Cardinals manager expected to be baseball's most tossed skipper in 2025

In an effort to throw projections at the wall and see what sticks, former general manager and current writer for The Athletic Jim Bowden chucked out 25 predictions regarding the 2025 MLB season. Second on the list was his take on which managers would lead the league in ejections. For the American League, Bowden marked New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone to receive the honors, with seven. And in the National League, and leading the majors? Well, if you're reading this blog, you probably already guessed it: Bowden expects St. Louis Cardinals manager Oli Marmol to take home the virtual hardware in 2025, getting lifted from eight games.

Marmol and Boone paced their respective leagues in ejections in 2024, with six each, so Bowden's prediction was the safe play. Marmol has shown a willingness to stand up for his players, and that could be elevated to another level as more young players receive chances. Less experienced players likely wouldn't be afforded the same grace regarding ejections that's often given to veterans in debates with umpires about close calls.

With the modern instant replay system having been in place since 2014 and managers being allowed to challenge certain calls, the manager vs. umpire slobberknockers are becoming a thing of the past, and the automated ball-strike system, which was tested in spring training for the first time in 2025, could further squelch those feuds.

Marmol's most well-known umpire feuds were likely his brouhahas in 2022 and 2023 with umpire C.B. Bucknor. On Aug. 21, 2022, Bucknor ejected Marmol after a fiery exchange in which the Cardinals manager argued a called strike against Nolan Arenado. The spat carried over into the first game of spring training in 2023, where Bucknor reportedly refused to shake Marmol's hand before the game. Following the game, Marmol said that Bucknor had "zero class."

No fan likes seeing an umpire making himself the focal point of the game; the best umpires are those who are never acknowledged. But at the same time, watching managers vociferously defending their players can evoke confidence in the dugout and entertainment in the stands. With Marmol's job potentially on the line and every move he makes under scrutiny, expect the Cardinals manager to be outspoken in support of his players in 2025.