6 St. Louis Cardinals who could blossom into superstars

Nolan Gorman

This one is pretty easy. Nolan Gorman is becoming a superstar before our very eyes.

In 42 games, Gorman is slashing .302/.391/.640 with 13 HR and 39 RBI while hitting in the middle of the Cardinals order. Fans have always known that Gorman boasts elite power, but it is the way that he has rounded out his weaknesses that makes him so special right now.

Gorman has cut down his strikeout rate significantly, raised his batting percentage and walk rate, and is now doing damage with pitches that he has struggled with throughout his career. He is now coming through in the biggest spots in games and is mashing against left-handed pitching too.

A powerful left-handed bat with elite on-base skills that is clutch and can now hit lefties too? Yeah, that dude is s a stud. Gorman certainly has superstar potential in him and he is playing up to that talent right now.

Jordan Walker

Can we just take a moment to remember that Jordan Walker just turned 21 years old? That doesn't guarantee success in this league, but it should allow fans to have a ton of patience with him. Remember last season when people felt like Gorman was a disappointment and were ready to package him for an impact arm or catcher?

Walker is the top prospect in all of baseball right now. He somehow forced his way onto the Opening Day roster and posted a .718 OPS in his first 73 career at-bats. Walker is going to be really, really good.

Yes, Walker was sent down to work on some things with his swing, and yes he started off slow down in Memphis, but it does not negate the fact that Walker is a very talented player and has a bright future ahead of him.

Not only do I expect to see Walker back in St. Louis this summer, but I also expect him to begin to break out with the kind of potential he has. Walker has the body type to mash home runs like Gorman, but he seemed more like a 25-30 home run-a-year guy with a higher average and a young of doubles. Walker still has a ways to go with his outfield defense, but he has the opportunity to be a great defender as well.

Give Walker some time, and I feel pretty confident that he will rise to the occasion.

Lars Nootbaar

He's already an international superstar, but Lars Nootbaar has the chance to be mentioned among some of the best outfielders in our sport if things go according to plan.

Nootbaar's mix of power and on-base skills make him a very valuable asset for this club. When both are clicking for him, Nootbaar has the ability to be a .400+ OBP guy who mashes the pitches he does hit. Doing this from the left side as well, Nootbaar can be special.

Nootbaar is also a very good defender, covering ground for St. Louis is both right field and center field. Playing great defense at premium positions only helps his case.

He's already got the framework outside of his on-the-field performance to rise to superstar status. He's beloved by almost everyone who knows him, and he has an entire country rooting for him in Japan. Nootbaar's personality easily lends itself to being a lovable guy, which will only make his rise to stardom that much easier.

Masyn Winn

The biggest story out of Spring Training this year, other than the emergence of Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman, was the development of shortstop Masyn Winn.

Everyone knows Winn has a rocket arm. People have doubted his bat for a while, but there was at least a general belief that he could be a decent big-league hitter. He was an exciting player nonetheless.

What Winn did this spring and has continued in Memphis is now causing fans to raise their expectations so much higher.

Winn looked comfortable all spring against Major League pitching, posting a team-leading .949 OPS in 54 at-bats. While Winn's first month of minor league baseball was slow for him, he has rebounded with an .875 OPS in May and looks like the dynamic hitter we saw all throughout the spring.

Winn's mix of elite skills defensively, speed on the base paths, and the ability to make game-changing plays at the plate could very easily help him become one of the most exciting players in all of baseball. Winn just turned 21 in March, so he has so much time ahead of him as he develops. Winn is already big league ready, and once a spot with consistent playing time opens up in St. Louis, Winn will be there.

Tink Hence

The Cardinals have some really interesting pitching prospects coming through their ranks right now. None of them have the kind of stuff and ceiling that Tink Hence has.

Hence, who is just 20 years old, has a 2.63 ERA in his first four starts in Peoria this season. He's still throwing very few innings and may be more than a year away from sniffing the Major Leagues, but there is good reason that the Cardinals are slow playing this.

Hence has the kind of stuff to be a true ace for the Cardinals. Not just a number one, but a top-end number one starter, someone who can truly go up against the best starters in the game. But he is going to need time to pair his nasty stuff with the longevity and strength to handle a starter's workload.

Pitching prospects are always risky. Hence could experience injuries that derail his career. But the potential for ace-like quality from him is so tantalizing. The Cardinals have pitching prospects like Gordon Graceffo and Cooper Hjepre who could be very good starters but Hence is the one everyone should really keep an eye on.

Tyler O'Neill

I said superstar potential, not that these guys were guaranteed to fulfill those expectations. But Tyler O'Neill still has superstar potential, but it may never be realized in St. Louis or potentially anywhere else.

2021 looks like the outlier in his career right now, finishing top-10 in MVP voting, winning his second career Gold Glove, and looking like an unstoppable force at the plate. But two straight injury-riddled seasons have caused many to doubt his future with this club.

At the end of the day, I'm having a hard time imagining O'Neill having a long-term future in St. Louis, which hurts to say as someone who has been a huge fan of him in recent years. But this club needs certainty from their outfield right now, and O'Neill does not provide that.

So why would I say he has superstar potential then? Well if O'Neill can stay on the field, he has the potential to return to form and scare the league once again. The Cardinals know that which is why O'Neill keeps getting chances with them. But if things don't turn around quickly upon his return from injury, he'll have to continue that quest for big-league stardom with another club. I do hope he regains his All-Star form once again and that it's for the Cardinals, but if not, we'll see if he can elsewhere.