The St. Louis Cardinals added some more pop to their lineup last week, trading with the Oakland Athletics to get Matt Holliday into the fold. The slugging corner outfielder made his impact immediately with his new club and his new fans.

Holliday’s weekend was anything but a vacation. After hearing about the trade to the Cardinals, Matt and his family hopped on a train from New York (where the Athletics were playing against the Yankees) to Philadelphia (where the Cardinals were playing the Phillies), opting to avoid the interstate traffic. Holliday didn’t miss a beat – or a game – as he returned to the National League in grand fashion on July 24. The only thing that was out of place was his equipment. He had to borrow a glove and shoes while his stuff was still being brought in from New York.

Holliday went 7-for-11 in the series, including four doubles and three RBI. Let’s take a look at some of the other numbers. He’s batting .636 and is slugging 1.000. Needless to say, he’s leading his team in both categories. Even without having played in the National League before Friday, he certainly has made himself a contender for NL Player of the Week.

This guy is amazing. Okay, three games is a small sample size, but this is the same guy that a lot of people said would be nothing outside of Colorado. Granted, his time in Oakland this season wasn’t spectacular, but he was still on pace to have a very good season. Now that he’s back in the Senior Circuit, he looks like he’s ready to explode; and who wouldn’t be? Going from worst-place Oakland to first-place St. Louis would certainly put a pop in anyone’s bat, although Holliday’s terrific debut still wasn’t enough to help the Cards from dropping the series and falling a half-game back of the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

But seriously, surrounded by players like Albert Pujols and Ryan Ludwick, it’s only a matter of time before the Cardinals surge up the wins column and make their way into October. Let’s face it; one Holliday is enough for St. Louis. They won’t need any more until after the World Series.