9 Cardinals who took advantage of their runway in 2025

St. Louis Cardinals' Chairman and CEO Bill DeWitt Jr., along with President Bill DeWitt III and President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak, told fans that the 2025 season would be one of transition. The organization would be shifting from a high(ish)-spending team chock full of veterans to one focused and led by young players.

The organization had a stated goal to find out which young and controllable players could perform well over an entire season. Several players were stated as poster boys this year, foremost of those Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, neither player has taken advantage of these opportunities.

Walker has a .216/.271/.302 slash line for a paltry .573 OPS. He has hit only five home runs on the year, and his strikeout rate of 33% is by far the worst of his career and not an acceptable figure for a player who was supposed to be leading the offensive charge.

Nolan Gorman has fared slightly better, but not by much. Gorman has a .208/.301/.380 slash line for a .681 OPS. He has hit 14 home runs, fourth most on the team this year. He, too, is striking out 33% of the time this year, and his ISO is a career-low .172.

The 2025 season hasn't gone well for either of the organization's runway poster boys, and the team has been hurting because of that. Not only has the 2025 season gone poorly as a result, but the organization must now shift its focus to further down the road.

Another player who wasn't specifically mentioned as a focal point for the reset was outfielder Lars Nootbaar. Nootbaar has a career OPS of .750, but his 2025 figures are a far cry from that. He's slashing .244/.342/.417 this year with 12 home runs and 45 RBIs. His walk rate has taken a hit, and he's chasing and striking out more often. All of this goes against his on-base profile that the Cardinals liked

From the pitching side, Andre Pallante, who will make 31 starts this year and throw over 160 innings, has also failed to rise to expectations. Last year, Pallante proved to be a serviceable starting pitcher, especially in the second half. He finished 2024 with a 3.78 ERA across 121.1 innings and 20 starts. This year, he's posted a 5.29 ERA — fourth worst in the league among qualified starters. He's among the worst in the league at striking out batters and generating whiffs, but his groundball rate, something that has doomed his season to an extent, is in the 98th percentile.

The 2025 season was about finding out what the organization had in certain players. From that perspective, the transition year was a success; we found out quite a bit about several young players. From Jordan Walker to Nolan Gorman to Lars Nootbaar to Andre Pallante, several featured controllable players didn't rise to the occasion this year.

Just because some players didn't take advantage of their chances this year doesn't mean others followed suit. In fact, several young Cardinals answered this call this year and proved that they belong in the majors for the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Cardinals weren't able to find a true star this year, but they did find several strong players who could be good complements a star for the next few years.

9 St. Louis Cardinals who locked themselves into key roles for 2026.

1B/DH/OF Alec Burleson

There may not be a player on the roster who took advantage of the runway opportunity more than Alec Burleson. In just one season, he went from potentially not starting on Opening Day in spring training to being deemed an everyday player by his manager. That's not a small accomplishment.

Burly has a .289/.342/.46 slash line for an OPS of .808, the best on the team this year. He's slugged 18 home runs and driven in 66 runners in 132 games. He's been one of the best hitters on the team all year.

He's improved his chase rate, whiff rate, walk rate, and barrel rate this year to tap into more power, and it's showing. His slugging percentage alone has risen .046 points from last year.

Burleson has also improved his splits against left-handed pitchers. He slashed .195/.229/.286 last year against southpaws, but he's slashing .273/.302/.400 this year. While he hasn't been able to tap into power against same-handed pitchers, he's been able to make far better contact overall and post a respectable batting average.

Alec Burleson has also made improvements on the defensive side of the game. Last year, he accumulated -6 Outs Above Average (OAA) in right field and -3 in left field. In a similar amount of playing time this year, Burleson has been able to improve those figures to -3 OAA in right field and 0 OAA in left field. He's not a plus defender, but he's at least serviceable now. His work with assistant coach Jon Jay hasn't gone unnoticed.

