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The 10 Cardinals with the most to prove during Spring Training
By Josh Jacobs
Steven Matz
It's safe to say that Steven Matz's first two years in St. Louis have not gone according to plan.
Halfway through his four-year deal with St. Louis, Matz has made just 27 starts, and has not always produced at a high-level for them when he's been on the mound.
After a terrible start to the 2023 season, Matz was placed in the bullpen for over a month to refine his repertoire. After finding success as a reliever, Matz regained his rotation spot and flourished, posting a 1.86 ERA in seven starts before hitting the injured list to end his season.
Health is number one priority for Matz this spring, with confidence being a close second. Once Matz began pitching with an edge again in 2023 and trusting his stuff, that's when he found great success. If Matz can remain healthy and be confident in himself this spring, he has the chance to be the Cardinals' second-best starter on their roster currently.
If Matz is unable to break camp healthy or struggles once again, one of the young starters like Zack Thompson, Matthew Libeartore, or Gordon Graceffo may leapfrog him in the rotation.