Ranking the 10 most important St. Louis Cardinals players for the 2025 season

Spring Training games are here. The St. Louis Cardinals begin their 2025 youth movement this weekend. After a brutal offseason filled with almost nothing, it's finally time to see if the Cardinals' young bats can prove themselves at the Major League level.

2025 is being dubbed a “transition” year by the front office, which means expectations are widely different for this roster than in past years. The players in the clubhouse have a strong belief in what they’ll be able to accomplish this year, but from a fan and organizational perspective, all eyes will be on how the club is trending long-term.

With that in mind, here are the 10 most important Cardinals players for the 2025 season. These won’t necessarily be the 10 best players on the team this year, but their success matters both for the current state and the long-term trajectory of the Cardinals organization.

Check out a deep dive on these players on the Dealin' the Cards channel:

10 - Willson Contreras (1B)

One of the best-hitting catchers in all of baseball over the last few years, Willson Contreras is making a surprise position change to first base for 2025 in an effort to keep his bat in the lineup every day.

Since becoming a Cardinal, Contreras has been one of the top 20 hitters in baseball, with a 133 wRC+, producing like a true middle-of-the-order bat and growing more and more comfortable at the plate the longer he’s been in St. Louis. Injuries limited Contreras to just 84 games in 2024, so after the Cardinals decided to let Paul Goldschmidt walk in free agency and Contreras stayed in St. Louis, both sides agreed that a move to first base would be the best fit.

If Contreras can stay healthy in 2025, he is easily the best bat on their roster and has the potential to carry the offense all year long. Contreras’ desire to stay in St. Louis and help lead their young core speaks volumes about the kind of player he is, and his fiery personality is perfect for a team looking to shock some people.

9 - Nolan Arenado (3B)

After an offseason of trade rumors and uncertainty, Nolan Arenado is back in a Cardinals uniform. Following up an MVP finalist season in 2022 with two disappointing years in a row, Arenado is determined to be a top third baseman in the league once more.

His long-term future in St. Louis is still in question, but there’s no doubt that Arenado will remain with the Cardinals come Opening Day. If the young core lives up to expectations, a bounce-back from Arenado could mean contending for a division crown. But, if not, he could still play himself into a trade at the deadline that brings back more value to the Cardinals.

Either way, having a 10-time Gold Glover and eight-time All-Star at third base raises the Cardinals’ floor in 2025. As teammate Lars Nootbaar once said, “A motivated Nolan is a scary Nolan.” If Arenado plays as well as he is motivated to prove critics wrong, St. Louis could become a legitimate threat to win the NL Central division.

8 - Andre Pallante (RHP)

Andre Pallante’s path to earning a rotation spot with the Cardinals has been full of twists and turns. After struggling as a reliever to begin the 2024 season, Pallante was sent down to Memphis, and by his request, he was stretched out as a starter once again.

After being recalled to St. Louis in late May, Pallante took a few starts to settle in, but once he did, he was the Cardinals' best starter for the rest of the season. Pallante posted a 3.25 ERA over his final 15 starts, leading all of baseball in groundball rate and barrel rate. Beneath the hood, Pallante has become one of the best pitchers in baseball at inducing weak contact, which should give the Cardinals a ton of confidence in his profile as a starter.

So what changed for Pallante? The addition of a “deathball” last offseason helped him add more swing and miss to his game while bringing back his sinker and using it almost exclusively against right-handers helped him neutralize the side of the plate that gave him the most trouble historically. 

If Pallante can build upon his success in 2025, he’ll build upon his case as the Cardinals’ best homegrown starter in the 2020s and help their rotation become more of a strength, or at least not a major weakness. 

7 - Sonny Gray (RHP)

After the Cardinals made pitching a priority following the 2023 season, Sonny Gray is the lone remnant of a winter of pitching acquisitions (Lynn, Gibson, and Gray), where he was the headliner. Once again, the Cardinals are counting on him to anchor a rotation of veterans and young arms alike.

