How good is this Cardinals offense? Pretty darn good!

With the numbers and statistics that this offensive unit has put up through a little over thirty games, the question that comes to mind is are they really this good? The answer is that they most certainly are.

Who would have known that all of this would have happened and not even seemed to show? Not even a little bit whatsoever? To all the people that doubted this team and especially the offense following the departure of Albert Pujols, I hope you are all eating crow, and not the good tasting kind, either.

Thus far in the 2012 season, the offense is ranked number two in just about every offensive statistics category that there is--and the only team that has better numbers offensively than the Cardinals?--there 2011 World Series opponent, the Texas Rangers. They have been tearing the cover off of the ball, and even though they have had to deal with quite a few injuries so far, it hasn't seemed to slow them down, not even at the slightest bit.

Holding an overall record of 20-11 and being in first place in the National League Central division, the Cardinals offense has managed to put up an overall team batting average of .287, a total of 312 hits, 168 runs batted in, 40 home runs, and a league leading .357 on-base percentage.

A huge factor in the offenses' success this season has been leadoff man Rafael Furcal. Unlike a lot of years in the past--especially recently, the Cardinals haven't had a very reliable leadoff hitter like him--and since they've had Rafael, the team has won a world series title and has had one of the leagues' scariest offenses. On the season, Furcal has a batting average of .361, 44 hits, 23 runs scored, and six stolen bases along with two home runs.

Furcal succeeding this well in that spot has set the table for the big bats plenty of times this season, and has helped make this offense all that much scarier.

The power bats have been a great story early on, and they continue to get stronger. Carlos Beltran has proven to be a monster pickup so far, as he is suprising everybody around the baseball world as he has a team-leading ten home runs and 27 runs batted in. He is also second on the team in stolen bases with five.

David Freese has continued his magical story from last seasons postseason as he has started this season off with seven home runs and 26 runs' batted in himself. The story early on this season has most certainly been the Cardinals' power and with Lance Berkman only having played in seven games so far, it is hard to believe that they won't continue to get even better.

Allen Craig, Matt Holliday, and Jon Jay also are big time contributors for the team coming from the outfield, which has been a very strong unit for this team. Despite Craig missing the first few weeks following offseason surgery, Jay missing time because of an injury, they all are starting to know there roles very well. Craig seems to have returned to last seasons form following three World Series home runs, he has already hit four this season, and is off to a .333 batting average through his first twenty-seven at-bats. His role once Berkman is no longer a Cardinal will be first-base, which is a position he has been pretty good at since hes been on the team.

Yadier is also off to another .300 batting average start; and even though his defense and cannon for an arm has been his main intangibles; his bat is really starting to become a force to be wreckoned with at the catcher position.

The young guys have been very good as well. Matt Carpenter was a big suprise early on in the season as he has a team-leading three triples and twenty-one hits in just 78 at-bats.

This team is just starting out and will only continue to get better as the health issues start to increase. No matter what the doubters and naysayers continue to say about this offense, they will only get better, stronger, and even more scary as this marathon of a season rolls on.