Stephen Piscotty next up in line of Cardinals clubhouse leaders

9:21 AM ET

ST. LOUIS — Matt Holliday isn’t going to play in St. Louis forever, even if it sometimes feels like he already has.

Should the St. Louis Cardinals’ front office pick up his $17 million option for next season or sign him to a multi-year extension, there still will be a time not far off when Holliday, 36, either plays elsewhere or retires. It happens to every player and rarely is the ending orchestrated perfectly.

Which is why, for the Cardinals, Stephen Piscotty is so crucial to their future. The team has good reason to believe Piscotty can be the high-on-base-percentage, high-batting-average, power-to-all-fields right-handed presence in their lineup that Holliday has been since 2009. In fact, it’s possible, if not probable, that Piscotty will be batting third for the Cardinals in the not too distant future.

Holliday even sees a little of himself, circa 2005, in Piscotty.

“He’s had an advanced approach from the first time I saw him and I think that’s allowed him to really hit for a high average and he’s starting to produce some power,” Holliday said. “We have similar approaches to hitting, our best swing is middle of the field to right-center. We’re both taller right-handed hitters. He has a bright future. He is a really good player and I’m excited to watch as his career unfolds.”

The Cardinals also think Piscotty can help replace the leadership Holliday has offered for all these years. Manager Mike Matheny had Piscotty, among a few other young players in mind, when he involved them in discussions he had previously reserved for what he calls his leadership core, comprised of veterans until this spring.

Piscotty, in his second season, is still in listen-and-don’t-speak …

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