The St. Louis Cardinals made the bold decision to aggressively rebuild this offseason.
This winter included trades that sent Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Brendan Donovan, and others to new teams in exchange for a haul of prospects.
As a result, the Cardinals will be leaning a lot heavier on their young talent than normal.
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Fortunately for the Cardinals, they have plenty of young talent to lean on. In fact, a lot of their young stars are seemingly primed for breakout seasons. Which Cardinals stars are ready to burst on the scene this year?
Breakout candidate No. 1: 2B JJ Wetherholt
The most obvious breakout candidate in St. Louis is infielder JJ Wetherholt. Wetherholt is one of the best prospects in baseball and he’s expected to replace Donovan at second base as early as opening day.
If Wetherholt is trusted with a spot in the lineup every day, he should be a top candidate for the National League Rookie of the Year award. He has the perfect mix of power and speed that makes him a real five-tool prospect. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases if he starts 150 or more games.
Breakout candidate No. 2: 1B/DH Alec Burleson
Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) celebrates a RBI single against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
Burleson is seemingly a household name in St. Louis at this point, considering he won a Silber Slugger award last year, but he’s still a breakout candidate because he could take another big leap forward this year.
Last season, Burleson posted a 125 OPS+ with 18 home runs, 69 RBI and a 1.8 WAR in 139 games. Burleson could elevate his game even more this season, as a season with a 140 OPS+, 25 home runs, 85 RBI, and 3.0 WAR doesn’t seem unrealistic.
Breakout candidate No. 3: 3B Nolan Gorman
Nolan Gorman had a breakout season in 2023, as he posted a 2.4 WAR, but he’s been mediocre since. With the Arenado trade, Gorman is expected to slot in at third base for the Cardinals. Consistent playing time should see his production tick back up a bit, especially if he has a concrete role with the team.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see Gorman resort back to his 2023 self. But if his struggles continue, the Cardinals may move on from him at the end of the year. It’s seemingly his make or break year at the big league level.
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