JUPITER, Fla. — The Cardinals have wrapped up a week-and-a-half of spring training games and while that’s hardly a suitable sample size when considering a 162-game season, some general ideas about the team are starting to form.
After making their first round of cuts Saturday, the Cardinals’ major-league camp roster stands at 58 players. Right-handers Freddy Pacheco and Guillermo Zuñiga were optioned to Memphis, and James Naile, Tommy Parsons, Kodi Whitley and catchers Aaron Antonini and Jimmy Crooks were reassigned to minor-league camp. However, a significant portion of the roster is no longer in Jupiter, as all players cleared to participate in the World Baseball Classic have departed the Cardinals’ spring complex and reported to their respective teams.
It will be roughly three weeks before Oli Marmol has his full squad under one roof again, which will complicate matters a bit as he looks to start building his 2023 roster. The first handful of games this spring has already presented the second-year manager with much to consider. Let’s dive into what we’ve learned about the Cardinals.
Rotation taking shape
All five projected starting pitchers — Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery and Steven Matz — have made at least one Grapefruit League start. The early returns are promising. Mikolas was sharp in both of his outings, racking up six strikeouts over five innings. Flaherty and Matz dazzled in their debuts Monday against Houston: Flaherty struck out five batters over three innings and Matz retired all nine batters he faced, four via the strikeout. Montgomery’s line score wasn’t ideal — four earned runs in his debut Sunday — but admitted feeling a little nervous coming into the start and slightly rushed as he adjusted to the pitch timer. The good news for Montgomery is that his fastball velocity ticked up to 95 mph in that outing, which represented the earliest he’d reached that velocity in spring.
.@Jack9Flaherty strikes out five in his #SpringTraining debut. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/29M7lrPHw0
— MLB (@MLB) March 6, 2023
Both Flaherty and Matz entered camp eager to put their injury history behind them. The Cardinals’ rotation lacked a high amount of swing-and-miss last year, but Flaherty and Matz are two of the arms best profiled to change that.
“That’s what we bet on, right?” Marmol said when discussing the importance of a healthy Matz and Flaherty. “When we sat down in the offseason and talk about what we need and then not adding an arm is because we were really counting on those two to look like (Monday’s outing). If they do that, we’re in pretty good shape.”
The organization does have some concerns over Wainwright, who hasn’t thrown a pitch above 87 mph this spring. However, the concern wasn’t dire enough for Wainwright to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic. He and Mikolas departed Monday morning to join Team USA, and both pitchers will be used as starters under manager Mark DeRosa. The thing to monitor for Wainwright in the WBC is how his velocity ramps up during competition as he works through what he previously described as a “flaw” in his delivery.
“It’s a muscular thing,” Wainwright said to reporters after his second start. “My left glute and my left leg are not firing through. Even when I sprint right now, I’m not really getting my leg up like I want to.”
The Cardinals will be looking to see if Wainwright’s velocity ticks up over his next start, which could take place as early as March 11. They don’t need to see him hit 90 mph, but the training staff is eager to see incremental improvements. Between his first and second start, Wainwright was able to improve his average fastball velocity from 84 mph to 86 mph. He’ll look to continue that trend over the next couple of weeks.
With Wainwright and Mikolas departing, players like Jake Woodford, Dakota Hudson and prospect Gordon Graceffo will have an expanded opportunity to make their case for any potential sixth-starter role. Woodford’s fastball velocity is up from last year and he’s implemented a new grip on his changeup. Still, the pitch he has the most to prove with is his slider, and the Cardinals have been encouraged by its early showing.
The kids are all right!
Director of scouting Randy Flores might have outdone himself with his 2020 draft class, despite it being only five rounds long. By now you’ve surely heard about 20-year-old phenom Jordan Walker, who is quickly becoming the Cardinals’ hottest storyline of the spring. In 21 at-bats, Walker is hitting .429 with three home runs and 1.429 OPS. That includes a 4-for-4 performance on Saturday against the Nationals when he homered twice. There are still roughly three weeks of spring remaining, but if the first few games are any indication, Walker could force the organization’s hand when it comes to landing on the Opening Day roster.
