Talking About Birds: A St. Louis Cardinals Podcast

Nate Heininger & Ben Simorka
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  • BASEBALL
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The only Cardinals podcast dumber than running on Yadi. A weekly podcast mostly about the St. Louis Cardinals.

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    The Cardinals are Offensive

    The Cardinals have the seventh-best offense in baseball. Ahead of them? Houston, Detroit, Atlanta, LA, New York, and that's about it. We dig into what that means for a team that was supposed to be rebuilding, and why this version of winning feels more sustainable than anything we've seen in the last few years. Jordan Walker now has 35 games of this, and it's the longest and the best he's ever played. The power is real, the walks are climbing, and teams are going to have to start deciding whether to pitch around him. Alec Burleson just won NL Player of the Week, and the top four of Wetherholt, Herrera, Burleson, and Walker is starting to look like something you build around for years. We also recap the annual fishing tournament, where Ben fished for maybe an hour total, almost placed, and then retired for the weekend. Nathan Church and Victor Scott's diverging paths, Nolan Gorman's expected wOBA climbing, the Willson Contreras situation in Boston, Cesar Prieto's call-up, Lars Nootbaar's rehab timeline and where he fits in the lineup, Hunter Dobbins' MLB debut, and the Ramón Urías elbow injury. On the league side: Carlos Correa needs season-ending ankle surgery, Tarik Skubal is out two to three months with loose bodies in his elbow, Garrett Crochet hits the IL with shoulder inflammation, and the Red Sox somehow have five starting pitchers on the IL at once. Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us a voicemail at: (848) 48-BIRDS (848-482-4737) Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

    1hr 29min

  2. 30 APR

    Double Jay Double You

    Nathan Church hit three home runs this week and robbed another one. But the real story isn't the results — it's the underlying changes. His bat speed is up, his swing rate has jumped, and he's striking out less while swinging harder. We dig into why those numbers matter and what this version of Nathan Church means for the team long term. Iván Herrera is breaking out. The launch angle has corrected, the walks are piling up, and Ben is ready to start the extension conversation. Jordan Walker has cooled off but the process is still there — and Ben found something fascinating in the pitch data. The pitch that tortured Walker for three years is now his best pitch. But the league is adjusting with a new one, and Walker will need to adjust back. Plus: Ryan Fernandez is looking like a trade chip, the bullpen leverage ladder needs reshuffling, JJ Wetherholt continues to rake, the annual fishing tournament preview, and Ben sat behind A-Rod at a Nuggets playoff game. On the league side: the Red Sox fired Alex Cora and basically their entire coaching staff, the Phillies fired Rob Thomson, the Padres are selling for $3.5 billion, and Travis Bazzana got called up to Cleveland. Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us a voicemail at: (848) 48-BIRDS (848-482-4737) Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

    1hr 33min

  3. 23 APR

    Masyn Winn is Turning It(us) On

    The Cardinals are 14-10 and playing better than most people expected. They swept the Astros, the young core is slugging — 11th in MLB in home runs — but the pitching is still the worst K/9 in baseball and the bullpen is a ticking time bomb. Masyn Winn might be waking up. Ten hits in a week, a Crawford Box homer, career-high walk rates, and three steals already on the season. We dig into whether this is the start of the offensive evolution we've been waiting for, and whether a 117 wRC+ is the version of Masyn that makes him a perennial All-Star. Jordan Walker had his first real cold stretch — 12 strikeouts in six games, no home runs since last week. But Ben digs under the hood and the underlying metrics still look real: same attack angle, same bat speed, still hitting the ball hard. We talk about why you shouldn't panic, what the strikeout rate means for his streakiness going forward, and why that full-count at-bat last night was actually a sign of growth. Plus: Nathan Church is coming alive at the plate, José Fermín played center field for some reason, Victor Scott's offensive floor is a concern, Dustin May put together his two best starts of the season, Jurrangelo Cijntje switch-pitched in an actual game, Dickie Fitts needs season-ending lat surgery, and Ben returns from Coachella with a full field report including Bob Baker Marionettes, Korean steak kimchi fries, and a disappointing Moby set. We close with a new game: Rotation Rotation, where we draft the five non-Cardinals teams we're watching the most right now. Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us a voicemail at: (848) 48-BIRDS (848-482-4737) Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