Burleson is also satisfied with the way his season has gone. “I don’t think I really need to prove anything,” he said. “I think it’s more of continuing to do what I do for a full season. I don’t think there’s anything more that I need to necessarily prove with my ability. I’ve proven it already, I just need to continue to be consistent with it.”

Alec Burleson's strong production this year has locked him into a spot in the heart of the lineup in 2026. He certainly took full advantage of his opportunities his year.

C/DH Ivan Herrera

Ivan Herrera's offensive explosion shouldn't have been a surprise. The 25-year-old backstop-turned DH had a .301 batting average last year with fewer than 75 plate appearances to his name up to that point. That alone should have told fans that Herrera was due for a breakout.

And break out he has.

Herrera is slashing .280/.367/.449 on the year. He's hit 16 long balls and driven in 58 runners. His .816 OPS is the best on the team right now. Herrera has been able to limit his strikeouts (19.1%) and draw walks at a respectable clip (9.1%). Herrera's Baseball Savant page is full of red figures, so his metrics back up a strong season at the plate.

Herrera had some work to do behind the plate when he was designated as the Opening Day catcher. His struggles with controlling the running game were well-documented. Lower leg injuries limited his time behind the plate, so the 2025 season wasn't fair as a barometer for his defensive growth. His offensive growth, however, won't be questioned.

Herrera's exchange speed behind the plate has improved this year, and his blocking is still strong. Where he falls short as a catcher is with his arm strength, his pop time, and his framing. Pitchers and coaches on the club have also been outspoken about Pedro Pages's game-calling and framing. If Herrera wants to be an everyday catcher, he has to make improvements in these areas.

Due to various knee injuries, Herrera was removed from his catching duties early in the season. He has been the club's primary designated hitter since, but he's also gotten some work in the corner outfield since the trade deadline. His home for the future — be it catcher, designated hitter, corner outfielder, or first baseman — is still up in the air. What's certain is that his bat will play in the majors.

St. Louis needs a power-hitting right-hander in the lineup. That was supposed to be Jordan Walker this year, but Ivan Herrera's offensive growth has been a pleasant surprise. His location on the field next year isn't certain as of yet, but his spot on the roster is a lock in 2026 and beyond.

SS Masyn Winn

Masyn Winn started to establish himself as a core player last year when he had a chance at finishing near the top of the National League Rookie of the Year standings. A strong class highlighted by Paul Skenes and Jackson Merrill limited Winn's share of the vote, and he didn't end up receiving any votes. That only inspired him to push harder this year.

Winn's goals this year included staying on the field as often as possible and capitalizing on his speed more than he did as a rookie. Sadly, he didn't accomplish either of those goals, but he still had a strong year as a sophomore.

Winn finished with a .253/.310/.363 slash line for a .673 OPS. He swiped nine bags and hit nine home runs. His offensive numbers left a lot to be desired, but we need to be cognizant of the fact that he has been playing on a bum knee for two months now, an injury that ended his season two weeks early and will require offseason surgery to repair a torn meniscus.

Prior to the All-Star Break, Winn was slashing .255/.317/.378 for a .695 OPS and a 97 wRC+. He was striking out only 17.9% of the time while walking 7.5% of the time. He was essentially a league-average hitter with Gold Glove defense at a key defensive position. His first-half numbers point to what his potential could be offensively.

Masyn Winn was on pace to be one of baseball's best defenders this year. According to Outs Above Average, Winn is the second-best defender in baseball behind only Bobby Witt Jr. His .994 fielding percentage is the best among all shortstops in baseball, and it will set a franchise record at that position for the Cardinals. Winn stands a chance at winning the National League Gold Glove Award at shortstop this winter.

Masyn Winn still has room to grow offensively, but there have been signs of his potential at the plate. What makes him a key part of the franchise's future is his top-tier defensive efforts and results. If he can combine his offensive season from 2024 with his defensive season this year, Winn could become the true cornerstone of the franchise for many years.

