. He now serves as the National Baseball Analyst here at FanHouse.