Cardinals: Five players under the most pressure entering the 2023 season

These five Cardinals are under the most pressure entering 2023

The St. Louis Cardinals are just days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training, and soon all eyes are squarely on the reigning National League Central Champions as they look to take a step forward in 2023

With each season comes new sets of expectations. If a player flashed signs of growth and development, more will be expected of them this coming season. If A player failed to meet expectations last season, the pressure cranks up a bit as they look to bounce back. When you look at this Cardinals roster, you could argue they are one of the teams with the most players facing critical junctions of their career.

Some of that is by design. The club has an abundance of young talent that needs to prove what they are this season - inherently creating pressure internally for those players. Pressure is not always a bad thing, especially when its created by the presence of other options who could make a name for themselves as well.

And yet, there are some players who need to prove themselves due to failing to meet expectations as of late. The Cardinals are confident that between all of the options on their roster and approaching the major leagues, they can find the right group of guys to contend this year. This year, you must perform to be a key player for St. Louis, meaning competition will begin in Februray and last throughout the entire season.

There are five players, that more than anyone else, are under the most pressure entering the 2023 season. Let's look at those five players and why this is such a pivotal season for them.