    1hr 34min

  4. 16 APR

    Jordan Walker is the Best Player in Baseball Forever Guaranteed

    Jordan Walker isn't just hot, he's the best player in baseball right now. Better than Aaron Judge, better than Ohtani, better than Bobby Witt Jr. Through 17 games he's already deleted 111 games of negative WAR from last season, and Ben is officially calling 30 home runs as the floor. We dig into why this version of Walker actually looks sustainable, and Brant Brown's "let the team be themselves" approach to coaching. The good vibes keep going on offense. Iván Herrera is on the precipice of a breakout — second in baseball in walks, xwOBA near elite, just waiting on his launch angle to come back. JJ Wetherholt had his first multi-homer game (both off lefties, one pull-side, one backside, as a 23-year-old rookie second baseman). And his defense is way ahead of where we expected. Pitching news: Shuster gets demoted Ryan Fernandez is back, Matt Pushard starts a rehab assignment (Ben is still calling Phantom IL on this and demanding accountability), and we make the case for Jimmy Crooks getting called up sooner rather than later.  On the league side: Kevin McGonigle signs an 8-year, $150M extension with the Tigers (and what it means for JJ's number), Cade Horton needs season-ending UCL surgery in a brutal blow to the Cubs rotation, and we mark Jackie Robinson Day with a reminder of just how absurdly good he was on the field on top of everything else. We close with a visit from an old nemesis. Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us a voicemail at: (848) 48-BIRDS (848-482-4737) Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

    1hr 20min

  5. 9 APR

    Jordan Walker is My Son and My Dad

    Jordan Walker has spent the last two weeks doing things we've never seen him do before. Through 12 games, he's leading Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani in fWAR, he launched a 459-foot grand slam to dead center off an 88 mph fastball, and — maybe most telling — he finally reacted to a called strike three in the box. For the first time in years, Jordan Walker looks like he cares, and it's showing up everywhere on the field. We also check in on JJ Wetherholt, who would be the story of the Cardinals' first two weeks if Walker wasn't on fire. Five walks vs. five strikeouts in week two, the best defensive range of any second baseman in baseball, and looking every bit the player we hoped he'd be. Plus: Gorman is fading, Victor Scott still hasn't taken a walk, and the starting rotation had a rough week from top to bottom. On the news side: the Cardinals finally finished the Sonny Gray trade, a Pozo rant, the Joe Adell three-home-run-robbery game, Konnor Griffin's nine-year $140M extension with the Pirates and what it means for a JJ Wetherholt deal, and a preview of the Red Sox and Guardians series. Ben also reports back from the Coors Field front lines with his field review of the Aramark pizza donut, including how long he had to wait, how many pepperonis were on it, and why donut holes are a structural problem in pizza engineering. We close out with another round of Theme Night or Dream Night, where Ben has to guess which wacky Busch Stadium promo nights are real and which ones Nate made up.

    1hr 27min

  6. 2 APR

    Jumping Jehoshaphat Wetherholt

    The Cardinals are off to a hot 4-2 start 🔥 as early storylines take shape. We break down extension buzz around JJ Wetherholt, roster moves, and what we’re seeing from a revamped Jordan Walker—big exit velos, better launch angles, and real signs of a breakout. Plus Burleson staying hot, Gorman/Urías flashing power, McGreevy has a strong start, and debuts from Ryan Stanek and Dustin May. We preview upcoming series vs Detroit and Washington, then hit league news with a wave of extensions and Jason Heyward calling it a career.  Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us a voicemail at: (848) 48-BIRDS (848-482-4737) Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

    1hr 24min

  7. 26 MAR

    (We Hope) The Kids Are All Right - Opening Day 2026! (w/ Daniel Shoptaw)

    Opening Day is HERE 🔥 and we’re joined by Daniel Shoptaw (@C70) to break it all down. JJ Wetherholt makes the club, Matthew Liberatore gets the Opening Day start, and the roster is officially set. We dive into surprises like Nathan Church stepping in, Fermin and Saggese cracking the roster, and Nelson Velázquez getting left off, plus bullpen decisions and key IL moves for Lars Nootbaar and Hunter Dobbins. We preview the opening series vs the Rays and Mets, then hit league news including Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cristopher Sánchez getting PAID.  Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us a voicemail at: (848) 48-BIRDS (848-482-4737) Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

    1hr 34min

  8. 19 MAR

    You Don't Raise Heroes, You Raise Nelsons

    We break down a scorching start from Nelson Velázquez and whether it actually matters, plus the latest on Lars Nootbaar’s status as Opening Day looms. We dive into standout Spring Breakout names, Jordan Walker questions, and a loaded camp featuring JJ Wetherholt and the next wave. On the mound, Dustin May flashes triple digits, Andre Pallante tweaks his pitch mix, and George Soriano quietly dominates. We wrap with NL Central preview talk (Cubs) and Team USA falling short in the WBC final. Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us a voicemail at: (848) 48-BIRDS (848-482-4737) Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

    1hr 34min
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About

The only Cardinals podcast dumber than running on Yadi. A weekly podcast mostly about the St. Louis Cardinals.

Information

  • Creator
    Nate Heininger & Ben Simorka
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    219
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Nate Heininger & Ben Simorka

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