JUPITER, Fla. -- Just as manager Mike Shildt was intentional in debuting veterans Matt Carpenter, Dexter Fowler and Paul Goldschmidt together atop his lineup Sunday, the fact that Kolten Wong, Paul DeJong and Harrison Bader have played in the same two spring games, including Monday's 3-3 tie with the split-squad Tigers, is no coincidence.

The idea to keep these three together as much as possible germinated from an offseason conversation Shildt had over dinner with Jim Edmonds. The former Gold Glove center fielder shared how beneficial it was for him to be on the field early in spring with the two middle infielders who would help him anchor the team’s up-the-middle defense.

Shildt, who has put a priority on defensive improvement this spring, liked the concept.

A year after leading the Majors in errors, the Cardinals, on paper, read as a much-improved defensive club. They have a three-time Gold Glove recipient at first base and a nine-time winner behind the plate. Wong and Bader profile as elite defenders at their respective positions as well.

It’s a status DeJong seeks to join.

“I think I’m definitely on the cusp of something like that,” DeJong said. “I made a lot of strides last year. I have a little more experience. I’m a little smarter. I know I’m comfortable and capable of making all the routine plays and even some more web-gems type plays. I’m trying to take it to the next level.”

Advanced metrics paint a flattering portrait of DeJong’s sophomore season at short. His 14 Defensive Runs Saved tied for third most among all Major League shortstops, and he posted an Ultimate Zone Rating of 7.1. Improved positioning helped. So, too, did more familiarity with opposing hitters.

The homework continued into the winter, with longtime infield coach Jose Oquendo issuing a specific challenge.

“Be more engaged with Yadi [Molina], the catching, all the signs,” Oquendo explained. “His job as a middle infielder is to help with the corner guys, letting them know what pitches might come, what to be ready for.”

The objective, Oquendo added, is for DeJong to be aware enough to position himself without seeking a nudge one direction or the other via signs from the dugout.

“I felt like I made a lot of strides last year in positioning myself in the right spot, but there’s still a few more things I can get better at,” DeJong said. “For one, just being locked in on Yadi back there, seeing what he sees and kind of being on the same page is important, just to feel the flow of the game. Then knowing pitches is super important as well because that can tell you where the ball is going to be hit, how hard it’s going to be hit, where you can expect plays.”

While DeJong has been entrenched at shortstop since reaching the Majors in 2017, his experience at the position doesn’t predate that debut by much. DeJong began his professional climb as a third baseman and may have stuck there if not for the quick decline of Aledmys Diaz.

That’s led to a lot of learning in little time for DeJong, as this marks just the second spring in which he has reported to camp as a shortstop. The Cardinals haven’t found the learning curve to be steep, however. And they’re bullish on the stability DeJong can help provide the club’s emerging defensive core.

“He sees the field so well,” Shildt said. “He’s got court awareness, [knows] what’s going on, ahead of the situation. That is where Paulie is at and still waiting to get more of, which allows leadership.”