6 biggest 'ifs' toward success for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2025

IF Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman can take steps forward next year, the Cardinals will find success.

Few names have been spoken this offseason by Cardinal brass, coaches, fans, and reporters more than those of Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman. This isn't an accident. These two players are central to the Cardinals' success in 2025. Both young hitters have failed to live up to the hype, justified or not, that was given to them as prospects.

Jordan Walker was once a top-three prospect in baseball according to every outlet that does such rankings. He was a high-power monster of a hitter who was born to crush baseballs. He is a league-average hitter after just 584 at-bats.

Nolan Gorman was supposed to be a power hitter in the middle of the Cardinals lineup. The lefty masher has hit 60 home runs in just over 1,000 at-bats, but he has a strikeout rate north of 34%. Neither Walker nor Gorman has been the hitter that the Cardinals anticipated and needed them to be.

If the team wants to find success, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, in 2025, both of these young guys will have to figure it out at the plate.

For Walker, that looks like driving the ball in the air. He must do better than the 6.9% line-drive rate he posted last year in the majors, and he has to get his groundball rate under 50% if he intends on being a successful hitter.

For Gorman to be successful next year, he must strike out less, whiff at a much lower rate, and square up pitches. If Gorman can strike out at a 30% clip while hitting the ball as hard as he did in 2023, he could become an All-Star in short order.

There's also an argument that defensive growth is essential for both of these players. While Nolan Gorman's everyday position is a bit up in the air so long as Nolan Arenado is on the roster, Walker will be out in right field as much as possible. Both players have been negative defenders historically, so they'll need to make improvements in the field as well at the plate next year.

The St. Louis Cardinals are in desperate need of more thump in their lineup. Willson Contreras will provide some himself, but Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker need to step up offensively if the Cardinals want to contend next year.