Ryan Vilade's presence in the lineup flies in the face of the Cardinals' stated goal

No St. Louis Cardinals fan wanted to see Jordan Walker go down with an injury. Even though the outfielder hadn't been putting together the type of season that the Cardinals had hoped for thus far, the team's stated "runway" that many players would receive meant that Walker would have every opportunity to turn his season around in what is a pivotal year for him.

After Walker hit the injured list, the Cardinals called up Ryan Vilade, who has the defensive versatility that the team cherishes but who has also shown an anemic bat throughout parts of three major league seasons. Despite this, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol has opted to start Vilade in the team's last three games, all against left-handed starters. He has yet to pick up a hit this season.

Starting Vilade against left-handers is antithetical to the Cardinals' original plan.

The Cardinals' "runway" was intended to serve as a measuring stick as to whether certain young players had a future within the organization. Vilade is not someone whom the Cardinals expect to serve as a long-term answer; his role is as a depth piece. So the fact that he is receiving plate appearances over Nolan Gorman and Alec Burleson is mind-bending.

Marmol has adhered to player splits in the past, so starting the right-handed-hitting Vilade over the lefties Gorman and Burleson might make some sense on the surface. But Vilade's career .147 average in 34 at-bats against left-handers is actually lower than Gorman's .219 average and Burleson's .201 average.

This baffling usage can only lead to one conclusion: Marmol doesn't believe that Gorman and Burleson should see left-handed pitching and he views them strictly as platoon bats. In a year where young players were supposed to receive every chance possible, it makes no sense that Marmol won't even provide Gorman and Burleson with the opportunity to see southpaws and attempt to improve against them.

Gorman in particular is a player whom the Cardinals seem to have given up on. The former first-round pick has seen scant playing time this season, and Marmol admitted early in the season that Gorman would be the one who was on the outside looking in as he shuffled the lineup around. But in an April 22 article from The Athletic (subscription required), shortly after Masyn Winn's return from injury, Marmol said Gorman would continue to receive playing time and that he would not go back on his comments regarding the "runway."

"We have to keep our word there, right? We said (Gorman would play), and even after the injury, that’s not runway. You have to allow him to go through some of the ups and downs. He’s going to get better. He’s working hard at it and we’re committed to seeing it through."

Oli Marmol

For some reason, that appears to have changed. Gorman looks to be a different type of player this year, slowing down his bat speed significantly to focus more on making contact than hitting for power. It's not clear whether the Cardinals asked for Gorman to make this adjustment or if Gorman went about it himself, but Marmol is not giving Gorman the opportunity to see if it will produce tangible results.

Marmol has shown tremendous growth as a manager in 2025, and if the Cardinals continue to shock the baseball world with their success, he could earn some votes for Manager of the Year. But his failure to use Gorman or Burleson over Vilade appears illogical and confounding, and it goes against everything he preached at the start of the season.