6 Cardinals pitchers who dominated Spring Training but faded away in the regular season

Marco Gonzales

Spring Training (2014-2016): 28.2 innings, 2.83 ERA, 16 K's, 15 walks

Cardinals Regular Season Career: 40.2 innings, 5.53 ERA, 34 K's, 22 walks

The Cardinals made lefty Marco Gonzales their first-round pick when they selected him out of Gonzaga in 2013. While he never threw with much velocity, he already had an above-average major league changeup with great command of the strike zone. Coming out of Gonzaga, Gonzales was rated as the 14th-best prospect in the draft, and upon his selection, he cracked the Cardinals' top 5 minor league players. During 2015, the lefty was ranked as the organization's number-two prospect despite not being named into the league's top 100, with his future ceiling being a mid-rotation starter thanks to his polished mechanics.

Gonzales was invited to major league Spring Training for the first time in 2014, but the Cardinals already had a full rotation, so his stay was brief. The starting staff boasted similar depth in 2015, but Gonzales was brought in again and started to show why he was a first-round pick during a lengthier audition. Over 17.1 innings, the soft-tossing southpaw only gave up two runs en route to a 1.04 ERA over five games. Concerningly, though, he only had nine strikeouts and started to see his command waver with seven walks. The Cardinals did not need to rush him, however, and sent him to Memphis to stay stretched out and ready for a call.

Injuries started to pop up for Gonzales down in Memphis, as he hit the minor league injured list twice over the next two months before appearing fully healthy again in August. With the Cardinals approaching the 100-win total and on their way to another division title, Gonzales did not receive his call up until rosters expanded in September. His major league debut was a tough one, as he gave up seven hits and four runs in just 2.2 innings and was sent back to Triple-A the following day.

2016 appeared to be an opportunity for Gonzales to get his chance in the rotation, but the team opted to give other youngsters, Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha, two spots and gave the final opening to free agent signee Mike Leake. (We'll see him again shortly.) Gonzales' 2016 exhibition slate was shorter and less productive than the previous one, as he tallied a 4.66 ERA in 9.2 innings as the team bounced him between starter and reliever, a role they could see him filling in St. Louis. Injuries popped up again for the former Bulldog, and the big league rotation mostly held it together for the season, so Gonzales did not make a major league appearance in 2016.

Gonzales did not pitch in major league camp in 2017, but the team did give him another short call-up with another disappointing result. In his one game, 3.1-inning performance, he gave up five runs, including three home runs, before another demotion. The Cardinals' solid young core of starters made Gonzales expendable, and the Cardinals partnered with the Seattle Mariners in a swap of MLB-ready prospects. The lefty went to the west coast while slugging outfielder Tyler O'Neill came to St. Louis. While everyone knows how the outfielder's tenure went with the Cardinals, Gonzales put together a solid career with the Mariners.

Gonzales spent seven seasons in Seattle and was their Opening Day starter three times. He also showed he was back to full health after having shoulder issues and started at least 25 games every season except the shortened 2020 season, including a 203-inning season in 2019, when he led the American League in starts.

The lefty spent the 2024 season with the division rival Pirates and is still a free agent as Spring Training is underway.