Top 5 St. Louis Cardinals with most to gain from the World Baseball Classic

1. Genesis Cabrera

Genesis Cabrera was one of the Cardinals' best left-handed arms in recent memory in 2021. He saw action in 71 games for St. Louis and was a big part of the success that the bullpen had and a big reason why the team was able to capture a spot in the postseason.

It was a different story in 2022 for the Dominican native. He appeared in just 39 games for St. Louis last year and was eventually demoted to AAA. At most times through the season, you didn't know if you would get 2021 Cabrera or a version of him who couldn't throw strikes.

Now, Cabrera dawns the colors of the Dominican Republic, one of the tournament's favorites and potentially the greatest roster ever assembled. If you want to see Cabrera pitch in some big games, you could not ask for a better team for him to land on.

Pool D is possibly the deepest group in the World Baseball Classic. With the DR and Team Puerto Rico as the favorites, you cannot overlook the star power of Team Venezuela.

Cabrera will have every chance to earn a spot in the bullpen to begin the year, and if he pitches well, he could be trusted with the seventh or eighth inning of games. His journey back to his 2021 form begins Saturday night in Miami against Venezuela.