The St. Louis Cardinals have been uncharacteristically awful during the 2023 season, but even during their lackluster campaign, there have been a few bright spots. On Friday night, there was one glimmer in a season full of triggers when Willson Contreras hit an impressive 440-foot moonshot that sent the fans in attendance at Great American Ballpark into a state of frenzy during the Cardinals' 9-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

In the top of the first inning, Contreras started things off on the right foot for the Cardinals. With Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado on base, Contreras drove in three runs with one swing of a bat, giving the team a 3-0 lead. Contreras' dinger was the epitome of a moonshot, a deep drive that make people wonder whether those baseballs land in orbit. And there may not have been a better view of the home run Contreras hit than from the locker room, if manager Oliver Marmol's reaction is any indication.

Speaking to reporters after their win over the Reds, Marmol expressed his awe over the Cardinals catcher's amazing long ball.

“It looked like 760 feet from where we were. That ball went a long way. It gave us momentum,” Marmol said, per Associated Press.

The Cardinals certainly gained momentum after Willson Contreras' moonshot, as the team proceeded to drive in three runs with one swing of a bat yet again two innings later, with Luken Baker hitting a bases-clearing double.

Contreras hit his 18th home run of the 2023 season, giving the Cardinals an offensive upgrade at the catcher position even amidst a 2023 season to forget. Even with his lackluster defense behind the plate and substandard contributions on the basepaths, Contreras has, overall, been a positive presence for the team, thanks in large part to his ability to swat balls out of the yard in convincing fashion like he did against the Reds.

The Cardinals will be on the hook for $72.5 million more through 2027, and if Contreras sustains his offensive production, there's no reason to believe that he won't be worth that money in the long run even if he doesn't stick at the catcher position.