Carlson went 2-for-3 with two walks and a pair of runs scored in Wednesday's wild-card Game 1 win over the Padres.

EDGE Analysis

Carlson struggled to a .162/.215/.243 line in 23 games in his first big-league stint, but he returned following a brief demotion to hit .278/.325/.611 over 12 games to close the year. If Wednesday's performance is any indication, the latter stretch is closer to what can be expected of the rookie going forward. The Cardinals apparently think so, as they trusted him with the cleanup spot.