JUPITER, Fla. – Matt Carpenter isn’t ready to call it quits just yet. The three-time All Star is gearing up for his 14th MLB season, soon to be his 12th in his second stint with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Carpenter returned to the Cardinals on a one-year deal earlier this winter after brief pit stops in New York and San Diego. Before that, he spent nearly a decade in St. Louis as a starting infielder at three positions: First base, second base, and third base.

Carpenter doesn’t expect to see the field quite as often as his prime years, but that doesn’t seem to bother him. Simply put, his Cardinals comeback is driven by two things: His hopes to win more ballgames, and perhaps just as much, to inspire the next generation of Cardinals.

“For me, it’s ultimately, how can you leave this place better than when you first started,” said Carpenter in a one-on-one interview with FOX 2 earlier this week at spring training. “My approach to that is that, as an older player, it’s my responsibility to lead the young guys. Show them what it’s like to be a true professional, play the game with class, and also represent this organization with dignity and winning games on the field.”

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Carpenter is one of several veterans to join St. Louis ahead of the new season, a group that includes former All Stars Sonny Gray and Brandon Crawford, among others. He feels the new voices, along with a lineup bound to carry a variety of experience, will work to the Cardinals’ advantage.

“It’s a great balance,” said Carpenter. “When you have some veteran players that have been there and done it, and a good mix of youth that’s super talented and has the ability to be pretty impactful players in the future, for us to help bridge that gap and hopefully [help them] be the players we think they can be sooner, I think that’s going to be the key for us this year.”

Masyn Winn, pushing for the Cardinals’ starting shortstop job at 21 years old, says Carpenter has enriched his understanding of the game. The two also share a special bond as Houston-area natives.

“The knowledge he has, he’s been in the league so long,” said Winn. “We’ve got a lot of guys like that, especially on the hitting side. Talking to him, picking his brain about stuff. He’s a true hitter and a true baseball player. Just talking to him about baseball and being a professional has been truly great for me. Bouncing ideas off of him, I ask him questions, and he’ll go out of his way to come talk to me.”

Nolan Gorman, a fellow left-handed hitter, adds, “Carp coming back is amazing” and hopes to work with him and Crawford more closely to become a more consistent hitter.

Carpenter says the younger Cardinals are also pushing him and other veterans for improvement.

“The balance of having the older guys, the younger guys, and everybody helping, a young guy can help an older guy,” said Carpenter. “They bring energy. They’re youthful. Positivity. I think it will be a recipe for a very fun season.”

Carpenter ranks among the Cardinals’ Top 25 players all-time in hits (1,153) and Top 15 in home runs (155). He slugged his first spring home run Thursday afternoon.

The opportunity to build on his stats and milestones take a back seat to what Carpenter hopes to accomplish this year.

“My mentality of coming back here was what my mentality was when I was here, and that’s to win,” said Carpenter. “The beauty of this organization is this team wants to get to postseason every year, and that’s the goal. To get to come back here and help this team do that, that’s what I’m most excited about.”

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“This has been a very special place for me and my family,” Carpenter added. “I’m most excited about the fact that we got a really good group of guys and a really good team. We’ve got a chance to do something really special. I can’t wait for us to get going.”

Opening Day is now less than three weeks away. The Cardinals begin the 2024 regular season with a road matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 28. Carpenter, barring any setbacks, figures to make the team in a reserve role.

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