Best Cardinals Players of All Time, Ranked by NUT

STL · 1892–nowThe best Cardinals players ever, by NUT with the club.

#1 hitterStan Musial+105.1 NUT · 1942–1963

#1 pitcherBob Gibson+32.5 NUT · 1959–1975

World Series titles11Last in 2011

Stan Musial is the most productive hitter in Cardinals history by NUT at +105.1 over 21 qualified seasons with the club (1942–1963). Bob Gibson leads the pitchers at +32.5 over 17 seasons (1959–1975).

The franchise has played 134 seasons since 1892. It has won 11 World Series titles, the last in 2011, in 19 trips to the World Series.

Its best club by team NUT was the 2013 St. Louis Cardinals at +20.1 (97-65), #2 of 30 that season.

Greatest Cardinals NUT with the club, all qualified seasons

Hitters · top 25
#	Player	Seasons	NUT
1	Stan Musial1B · 1942–1963	21	+105.1
2	Albert Pujols1B · 2001–2022	12	+65.8
3	Rogers Hornsby2B · 1916–1926	11	+57.7
4	Enos SlaughterRF · 1938–1953	13	+31.6
5	Johnny Mize1B · 1936–1941	6	+30.8
6	Jim Bottomley1B · 1922–1932	11	+27.3
7	Ken Boyer3B · 1955–1965	11	+26.7
8	Joe MedwickLF · 1932–1947	9	+26.1
9	Jim EdmondsCF · 2000–2007	8	+24.5
10	Mark McGwire1B · 1997–2001	5	+24.5
11	Ted SimmonsC · 1970–1980	11	+24.4
12	Lou BrockLF · 1964–1979	16	+22.6
13	Matt HollidayLF · 2009–2016	8	+22.6
14	Joe Torre1B · 1969–1974	6	+19.4
15	Keith Hernandez1B · 1975–1982	8	+18.9
16	Bill White1B · 1959–1965	7	+18.7
17	Ray LankfordCF · 1990–2004	12	+18.4
18	Matt Carpenter3B · 2012–2024	11	+16.6
19	Chick HafeyLF · 1924–1931	8	+16.3
20	Whitey Kurowski3B · 1942–1948	7	+14.7
21	Jesse BurkettLF · 1899–1901	3	+14.2
22	Ed Konetchy1B · 1907–1913	7	+14.0
23	Paul Goldschmidt1B · 2019–2024	6	+13.8
24	Ripper Collins1B · 1931–1936	6	+13.6
25	Joe CunninghamRF · 1954–1961	6	+13.3

Pitchers · top 25
#	Player	Seasons	NUT
1	Bob GibsonP · 1959–1975	17	+32.5
2	Adam WainwrightP · 2006–2023	17	+19.7
3	Dizzy DeanP · 1932–1937	6	+17.9
4	Chris CarpenterP · 2004–2011	6	+14.3
5	Max LanierP · 1938–1951	12	+11.4
6	Harry BrecheenP · 1943–1952	10	+10.3
7	Mort CooperP · 1939–1944	6	+9.5
8	Matt MorrisP · 1997–2005	8	+9.4
9	Howie PolletP · 1941–1950	8	+7.7
10	Steve CarltonP · 1965–1971	7	+7.1
11	Larry JacksonP · 1955–1962	8	+7.0
12	Bob TewksburyP · 1989–1994	6	+6.2
13	Carlos MartinezP · 2013–2021	8	+6.0
14	Joe MagraneP · 1987–1992	5	+5.8
15	Cy YoungP · 1899–1900	2	+5.7
16	Harvey HaddixP · 1952–1955	4	+5.5
17	Jaime GarcíaP · 2010–2016	7	+5.3
18	Jose DeLeonP · 1988–1991	4	+5.2
19	Trevor RosenthalP · 2013–2017	5	+5.0
20	Lindy McDanielP · 1956–1962	7	+5.0
21	John TudorP · 1985–1990	4	+4.8
22	Al BrazleP · 1943–1954	10	+4.7
23	Joaquin AndujarP · 1981–1985	5	+4.5
24	Pete VuckovichP · 1978–1980	3	+4.5
25	Bill HallahanP · 1926–1935	8	+4.5

Best single seasons season NUT

Hitters
Player	Season	NUT
Stan Musial	1948	+9.2
Mark McGwire	1998	+9.0
Rogers Hornsby	1924	+9.0
Rogers Hornsby	1922	+8.8
Rogers Hornsby	1925	+8.1
Stan Musial	1946	+7.6
Stan Musial	1949	+7.5
Albert Pujols	2003	+7.5
Stan Musial	1951	+7.5
Rogers Hornsby	1921	+7.1

Pitchers
Player	Season	NUT
Bob Gibson	1970	+5.5
Bob Gibson	1969	+5.0
Bob Gibson	1968	+5.0
Harry Brecheen	1948	+4.2
Ron Reed	1975	+3.8
Adam Wainwright	2013	+3.8
John Tudor	1985	+3.8
Chris Carpenter	2005	+3.8
Dizzy Dean	1933	+3.7
Dizzy Dean	1936	+3.4

