Why the Cardinals should trust their young core this season

A new wave of talent is coming to the St. Louis Cardinals, and there's plenty of reason to be excited about it.

It's no secret that the Cardinals will field a relatively old roster in 2025, particularly on the pitching side. Veterans like Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde, Miles Mikolas, and Steven Matz are still on the roster even after the departures of Paul Goldschmidt, Andrew Kittredge, and Matt Carpenter. It's not a clear picture, but squint and you'll see the makings of a young core developing.

Brendan Donovan will lead this youth movement next year. He's grown as a leader both on the field and in the clubhouse these last two years thanks to his shadowing of the aforementioned Goldschmidt.

Behind Donnie rests Lars Nootbaar and Ryan Helsley, the club's longest-tenured player as of now. These two will provide levity in the clubhouse and a fire out of the bullpen, respectively. Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, Alec Burleson, Andre Pallante, and Matthew Liberatore are also all members of this "young core" of relatively established players who will be leading the Cardinals.

The St. Louis Cardinals and their fans should not be worried about their young core.

Ryan Helsley is a two-time All-Star. Brendan Donovan has a Gold Glove to his name already. With those two leading the way, the rest of the pieces will fall into place.

Lars Nootbaar has become a voice of vivacity in the clubhouse. Fellow players often mention his name as a clubhouse "glue" guy. Nootbaar is also one of the game's best outfielders when healthy. Nolan Gorman provides ample pop, and if he can learn to control his strikeouts, he'll be a potent middle-of-the-lineup bat.

Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker, too, provide plenty of offensive optimism. Burly finished 2024 with a 106 wRC+ in only his second full season. If he can walk a bit more and put up slightly better numbers against southpaws, he'll be a legitimate bat, too. Jordan Walker is a former top prospect in all of baseball who is still only 22 years old. With the right approach, he can be a difference-maker offensively.

The addition of hitting coach Brant Brown should help each of these players offensively. Players like Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker have already had many positive things to say about Brown, and the longer he's with the team, the more his coaching style will take effect.

Behind these players is a talented young group of prospects led by left-handed pitcher Quinn Mathews and infielder JJ Wetherholt. Mathews took a huge step forward in 2024, and he's likely one of the first two pitchers up in the case of an injury or trade this year. Wetherholt was the club's first-round pick in the 2024 draft. Chase Davis, Jimmy Crooks, Tink Hence, Tekoah Roby, and Thomas Saggese are also talented prospects in the system.

While the 2025 roster looks eerily similar to the 2024 one, there are several young players who are rising quickly through the system. In-house leaders like Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar, and Ryan Helsley are excellent bridge players to the next generation of stars. Fans should not be worried about the passing of the torch from players like Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, and Sonny Gray to Masyn Winn, Jordan Walker, and others.