John Mozeliak points to unlikely Cardinal as team's next star

The St. Louis Cardinals' unexpected success in 2025 is the talk of the city, and there are plenty of players who deserve credit for the team's performance. But in an interview with KMOX, President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak made sure to point out one member of the team in particular as someone to keep an eye on for the future.

"I really feel like Oli [Marmol] is just an emerging star. I think he understands the game; I think players like playing for him. He runs a really good clubhouse. I think from an in-game strategy standpoint, he understands. There's certainly times where he makes decisions and it doesn't work, but let me tell you, anyone that has to do that job, you're always being looked at. It's hard, it's tough, and I think he has the personality to really handle it, and I think he does a great job with it."

John Mozeliak

Mozeliak believes Oli Marmol is a standout manager in the making.

Oli Marmol has managed the Cardinals splendidly this season. The Cardinals entered the season with low expectations, a trimmed payroll, and a lineup that now lacks Paul Goldschmidt, but Marmol has juggled the roster well while being transparent with reporters about his process. His hires of hitting coach Brant Brown and pitching coach Dusty Blake appear to have paid dividends as well, and that's not to mention instructors such as Jon Jay and Daniel Descalso, who have helped the players punch above their weight.

An article from Bernie Miklasz on Sports Hub STL examined Marmol's contributions to the team in greater depth and mentioned that even in 2024, the Cardinals outperformed expectations, exceeding their Pythagorean win total by six games. Miklasz also noted that Marmol has a better record in his first four years with the club than legendary skipper Tony La Russa did.

Managers don't influence games to the extent that they used to, mostly because of the leaguewide adaptation of the designated hitter and the strategy that was lost as a result, and for that reason, individual managers aren't as well known around casual baseball circles as they once were. But the league has taken notice of what Marmol and the Cardinals have been able to do, and it's beginning to look like Marmol was the right man for the job and should remain in the saddle for future seasons.

With Mozeliak stepping down from his position after the 2025 season, there has been plenty of speculation that his successor, Chaim Bloom, will appoint his own manager as the team transitions to a new era. But while Mozeliak will have no say in Marmol's job status after the season, it has become difficult to see Marmol being dismissed, even in deference to fan favorites such as Albert Pujols or Yadier Molina.

Seeing Pujols or Molina manage a major league team other than St. Louis would be akin to stomping on the hearts of the Cardinals faithful, and Molina has mentioned that he would be willing to manage elsewhere — including Chicago's north side. It's an acidic pill that fans may have to swallow, but if Marmol continues to flourish in his role, it would be difficult to justify the Cardinals making a switch at the position.

It's notoriously difficult to have fans of any team lavish praise on their manager; as Mozeliak said, they're always being scrutinized and second-guessed. But Marmol has grown by leaps and bounds during his time at the helm, and with the Cardinals hoping to compete for another title soon, Bloom may stay the course and retain the young, upstart manager who has already shown plenty of promise.