Let’s set the scene: Monday night, Luken Baker finally gets his shot. The big man is penciled in as the designated hitter by manager Oli Marmol. That makes him the last position player from the 2025 spring roster to get into a game. And over on the mound? Miles Mikolas is dealing, leaving just one guy—Matthew Liberatore—yet to appear. With as many holes as this roster has, everyone’s getting in. Everyone’s got a role. And more surprisingly, everyone’s producing.
The Cardinals are 3-1 with their only loss a 10 inning nail biter to the Angels 5-4. The Cardinals played better than the dismal attendance deserved.
You can feel the shift.
It’s not just about spreading the at-bats around to make everyone feel warm and fuzzy. Let’s face it. The St. Louis Cardinals are rebuilding. Might as well see what everyone can do. Including Luken Baker who crushed in AAA but didn’t see many at bats behind Paul Goldschmidt.
Baker rewarded the manager with 2 hits and a walk in his season debut.
It’s not just Baker. Victor Scott II is more than earning his playing time.
Additionally, on Sunday, Pedro Pagés and Nolan Gorman both launched homers in their first starts of the season. That’s how you earn your way into the lineup. This isn’t about reputation or resume anymore—this is about results. And when you’re rebuilding, everyone gets a shot to earn more at bats.
Significantly, marmol doesn’t just toss Baker into the lineup—he puts him in thethree-hole. Why? Because it forces Angels manager Ron Washington to play chess instead of checkers. Lefty starter on the mound? Better think twice before you burn that bullpen arm early, pal. That kind of pressure only works when you’ve got real depth—and St. Louis just might have it.
Compare that to last year: a bench that featured Matt Carpenter, Brandon Crawford, and a backup catcher taking up three out of four spots most nights. Good dudes, great leaders, but 237 combined plate appearances and very little flexibility. Marmol’s hands were tied tighter than a glove before break-in.
Fast forward to now, and the vibes are totally different. Leadership is coming from everywhere. It’s not one guy in the room holding the weight—it’s everyone buying in. That’s not easy to build, especially when your first few seasons as skipper are goodbye tours for legends like Yadi, Pujols, and Waino. Managing superstars in the twilights of their careers is one of the hardest things to do in baseball.
But here in 2025? The torch has been passed. This clubhouse isn’t divided by legacy. It’s unified by purpose. Young guys are stepping up. Gorman said it himself: “Everybody’s got their right game plan going.”
Through just four games, the Cardinals look like a team that just might have more solid players than at-bats to give. I might just feel bad for booing when the President of Baseball Operations was announced on opening day. Well not yet, but if they keep this up I will.
