Since 2023, the highest single-season wRC+ for a St. Louis Cardinal is Willson Contreras's 127 wRC+ that he's currently putting up this year. The highest wRC+ in a full season was Paul Goldschmidt in 2023, when he finished the year with a 122 wRC+. Simply put, the Cardinals have been missing a tent-pole hitter, a middle-of-the-bat bopper, for nearly three years now.
There are very few true heart-of-the-order hitters in baseball. Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Shohei Ohtani, and Juan Soto don't grow on trees. These power hitters, similar to power pitchers, are becoming ever more expensive on the open market.