4 under-the-radar Cardinals to watch in spring training who could be key contributors

If you've been keeping tabs on the St. Louis Cardinals' spring training developments so far or even tuned in to some of their early games, you'll notice a different level of buzz and excitement regarding young players on the roster compared to prior years.

We can have debates regarding just how much of an opportunity the Cardinals have created for their young talent, but it's clearly the theme of camp thus far and something that the Cardinals are going to be highlighting as the weeks draw near to Opening Day.

Some names, like JJ Wetherholt, likely won't sniff the roster until at least late in the year (more likely 2026), and that's a part of the process. Other names, like Michael McGreevy and Quinn Mathews, are expected to play roles early on in the season, and so while their performance is important to monitor, we kind of know the direction they are tracking in.

But there is this group of prospects and non-roster invites that I would say is caught in the middle of those two groups. If they perform well in camp and impress the Cardinals brass, they may carve out a role in the near future. If things don't go well for them, well, their place on the pecking order is undetermined.

I want to home in on four of those names today that the casual fan likely doesn't know much about and not all who follow the team closely are taking into account strongly enough what 2025 may hold for their place on the roster.

Tekoah Roby

Acquired in the Jordan Montgomery trade at the 2023 trade deadline, Tekoah Roby has gotten lost in the public eye among Cardinals pitching prospects, mostly due to injuries and disappointing performances when he has been on the mound. That, coupled with the rise of Quinn Mathews and the prospect pedigree of Tink Hence, has caused Roby's name to lose its luster despite the arm talent he possesses.

So far, Roby has been one of the brightest names in camp, impressing both the Cardinals brass and media during bullpen sessions, live batting practice, and his first spring training appearance, where he struck out three batters over two scoreless innings. Roby, if things come together for him, has the stuff to be a middle or even front end of the rotation starter, but health and some consistency need to follow in order for that to come to fruition.

The Cardinals have a ton of young arms whom they should be aiming to give "runway," and should they clear space in their rotation through an Erick Fedde trade, Roby could end up being one of those arms during the 2025 season. While that is my preferred method of opportunity for Roby this season (getting starts in Triple-A and eventually St. Louis), there's a chance he begins his big league career by making his mark in their bullpen.

Again, it is early, but during his outing on Sunday, Roby's fastball, slider, curveball, and change-up all looked like above-average offerings, and he looked like the potential high-end pitching prospect that the Rangers had considered him to be before trading him to St. Louis.

While I'd like to see that arsenal stay in the rotation, I get why the Cardinals think he could be a difference-maker in their bullpen this year if a rotation spot is not available. The way manager Oliver Marmol has talked about him so far, it is clear they have their gears turning about how he could help them sooner rather than later.