Which Cardinals players have the most to prove entering Spring Training?

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Jack Flaherty


It should be fairly obvious why Jack Flaherty finds himself on this list. In 2019 Jack became the ace of the Cardinals rotation, a standout year where we won 11 games and ended with a 2.75 ERA. When he is though, it has been pretty much downhill since. After a rather average year in 2020, a 60-game sprint, Flaherty seemed to be back to form in the early part of 2021, however, that is when the injury bug hit our friend and where things started to go amiss.

Since 2020, Flaherty has started a total of 32 games (he started 33 in all of 2019.) On top of wanting to get back to full health, he is scheduled to be a free agent next off-season. If he can get a full season under his belt and return to his ace form, he could find himself getting a nice payday come wintertime, whether it be in St. Louis or elsewhere.

Jordan Walker


Jordan Walker enters 2023 not only as the Cardinals' top prospect but as one of the top prospects in all of baseball. Throughout his time in the Minor Leagues Walker has shined. Walker spent all of 2022 at Double-A Springfield where he ended the season with a .306 AVG and 19 home runs. Walker will start Spring Training at the Big League camp with a chance to earn his way onto the Opening Day roster. Even if he doesn't come up until later in the season, Walker will begin his big-league career with all eyes on him. If he lives up to the hype, he'll be a cornerstone of the Cardinals lineup for years to come.