Gray’s 2024 season was full of oddities. His home run rate nearly tripled from a year prior, where he finished second in American League Cy Young voting. But his strikeout rate of 11 per nine innings reached a career-high in a full season. The sizable gap between his 3.84 ERA and his 3.12 FIP also indicates he performed much worse than expected and was a victim of some bad luck.

If Gray stays healthy and his on-field numbers can regress closer toward his expected numbers, he should be one of the top starting pitchers in the National League. Moreover, his desire to remain in St. Louis this season despite the team exploring trade options is a testament to his leadership. His presence in the dugout and voice as a leader should steady the rotation as the Cardinals look to give more opportunities to their prospects.

6 - Brendan Donovan (Utility)

Since debuting in 2022, Brendan Donovan has been in a class of his own among utility players in baseball. No player in baseball has been nearly as productive as Donovan at the plate while playing as many positions as he has.

Donovan’s versatility is a major asset to the Cardinals, as they can place him anywhere on the infield and in the corner outfield spots and know they’ll get production offensively as well. Expect to see Donovan all over the field for the Cardinals once again in 2025.

Donovan wasn’t quite himself at the plate last year, as although he added some power to his game, his on-base percentage took a significant step back. What has made Donovan so special since entering the league is his ability to get on base at a high level, ranking top 15 in OBP since his debut. If he can get back to career norms with his on-base skills while still tapping into that power, Donovan will be a force at the plate.

We saw that version of Donovan during the summer of 2023 before he was placed on the IL with season-ending elbow surgery. During that 53-game stretch, Donovan posted a .398 OBP and .485 SLG, resulting in a 144 wRC+. Donovan has what it takes to be one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball; he’ll just have to show it once again in 2025.

Donovan’s importance goes even deeper when you take into account the leadership role he’s taken with the Cardinals. Players will be looking to Donovan this year, and his voice will be a key part of helping the club surprise people this year.

Check out this interview we did with Donovan on Dealin' the Cards this week! He's an awesome dude.

5 - Ivan Herrera (C)

With Willson Contreras moving to first base full time, Ivan Herrera should get every opportunity to prove himself this season as the catcher of the future. Offensively, Herrera has the potential to be one of the best catchers in all of baseball. He only played 72 games last season, but he slashed .301/.372/.428 for a 127 wRC+ and was second on the team in most offensive rate categories, trailing only Willson Contreras.

However, his defense behind the plate will be the real limiting factor. He was just 14th percentile in caught stealing, and the pitching staff seemed to prefer throwing to Pedro Pages much more. If Herrera can strengthen his arm, he should draw many more starts behind the dish and add another true threat to the heart of the Cardinals lineup.

Though he received the least playing time of all the young bats in 2024, Herrera may be the most complete hitter of the group currently. With more consistent reps, Herrera will lengthen the Cardinals lineup with another solid bat that still has some untapped power potential.

4 - Masyn Winn (SS)

After a cup of coffee in St. Louis at the end of the 2023 season, Masyn Winn entered last year as the Cardinals’ starting shortstop, and he did not disappoint. He had one of the best rookie seasons by a Cardinal in recent memory, posting a 4.9 rWAR, joining Albert Pujols and Stan Musial as the only Cardinals age 22 or younger to do so in a season. 

Known for his defensive prowess as a prospect, Winn has shown 80-grade arm talent and a growing feel for the shortstop position that has already landed him Fielding Bible’s top defensive shortstop for 2024 and led him to be named a finalist for the Gold Glove Award as well. Winn figures to only continue to grow as a defender, so the Cardinals may have a multi-time Gold Glover on their hands.

At the plate, Winn surprised even the Cardinals with his comfort level facing big-league pitching already. Winn slashed .267/.314/.416 with 15 home runs and 85 runs scored, good for a 103 wRC+. Considering people thought his bat would take a while to grow, this was a very encouraging rookie campaign.

Winn is on pace to be the Cardinals’ next franchise player, but he will have to build upon his strong rookie campaign to do so. There’s a strong argument for him to be higher on this list, but Winn has fewer questions to answer compared to other young Cardinals. The floor seems to be very high for the soon-to-be 23-year-old shortstop, and the ceiling is also sky-high.

