5 Cardinals players most likely to have a breakout season in 2023

Alec Burleson

There's never been a doubt that Burleson has some serious talent at the plate. While he's not much of a defender (average results in the corner outfield), his bat is by far his biggest calling card.

The 24-year-old entered the 2023 season without a guaranteed spot on the big league roster. He figured to be locked in a battle with Juan Yepez for the backup first base/corner outfield gig. In 19 Spring Training games, Burleson proved he was the man for the job, going 16-for-58 (good for a .276 batting average) with six doubles, a home run, eight runs driven in, and eight runs scored.

This is on the heels of an excellent season for the Triple-A Memphis Cardinals last year where he hit 25 doubles and 20 home runs in 109 games with 87 RBI and a batting average of .331.

To start the year, Burleson has been consistently proving why the Cardinals were right to pick him over Yepez for this role. In three games and 13 at-bats, he has two doubles, a home run, two RBI, and a .308 average. This is a small sample size, but the success is most welcomed from the perspective of both Cardinals fans and the Cardinals management.

Matthew Liberatore

Like Burleson, there's never been a question as to whether Liberatore has the talent to succeed in the big leagues or not. It's just been about him capitalizing on his opportunities and running with them.

Last year's numbers don't properly indicate how Liberatore performed throughout the season. In Triple-A, he had a 5.17 ERA in 22 starts and 115 innings. He punched out 9.1 batters per nine but also saw his walks go up. He earned a brief promotion to the big leagues as well, but this was also largely uninspiring.

The 23-year-old southpaw, like many others on the roster, entered Spring Training with a chip on his shoulders. He knew that there was work to be done and that he'll need to see some improvements if there's going to be any hope for him, at least in the Cardinals' organization.

Sure enough, Liberatore looked amazing during spring. In three appearances (two starts), he posted a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings, striking out nine and walking just one batter. He saw a significant boost in velocity on his fastball, reaching up to 97mph after comfortably sitting in the 94-95mph range last year.

Liberatore pairs his fastball with a massive curveball that has a ton of break. At various times in spring, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol specifically pointed out his velocity and how his sweeping curveball was impressive early on.

Things are off to a great start in the regular season as well. While he did not make the Opening Day roster, Liberatore has likely found himself at the top of the list for potential call-ups when injuries arise. In his first start for Memphis, he threw five shutout innings with just four hits allowed and seven strikeouts as well. So far, so good for the pitcher who is looking to finally elevate his game to the next level.

Nolan Gorman

Gorman is still just 22-years-old and is in line for a serious improvement in production in what will be his second year in the big leagues.

The lefty-swinging infielder burst onto the scene last year after annihilating minor league pitching at every stop. He hit 25 home runs in 119 games split between Double-A and Triple-A in 2021 and looked to be near major league ready despite his young age.

To start 2022, he began the year in Triple-A once again. This time, he forced the Cardinals' hands by hitting 15 home runs with a .308/.367/.677 slash line through just 34 games. Many have not only made it to the big leagues but excelled in the big leagues at his age, so the Cardinals did what any smart team would do and promoted him to see what he's made of.

Things didn't go quite as expected during the 2022 season, but it's hard to fault the Cardinals for trying. In 89 games at the major league level, Gorman hit 14 home runs with 35 RBI and a .226 average. His 106 OPS+ suggests he was six percent above league average, but he struck out in just under 33 percent of his plate appearances, which is not something you'd like to see out of a player at the game's highest level.

In 2023 Spring Training, Gorman came into camp with something to prove. After missing time due to back stiffness last year and being demoted briefly in September, he knew that spring games were his shot to show that he can stick in The Show.

In 19 games during spring, he recorded 15 hits in 52 at-bats (.288) with four home runs and a whopping 13 runs batted in. He struck out 19 times but also drew seven walks, scored nine runs, and even stole a base along the way. He's off to a red-hot start in the regular season, too, with a .500 average, two home runs, and more walks (five) than strikeouts (four) through four games.

Jordan Walker

I realize by now this may seem like a cheap answer, but Walker truly does seem to be on the cusp of greatness for this Cardinals team. The 20-year-old (!!!) made the Opening Day roster thanks to an otherworldly showing in Triple-A last year and an impressive Spring Training this year.

For Memphis in 2022, Walker hit 31 doubles and 19 home runs with 100 runs scored, 68 runs batted in 22 stolen bases, and a cool .306 average. Such advanced skills at the plate don't come around often by someone who is still such a young player.

The top-rated prospect in the Cardinals system and No. 4 in all of baseball, Walker turned in a strong showing in 20 spring games. He recorded 18 hits in 65 at-bats (.277 average) while hitting three home runs with nine RBI as well. This forced the Cardinals to bring him aboard to open the regular season, and it's been a great decision so far for the club.

Through Walker's first four big league games, he has five hits in 16 at-bats (.313) with a double and three runs batted in. Notably, he has struck out just one time so far after going down on Ks 15 times in spring. This improved patience at the plate, paired with his knack for swinging hard and often, has paid off in a big way to start the year. His 2023 NL Rookie of the Year campaign is going well so far and he truly has the capability to do big things this season.

Lars Nootbaar

Nootbaar, who recently became the most famous baseball player in Japan, is an obvious choice here. He rose to prominence on the national stage when he became the first ever player not born in Japan to represent the country in the World Baseball Classic.

In seven games there, he recorded seven hits in 26 at-bats, scoring seven runs while driving in four of his own. He also walked (six) as many times as he struck out, stole two bases, and had a .269 batting average.

Last year was Nootbaar's first full season of big league games. He showed off impressive gap power and patience at the plate while hitting 14 home runs in 108 games. His .228 batting average may turn some fans off of his game, but his 126 OPS+ (26 percent above league average) suggests that he was much more valuable than the average says he was.

"Noot" made it into five spring contests for the Cardinals and had a .300 average with two runs scored and one run driven in. He also made it into the Opening Day game against the Blue Jays, going one-for-six with a run scored, before jamming his thumb while diving into third base. He is currently on the injured list but is an excellent candidate to do great things for the Cardinals this year and beyond.