2 reasons the Cardinals will be better in 2024 and one reason they won't

Opening Day is right around the corner.

As has been discussed ad nauseum, the Cardinals were a trainwreck last year, losing 91 games and securing their first last-place finish since 1990.

2024 promises to be a little bit better. Or does it?

The Cardinals were busy this offseason and addressed their biggest weakness, the starting rotation. Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson were signed in free agency to bolster a rotation that faltered early in 2023.

But will that be enough to avoid another sub-.500 season?

In this piece, we will discuss two reasons why the Cardinals will be better and one reason why they won't.

The Cardinals will be better because of emerging young stars

We'll start off by discussing what the Cardinals have on the offensive side. On paper, what they have looks pretty good. I think it will all depend on the emergence of several young stars.

Jordan Walker is only going to get better, as are Nolan Gorman and Lars Nootbaar. Ivan Herrera finally has his shot to be a Major League catcher, and Masyn Winn is likely to be handed the reins at the shortstop position.

You also can't sleep on Tommy Edman and Brendan Donovan as they look to bounce back from injuries that plagued their 2023 seasons. In addition to Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Willson Contreras, the team has a young core that is set to take off and carry the franchise for years to come.