LHP Matthew Liberatore

At the onset of the regular season, Matthew Liberatore earned a spot in the 2025 rotation. He had one of the best springs in the organization, and a reconfigured pitch mix was going to help him get all batters out hopefully.

Libby started the season off strong. He posted a 3.19 ERA in March and April and a 2.97 ERA in May. He threw 64.1 innings between those months as a starting pitcher, and he had walked only nine batters compared to 56 strikeouts. He was shoving early in the year.

Fatigue started to catch up with the southpaw as the days began to heat up. Libby posted a 5.14 ERA in June, a 6.57(!) ERA in July, and a 5.40 ERA in August. He's settled down in September with a 4.11 ERA in 15.1 innings. He'll likely make two more starts before the end of the year, presenting an opportunity for the 25-year-old lefty to improve his numbers even more.

On the year, Liberatore has a 4.30 ERA across 146.2 innings. His 6.2% walk rate places him in the 82nd percentile in baseball, and he's done a fine job at getting hitters to chase pitches outside the zone this year. However, he hasn't established himself as a strikeout pitcher (only 7.12 K/9), and his groundball rate (39.2%) is below league average. Essentially, Liberatore has been surviving on getting batters out via fly balls. His 40.2% fly-ball rate is 28th in the league.

Lucky for Matthew, nearly half of his season was played at Busch Stadium, a venue that is notorious for suppressing offense. He has a 4.08 ERA at home in 70.2 innings, and he's given up three fewer home runs at home this year compared to the road. His home run rate is down when he pitches at Busch, and the fly balls hit there are doing far less damage. This is evidenced by his 9.4% HR/FB ratio at home compared to a 11% HR/FB ratio on the road.

Matthew Liberatore has posted a career-low ERA this year in his first full season as a starting pitcher. It's clear that fatigue has caught up with him; however, he now has a better idea of how to prepare this offseason for the marathon that is an MLB season for a starting pitcher. Hopefully, Libby is able to learn from his 2025 season and make improvements next year. The starting rotation will be very thin, and his talent and experience will be necessary near the top.

RHP Michael McGreevy

The theme of the year for Michael McGreevy was, ironically, patience. A word that has been spoken ad nauseum by POBO John Mozeliak became the battle cry for the 25-year-old starter.

McGreevy, a former first-round pick, waited until August before he saw regular playing time in the majors. He was used on occasion prior to the trade deadline to give the starting pitchers an extra day off, but it wasn't until after Steven Matz and Erick Fedde were removed from the team that McGreevy was able to be a consistent starter in the majors.

McGreevy has made 15 starts this year with St. Louis, and he has a 4.08 ERA in 86 innings. He's struck out 53 batters and walked 15 all while giving up only eight home runs. His 3.75 FIP indicates that there is room for improvement on his season numbers.

McGreevy's strikeout numbers weren't as strong this year in the majors (5.55 K/9) as they were in the minors (9.36 K/9), but he still did a good job at limiting the damage. He didn't hurt himself with walks (4.2% BB rate, 97th percentile), and he excelled at generating soft contact. More strikeouts next year should go a long way in raising his ceiling slightly.

Even manager Oli Marmol was impressed by what he saw in McGreevy this year. "On the pitching side, we have a lot more clarity as to where Liberatore can contribute moving forward after we went into the season (wondering) if he should be a reliever or a starter. McGreevy has done a nice job.”

Michael McGreevy's 2025 season shouldn't make fans think he's a top-of-the-rotation starter. However, they should give fans a little more optimism in the back of the rotation next year. He's a tier above what Erick Fedde, Miles Mikolas, and Andre Pallante were for the Cardinals this year, and he's a fraction of the cost of two of those three pitchers. Michael is more than likely a solid #4 starting pitcher in most MLB rotations. The fact that he's just now entering his pre-arb years makes him a far more appealing option than costly free agent veterans.

