St. Louis Cardinals: Five bold predictions for the 2020 season

No. 4: Austin Gomber will be higher on the depth chart than both Adam Wainwright and Dakota Hudson by season’s end
I was going to say “start a playoff game before Wainwright and Hudson” but then thought better of it, I don’t want to curse anything.
That being said, this is the year Austin Gomber breaks out. He looked like a hidden gem in 2018 when he tossed 75 innings for the team in his rookie year. After dealing with injuries for all of last season, he never saw the big leagues. He came into Spring Training as almost an afterthought but has really opened some eyes.
Following the Mikolas injury diagnosis, the fifth spot in the rotation became an open competition. The spot looks like it’s going to come down to Daniel Ponce de Leon, Kwang-Hyun Kim, and Gomber. I think Ponce is going to win the spot out of camp, but just due to natural wear and tear, Gomber will be the next man up to take a few starts if needed.
His huge frame allows his curve to have some serious downward action and devastates hitters. As long as he can keep his walks in check, he should be able to see more success this season.