Battle in left: Thomas or O'Neill?

When the Cardinals traded veteran Dexter Fowler to the Angels in early February, it was a clear sign to their crop of outfielders that the Opening Day starting jobs are there for the taking. Meanwhile, as the front office was reassured that the bat of Nolan Arenado would provide a huge boost to the lineup, confidence also came in the fact that these youngsters would take steps forward at the plate in 2021.

Early returns at Spring Training are reaffirming that belief.

Tyler O'Neill and Lane Thomas -- two young outfielders battling for an Opening Day spot -- are off to torrid starts at camp. Among Cards with at least 10 at-bats so far, they sit Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS. Their impressions? Positive. Their defense? Rock solid.

Their outlooks? Well, it gets a little murky.

The club has so far publicly penciled in O’Neill as its left fielder come Opening Day in Cincinnati, which is just over three weeks away. He hasn’t done anything to lose that sort of assurance. Rather, it’s Thomas who’s begun to play his way into serious consideration for the outfield trio, creating a possible logjam as the club dives into the heart of camp.

A good conundrum to have, however.

“Very comfortable with the depth, very comfortable with who could win or gain those opportunities in the outfield,” president of baseball ops John Mozeliak said at the outset of camp. “But there will be some competition out there, and that's good to see.”

What’s the lay of the land?

The plan heading into camp was to have O’Neill in left field, Harrison Bader in center and Dylan Carlson in right. Thomas, who is coming off a season in which he endured a bout with COVID-19 and never got quite back into his rhythm -- he got just 10 starts and batted .111 -- was thought to be the top candidate to be the fourth outfielder or to compete to start.

And that’s exactly what’s happening.

Bader faces a bit of a health question with a “barking” right forearm, though it’s not expected to sideline him for long. Thomas is filling that gap in center, making an impact, making impressive run-saving sliding grabs and making consistent contact -- getting on base seemingly every time he does so.

“If you could bottle that,” quipped manager Mike Shildt.

Thomas hit 5-for-10 with 3 RBIs through his first four Grapefruit League games. He proved to be an impact bat in 2019 (1.093 OPS), splitting time in center field and as a pinch-hitter. A full offseason to recover and consistent playing time in Florida this spring has allowed him to regain the strong form from his rookie season.

“I feel good. I got strong this offseason, and my feet are back under me,” Thomas said. “Just trying to go earn my spot.”

O’Neill has responded to Thomas’ early-camp surge. He laced a three-run homer through the wind against the Astros on Sunday and a three-run double vs. the Marlins on Monday, hitting .462 with one walk and four strikeouts through his first five games. A Gold Glover in 2020, his bat has been a focus as he aims for the Opening Day roster.

“I’ve noticed early in camp that I’m out in front of pitches that I’m not usually out in front of,” O’Neill said. “But that’s just timing and at-bats and reps there. I feel like I’m in a good spot.”

So what’s the plan?
Nothing new, as it stands now. Camp is ideal for these sorts of competitions -- for dark-horse roster candidates to shine and for those on the bubble to prove themselves. If the end result of this competition is that the Cardinals have two more-than-capable left fielders for Opening Day, they won’t be complaining.

The Cardinals could also get funky this season. Though he’s hitless in Grapefruit League action, Matt Carpenter is competing for the second-base job. Should he win it, or at least split duties with Tommy Edman, the latter could then see some time in left field, too, potentially spelling Thomas to center-field duties, if Bader struggles.

Though the Cards have faced some questions with their outfielders entering Spring Training, they feel comfortable that some of the candidates can take steps forward in a full season.

Players like Thomas and O’Neill were chief among those they saw as breakout candidates. So chalk it up to early action unfolding just as hoped.

“We have a lot of guys in our squad with great track records. Just look at up and down the lineup, it speaks for itself,” O’Neill said. “We all know what we can do personally and individually. We are just going to try and get that rolling as a squad, and good things are going to happen from there.”