INF Thomas Saggese

Thomas Saggese, Matthew Liberatore, and Michael McGreevy are in similar buckets in my mind. Not one of these players is a superstar or even an All-Star. But these are the types of players you surround with stars to raise their potential.

Saggese, Liberatore, and McGreevy are essential to a championship-caliber team. The problem with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2025 is that these three were tasked with being far more important than they should be.

For Thomas Saggese, the optimism in his future lies in his versatility and offensive potential. The former Texas League MVP showed in the minors that he can mash, and he's shown flashes of that potential in the majors. Saggese once posted a .530 OPS as recently as 2023 in the minors. Clearly, there's pop there.

This year, Saggese was used primarily as a role player and a utility man. He was called upon when regulars in the majors got hurt, and he filled in nicely all things considered. Entering games on Saturday, Saggese had a .266/.312/.353 slash line for an 88 wRC+, 12% below league average, in just 261 at-bats.

Saggese has been striking out too often (28% of the time), and his walk rate (6.1%) isn't consistent with his approach in the minors this year. He's hit only two home runs all year.

Saggese has been a viable defender at multiple infield positions this year. He's a negative defender at second base in 289 innings, but he grades out as a positive defender at third base and a neutral defender at shortstop according to various metrics. It's possible that, with the potential for an offseason trade of one or both of Nolan Arenado and Nolan Gorman, Saggese could find himself as the club's everyday third baseman in 2026 — depending on what happens with JJ Wetherholt, of course.

Thomas Saggese is a core player for the near future after a decent showing in the majors this year. Don't confuse him with a leader in the organization or an offensive powerhouse, but he has the skills necessary to be a complementary player on a team that is entering a rebuild.

The Bullpen Reinforcements - Matt Svanson, Kyle Leahy, Riley O'Brien

When Steven Matz, Phil Maton, and Ryan Helsley were dealt at this year's trade deadline, the question of who would fill those high-leverage roles for the rest of this year and next year grew ever more important. JoJo Romero would become the de facto closer, but a "closer-by-committee" approach was far more likely. Three relievers have filled those holes quite nicely.

Matt Svanson, Kyle Leahy, and Riley O'Brien have used the 2025 season to establish themselves as high-leverage pitchers for the foreseeable future.

In 55 innings of relief for the Cardinals this year, Matt Svanson has a 2.13 ERA. He's struck out 61 batters, and he's walked only 19. His fastball consistently sits in the upper 90s, and he pairs it nicely with a sweeper that generates whiffs 27% of the time with an opponents' batting average of just .159 against it. Svanson has logged four holds this year, and he's grown quite comfortable with late inning appearances. After all, he did record 27 saves last year for the Springfield Cardinals.

Kyle Leahy has been with the major league team all year, and he's been Oliver Marmol's workhorse in relief. Leahy has thrown 81 innings this year, second most among relievers behind only Mike Vasil of the Chicago White Sox.

Leahy has a 3.33 ERA and a 3.14 FIP on the year. He's struck out 75 batters and walked only 27 thus far for a 2.78 K/BB ratio. Leahy has had his rough months this year, including a 4.40 ERA in June and a 6.48 ERA this month, but he's been reliable for Oli Marmol, and his role could grow even more next year if he assumes a spot in the rotation.

Riley O'Brien has always been a tantalizing prospect. Few relievers have as good stuff as he does. His issue, as is often the case with relievers who have a similar profile, is control. That's still a bit of a concern with O'Brien, but he's managed to pitch well in spite of those control issues.

O'Brien has a 2.08 ERA this year in 43.1 innings, and he's become a reliable late-game pitcher since the trade deadline. He struck out 13.09 batters in July, and he's fared well late in games and in high-leverage situations. He has a 9.28 K/9 rate to go along with a 2.49 FIP in such situations.

While the bullpen isn't often a place that a "rebuild" focuses on, the Cardinals need not be worried when looking at the future of relief for the organization, thanks to the growth of Matt Svanson, Kyle Leahy, and Riley O'Brien.