Spring Training is upon us, and Opening Day of the 2024 season draws near. For the St. Louis Cardinals, they spent the majority of the off-season bolstering their ailing starting rotation.

They signed veterans Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, and Sonny Gray to complement Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz. Meanwhile, the lineup is blended with veteran leaders and a plethora of young talent ready to take things to the next level.

With all of that said, here are five Cardinals who are poised to have an absolute breakout season with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024.

(Zach Dalin-USA TODAY Sports)

5. Lars Nootbaar

Let’s turn back the clock a few years. When Harrison Bader, Dylan Carlson, and Tyler O’Neill led the St. Louis Cardinals on a historic 17-game winning streak in 2021, it seemed like the Cardinals had the best outfield they had had in a long time.

Fast forward to 2024, and Carlson is the only player remaining. And his health and consistency are major concerns for the team.

In comes Nootbaar to help relieve some of those concerns.

Since coming up in 2021, Nootbaar has been one of the most consistently productive outfielders and has emerged as the starting left fielder of the future. He first truly became well known for his electrifying WBC performance earning him recognition worldwide as an International superstar,

However, injuries soon struck as Nootbaar injured himself right out of the gate, hurting his thumb on Opening Day. Despite the multitude of injuries the 26-year old faced, Nootbaar managed to be the third most productive player on the team by bWAR last year. Because of these injuries, however, Nootbaar didn’t break out as much as many analytics experts expected him to last year, A year of good health is just what he needs to showcase the All-Star talent he possesses.

4. Jordan Walker

Jordan Walker was a highly-regarded prospect heading into the 2023 season. One of the most highly-touted prospects in years, in fact. Walker, who is still only 21 years old, jumped right from AA Springfield to the Major League roster. And he performed well but spent some time in the minor leagues. Overall, the power-hitting outfielder slashed .276/.342/.445/.787 in 117 big league games. He added 16 home runs and 19 doubles.

Many people believe Walker will officially break out in 2024. He displayed signs of stardom in 2023 and his underlying statistics hint at Walker becoming a star.

According to Baseball Reference, Walker recorded a hard-hit rate of 42.6 percent in 2023. He also excels at utilizing the entire field. Many young hitters tend to consistently pull the ball, but Walker pulled the baseball just 25.5 percent of the time last year. Meanwhile, he hit the ball to center field 57.5 percent of the time and to the opposite field 17 percent of the time.

Here’s an interesting comparison for you: Mike Trout, one of the game’s all-time best hitters, has made it clear in multiple interviews that he always try to hit the ball up the middle. Walker seems to have a similar approach at the plate, and he hits the ball hard on a consistent basis. While saying Walker will become Trout is a stretch at the moment, it helps his case for why he’s poised to break out this season.

3. Tommy Edman

Edman hit .248 with 13 home runs and a team-high 27 stolen bases in 2023 while making starts at shortstop (46), second base (40), center field (37) and right field (six). His stellar defensive versatility in 2023 made him a Gold Glove finalist for the third straight season. He won the National League Gold Glove Award in 2021 as a second baseman and was a utility finalist in 2022 — an award won by teammate Brendan Donovan.

In 596 career games with the Cardinals, Edman has hit .265 with 53 home runs, 222 RBIs and 106 stolen bases. His 89 stolen bases over the past three seasons are tied for the second most in the Majors with Trea Turner and Starling Marte, behind only Ronald Acuña Jr. (119).

For the most part, Edman has been a productive and valued member of Cardinal Nation. But in 2024, it looks as if he’s ready to take it one step further and really shine.

2. Matthew Liberatore

A lot of people have given the Cardinals flack for signing pitchers in their late 30s to fill in the rotational spots. However, it is something that could benefit Liberatore, as he’s struggled so far in his major league career.

 Is Liberatore still considered a promising young arm in the system? Or is he a failed top prospect that the Cardinals organization cannot develop which is a common issue as of late? Those are two of the questions that have been asked since 2022, when the now 24-year old debuted.

Adding some arms that are well-experienced, especially ones like Lynn who know what it’s like to pitch in the Birds on the Bat, can go a long way in helping Liberatore shine in 2024.

1. Nolan Gorwman

The St. Louis Cardinals finished with their worst record in 28 years last season, finishing in last place in the NL Central for the first time in franchise history amid a 71-win campaign. Expectations haven’t changed for 2024 though as the Cardinals have their sights set on a division title, something that will be more attainable if St. Louis’ young core that we’ve talked about takes the next step.

And Nolan Gorman is perhaps the biggest piece of that core.

As with many of the other names on this list, Gorman’s health is of the most extreme importance to the Cardinals in 2024. Back injuries were a serious concern for him last season, and it took away a lot of his playing time.

But even manager Oliver Marmol gave Gorman the highest praise recently, and showcasing the confidence that he and the rest of the Cardinals organization have for the young second baseman.

“The way he’s prepared this offseason to just get his body right to be in the lineup more often and stay healthy, he’s done some meaningful things to make that happen,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “We’re expecting a big year out of him. This is a power bat that’s scary when he’s right.”

Gorman flashed that power last season by clubbing a team-high 27 home runs, more than both Nolan Arenado and then-reigning NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt. He did it in 119 games, which is a number the Cardinals want to see get higher after Gorman had two different stints on the injured list in 2023.

Look for Gorman to be All-Star caliber in 2024, and, if he stays healthy…. beyond.