Jordan Walker was a triple shy from the cycle.
He did this instead. Second homer of the day for Walker. He just keeps hitting. pic.twitter.com/Lolwljxf4d
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) March 4, 2023
“He’s continuing to show he’s capable,” Marmol said over the weekend. “We went into camp saying that there’s going to be real competition, and that’s exactly what he’s making it. A real competition.”
“When you watch that bat, you get excited (about) what that can look like in a lineup,” Marmol added. “We’re a handful of games in, and there’s still a lot of camp left. I want to continue to see what this looks like, day in and day out. … (Is he) showing that he can hold his own at the big-league level at the moment? Yeah, he’s showing that he’s capable.”
But Walker isn’t the only 20-year-old that has the club talking. Masyn Winn, who ranks No. 46 on The Athletic’s Keith Law’s top-100 prospect rankings, has impressed the organization with how advanced he is. Winn, a former two-way prospect, has already wowed with his elite throwing arm. He’s also cranked a 435-foot homer, despite trying to focus on staying short and square to the ball.
“They’re young and they’re good,” Marmol said of Walker and Winn. “There’s a reason people have been talking about them as much as they have, and they’re showing exactly why. Are there some nerves early on? Yes, but do they scare? Not even close. Both of them know that they have some talent; they’ve gone about it well. But when it comes to competing, neither one of those personalities are backing down, which is a really good trait to have.”
Though he’s still a ways off from the major leagues, pitching prospect Tink Hence has also been notable in his first big-league camp. Ranked No. 63 by Keith Law, Hence hasn’t thrown much in terms of innings since being drafted, but he has a lively fastball that pairs with a nasty slider and the organization believes he will become even better.
Pure nastiness from Tink Hence! pic.twitter.com/iUbYFLKnPF
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 6, 2023
Position battles are well underway
The day before the Cardinals officially opened camp, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak was asked which area of the roster would spark the most competition. He was quick to identify both the middle infield and the outfield.
Nolan Gorman, Paul DeJong, Brendan Donovan and non-roster invite Taylor Motter will all see time on the infield with presumed starting shortstop Tommy Edman playing overseas for Team Korea in the World Baseball Classic. DeJong has been limited to a designated-hitter role for the first week as he works through some arm fatigue, but he’s expected to play the field as early as Tuesday. Gorman has impressed early from both sides of the ball, especially with the advancements he’s made in laying off the high fastball. Donovan’s versatility makes him easy to place throughout the lineup —and the early power he’s displayed this spring has been especially encouraging. Motter has some pop in his swing as well, though he’s a less likely candidate for the Opening Day roster than the others.
Much of the outfield competition will be settled by Walker. He will either make the team as a starting corner outfielder or he will play every day in Triple A. The Cardinals are unlikely to bring Walker up to be used as a bench bat. That role is much more likely for a player of Juan Yepez’s or Alec Burleson’s caliber, though it’s difficult to see both of those players making the roster if Walker makes it as well.
Crushed by Carlson! pic.twitter.com/Sk6u6MW7yq
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 6, 2023
“That’s going to be the key to his season, the ability to do that,” Marmol said. “I think we saw a very productive right-handed hitting Dylan last year, and the thing that kept him out of the lineup was his inconsistency from the left side. (He) needs to be able to produce as far as doubles and homers from that side. Doesn’t mean he has to be this power hitter, but being able to impact the ball he did today, that plays.”
With Nootbaar and O’Neill participating in the World Baseball Classic, both Carlson and Walker figure to be in the lineup nearly every day. So will Moisés Gómez, who profiles in the same role as Yepez and Burleson. Since the first day of camp, Marmol has preached competition and rewarded players based on performance and mentality. These next couple of weeks should be pivotal as the Cardinals look to narrow down their outfield choices.
(Photo of Jordan Walker: Sam Navarro / USA Today)
