Cards' youth primed to rise to lofty expectations in 2025

JUPITER, Fla. -- As a member of the Cardinals' organization since 2007, manager Oliver Marmol has always marveled at and embraced the daily expectation of winning in St. Louis and the unwavering belief that seasons are measured in pennants and championship hardware without exception.

Those lofty goals and daily standards could be put to the test during the 2025 season with the franchise affixing more of its focus on player development. Still, Marmol said he and the youth-laden Cardinals won’t lower their standards just because the roster is greener than just about every one that has come before it. First, he said such capitulating would never fly in a baseball-rich city like St. Louis. Secondly, he wants his rebuilding squad to keep expectations for themselves high while using the group’s naivete somewhat to its advantage.

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“I don’t think you adjust that; I think that’s an error if you adjust for that [inexperience],” Marmol said on Monday at the team’s Spring Training headquarters. “You’re tapping [into] their willingness to go [hard], and I don’t think you cap that at all. That is the exciting part -- they understand their responsibilities, where they are playing and that it’s in St. Louis, which is meaningful, and the style of baseball that’s expected.

“When you look at that young group, starting behind the plate with [Pedro] Pagés and [Iván] Herrera, [Brendan Donovan], Nolan [Gorman], [Masyn] Winn, [Lars] Nootbaar, [Jordan] Walker and [Victor Scott II], it’s a lot of homegrown dudes who understand the tradition of this organization. You don’t put a ceiling on [expectations] at all. You talk about winning baseball games and coming together as a team to do that, and then you allow them to run really hard in that direction.”

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That push begins in earnest on Tuesday, when pitchers and catchers report. Absent from that mix will be Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Andrew Kittridge, veterans guideposts on the staff in 2024 who helped mentor others. Other youngsters -- such as Andre Pallante, No. 10 prospect Michael McGreevy, No. 11 prospect Gordon Graceffo, No. 3 prospect Quinn Mathews, Matthew Liberatore and Ryan Fernandez -- have been elevated into prime positions to do the heavy lifting for a Cardinals team going about things quite differently than in the past.

Veterans such as Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde, Miles Mikolas and Ryan Helsley remain on the pitching staff, but the Cards' ability to remain competitive in 2025 will likely come down to the rapid development of the team’s young core. Marmol believes that the group suddenly being thrust into the spotlight will respond to the challenges ahead.

“A lot of the young guys here have been here before and this is familiar to them,” he said. “With a lot of these guys, they understand how we operate, and now, they are just taking that next step forward in their careers.”

Marmol said that from his many conversations with players this offseason, the club’s commitment to giving youngsters more runway to succeed or fail at the big league level was a welcome addition. In the past, the Cardinals often sacrificed development to try to win that night’s game or to stay in the playoff chase. This season, for example, young sluggers such as Gorman and Walker will be given extended runs instead of having to worry about being benched or sent to Triple-A Memphis. The same goes for McGreevy, Graceffo and Mathews, young arms who hope to be fixtures in St. Louis' starting rotation.

“Put yourself in their shoes when the president [of baseball operations, John Mozeliak] has been super vocal about giving the young guys more of an opportunity. If you’re one of those young guys, you get fired up about making your mark,” Marmol said. “So, they’re excited about getting to do exactly that.”

While Marmol insists that the daily expectations of winning and playing the game the right way remain high, he knows there will need to be grace given when young players encounter bumps or when the club collectively struggles. Admittedly, Marmol said it will take patience -- from himself and a demanding fan base -- to weather the moments when things don’t look so shiny. The process, he promised, will pay off for a Cards club that expects to win big again in the future.

“[Patience] is always a good thing to have in my position,” he said with a wry smile. “When we talk about runway [for young players], that goes hand in hand [with patience].

“We want to build something that’s lasting and that comes with runway and opportunity. We’re taking a step back and making sure we’re building something that’s going to last and provide winning baseball for a long time.”