Best by decade NUT with the club in that decade

2020s

HitterPaul Goldschmidt+12.4

PitcherRyan Helsley+3.5

2010s

HitterMatt Holliday+19.2

PitcherAdam Wainwright+13.1

2000s

HitterAlbert Pujols+54.4

PitcherChris Carpenter+10.8

1990s

HitterMark McGwire+20.2

PitcherBob Tewksbury+6.1

1980s

HitterKeith Hernandez+9.5

PitcherJoe Magrane+4.9

1970s

HitterTed Simmons+21.5

PitcherBob Gibson+10.0

1960s

HitterKen Boyer+18.4

PitcherBob Gibson+22.2

1950s

HitterStan Musial+52.5

PitcherHarvey Haddix+5.5

1940s

HitterStan Musial+45.7

PitcherMax Lanier+9.6

1930s

HitterJoe Medwick+25.4

PitcherDizzy Dean+17.9

1920s

HitterRogers Hornsby+45.9

PitcherBill Sherdel+3.2

1910s

HitterRogers Hornsby+11.8

PitcherSlim Sallee+2.3

1900s

HitterJesse Burkett+9.2

PitcherCy Young+3.0

1890s

HitterJesse Burkett+5.0

PitcherCy Young+2.8

Best Cardinals teams season team NUT

2013

St. Louis Cardinals97-65

Team NUT+20.1S#2 of 30

1944

St. Louis Cardinals105-49

Team NUT+19.3S#1 of 16Won the World Series

2012

St. Louis Cardinals88-74

Team NUT+19.0S#1 of 30

1943

St. Louis Cardinals105-49

Team NUT+18.7S#1 of 16

1967

St. Louis Cardinals101-60

Team NUT+17.5S#1 of 20Won the World Series

How these lists are built

Each player's number is his season NUT added up over every season he qualified with the Cardinals (100 plate appearances or 25 innings in a full season), so only his years with this club count. NUT is one number for production against that season's league average, with defense left out, so a 1930 season and a 2025 season sit on one scale. A player traded during a season appears under the club MLB lists his full-season line with. Seasons before 1901 were shorter, so their values run lower.

Best Cardinals players of all time by NUT

Hitters
Player	Years	NUT
Stan Musial	1942–1963	+105.1
Albert Pujols	2001–2022	+65.8
Rogers Hornsby	1916–1926	+57.7
Enos Slaughter	1938–1953	+31.6
Johnny Mize	1936–1941	+30.8
Jim Bottomley	1922–1932	+27.3
Ken Boyer	1955–1965	+26.7
Joe Medwick	1932–1947	+26.1
Jim Edmonds	2000–2007	+24.5
Mark McGwire	1997–2001	+24.5
Ted Simmons	1970–1980	+24.4
Lou Brock	1964–1979	+22.6
Matt Holliday	2009–2016	+22.6
Joe Torre	1969–1974	+19.4
Keith Hernandez	1975–1982	+18.9
Bill White	1959–1965	+18.7
Ray Lankford	1990–2004	+18.4
Matt Carpenter	2012–2024	+16.6
Chick Hafey	1924–1931	+16.3
Whitey Kurowski	1942–1948	+14.7
Jesse Burkett	1899–1901	+14.2
Ed Konetchy	1907–1913	+14.0
Paul Goldschmidt	2019–2024	+13.8
Ripper Collins	1931–1936	+13.6
Joe Cunningham	1954–1961	+13.3

Pitchers
Player	Years	NUT
Bob Gibson	1959–1975	+32.5
Adam Wainwright	2006–2023	+19.7
Dizzy Dean	1932–1937	+17.9
Chris Carpenter	2004–2011	+14.3
Max Lanier	1938–1951	+11.4
Harry Brecheen	1943–1952	+10.3
Mort Cooper	1939–1944	+9.5
Matt Morris	1997–2005	+9.4
Howie Pollet	1941–1950	+7.7
Steve Carlton	1965–1971	+7.1
Larry Jackson	1955–1962	+7.0
Bob Tewksbury	1989–1994	+6.2
Carlos Martinez	2013–2021	+6.0
Joe Magrane	1987–1992	+5.8
Cy Young	1899–1900	+5.7
Harvey Haddix	1952–1955	+5.5
Jaime García	2010–2016	+5.3
Jose DeLeon	1988–1991	+5.2
Trevor Rosenthal	2013–2017	+5.0
Lindy McDaniel	1956–1962	+5.0
John Tudor	1985–1990	+4.8
Al Brazle	1943–1954	+4.7
Joaquin Andujar	1981–1985	+4.5
Pete Vuckovich	1978–1980	+4.5
Bill Hallahan	1926–1935	+4.5