3 - Nolan Gorman (2B)

After a promising 2023 season, Nolan Gorman looked poised to become a much-needed tentpole bat in the middle of the Cardinals' order. However, 2024 was quite a fall from grace for the once-streaky hitter. After a few short stretches where he looked like his old self, Gorman fell victim to the strikeout bug, as he became nearly unplayable. He struck out nearly 38% of the time and was on pace to break a Major League record had he not been demoted to Triple-A to finish the year.

Many of the strengths Gorman had in 2023 became weaknesses last season, and he simply looked lost at the plate. After mashing fastballs in 2023 to the tune of a +11 run value, .263 average, and .496 SLG, pitchers were able to overmatch Gorman with their heaters in 2024, seeing those numbers drop to a terrible -12 run value, .162 average, and .333 SLG. 

Swing-and-miss will always be a part of Gorman’s game, but he needs to find a way to hit the ball hard again when he does make contact. What makes Gorman so special when he is feeling things at the plate is his ability to do damage with the pitches he does hit, boasting a 16.5% barrel rate and 48.5% hard-hit percentage in 2023, both in the 86th percentile or higher. 

In 2023, Gorman managed to post a 135 wRC+ or higher in four of the six months of baseball he played in that season and was only able to hit that mark once in 2024. For the Cardinals’ offense to take a major step forward in 2025, they need Gorman to get back to his mashing ways, becoming someone they can depend on for 30+ home runs and can carry their offense for stretches.

2 - Lars Nootbaar (OF)

It’s been said time and time again, but Lars Nootbaar just needs to stay healthy. Despite multiple IL stints again in 2024, Nootbaar was one of the Cardinals' best offensive contributors when healthy. He started slow after missing Opening Day but found his groove in May, where he recorded a .845 OPS. Then he recorded a .986 OPS in September after returning from his second IL visit. When he stays on the field, he’s a borderline elite player. However, he has yet to show that availability.

Nootbaar’s expected metrics also indicate that he hasn’t reached his full potential yet. He has the lowest chase rate in all of baseball, and he hits the ball extremely hard when he does put the ball in play. Last year, Nootbaar was tied with his WBC teammate Shohei Ohtani for the eighth-highest blast rate in the league despite taking far fewer swings. If he can find a good balance between plate discipline and power, he could become one of the most dangerous hitters in a promising lineup. 

The fan frustration with Nootbaar is understandable, though, as he’s failed to play 120 games in a season so far. 2025 should truly tell us whether he will be a great player or just a good player. But with an offseason of preparation and a focus on health, there’s still hope that Nootbaar can develop into the star he is capable of being.

1 - Jordan Walker (OF)

After a strong rookie season in 2023, it looked like Jordan Walker would become an anchor in the Cardinals lineup. However, his 2024 season was as disappointing as it was brief. With the Cardinals fighting for a playoff spot all summer, the team did not give Walker the chance to struggle at the Major League level and instead sent him to Triple-A very early in the season.

Admittedly, Walker’s 72 wRC+ and lackluster defense were both unplayable for a contending team. But the way the Cardinals handled his development was unacceptable. Amidst a hot stretch in Triple-A, Walker was called up as a platoon bat against left-handed pitching and promptly sent down when he was no longer needed. The repeated moves between Memphis and St. Louis surely didn’t help with his development and possibly contributed to his struggles at the big-league level. Ultimately, he had a disappointing season at the Major League level and didn’t see many improvements in Triple-A.

Not all hope is lost, though, as Walker is just 22 years old and has spent the offseason with new hitting coach Brant Brown to revamp and rediscover his swing. At 6 foot 6, Walker has the talent and pedigree to develop into a star, but the Cardinals need to give him the playing time to improve and work through his struggles rather than optioning him to the Minor Leagues. Of all the young bats on the Cardinals roster, Jordan Walker has the highest ceiling. If the Cardinals want this youth movement to work, Walker has to develop into a productive player. After so many top prospects have failed to pan out, St. Louis is relying on Jordan Walker to be the future of the franchise.