5 biggest questions for the St. Louis Cardinals in the second half

Will contention or player development take precedence?

Manager Oliver Marmol has been walking a fine line all season. He's had to field the most competitive roster while also keeping an eye on the development for players like Nolan Gorman, Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker, Lars Nootbaar, and Victor Scott II. He's also had to manage for his job with a new boss coming in next year.

So far, Marmol has done well at balancing competition and player development. He's ridden the hot hand more often than not with the position players, and that's boded well for the Cardinals. Alec Burleson has turned it on after a cold start to the year, and Nolan Gorman has found his power stroke as regular playing time has come his way.

The question remains: will a desire for contention outweigh the focus on the future?

If the Cardinals want to remain competitive, players like Jordan Walker, who has a .210 batting average and a 60 wRC+, and Lars Nootbaar, who has a career-low .381 slugging percentage, could find less playing time in the second half. Alec Burleson, Nolan Gorman, and even Thomas Saggese could take at-bats away from these guys down the stretch if they can continue to hit well.

If the Cardinals want to prioritize player development, there's a chance that Jordan Walker remains an everyday player despite his struggles. Lars Nootbaar will continue to get at-bats if that's the case as well, too. Unless these key "runway" players turn it on in the second half, the player development roster won't be as good as the competitive roster.

Lucky for the organization, Ivan Herrera has had a terrific season from an offensive perspective. The club's designated hitter and backup catcher has a .320/.394/.529 slash line with eight home runs and 36 RBIs through only 43 games. The 25-year-old is certainly a young player who is developing well and keeping the team competitive.

Remaining competitive while also giving at-bats to young players has been a theme all year for the St. Louis Cardinals. That dichotomy is about to become even more emphasized as the second half kicks off.