Cardinals third-baseman Nolan Arenado notched his 1000th career RBI on Wednesday night, all but confirming he'll eventually head to Cooperstown.
It was just a week ago as the St. Louis Cardinals wrapped up a three-game set against the Cubs that star third baseman Nolan Arenado looked like anything but a star. Even after going 1-for-4 in both games he played in Chicago, he was hitting a measly .233 and seemed to be slumping egregiously.
Things can change quickly in baseball.
Coming into Wednesday night's rubber match against the Brewers in that three-game series, Arenado had homered in five straight games and raised his average a full 30 points while accruing 12 RBI in just those five games.
Against Milwaukee, he didn't home again, ending that streak — but the third baseman did notch an RBI on an infield single in the first inning, good for the 1000th RBI in his career.
That, in itself, is impressive for the man who the Cardinals fleeced the Rockies for in a trade. But it also might already have his ticket punched to Cooperstown, or at the very least have him well on his way.
Cardinals: Nolan Arenado's 1000th RBI is basically a ticket to Cooperstown
Playing in his 1,426th game on Wednesday night, Arenado now has 300 home runs and 1,000 RBI in his career. He is just the third third-baseman to accomplish those statistical feats in fewer than 1,500 games. The other two players, Eddie Matthews and Chipper Jones, are already enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
Of course, Arenado will have to continue that type of play for a few more years to ensure his place in Cooperstown but being amongst those peers at his position with homers and RBI is a good sign for him.
Even better for the Cardinals, though, is that he's out of his slump and back to mashing — and St. Louis is reaping the benefits. After a disastrous start, the team has now won five of their last six and seven of their last nine games, starting to climb out of the hole.
There's a lot of season left. And if this is what the Cards get from Arenado, they'll end up being just fine.
