Central STL News

ST. LOUIS -- Oliver Marmol, the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, has been balancing player development with winning games during the 2025 season. This approach is reminiscent of his time managing a Minor League team to a championship in 2014.

Marmol's strategy this year involves providing opportunities for young players while keeping the team competitive and aiming for a playoff spot. At the All-Star break, the Cardinals have managed to stay in contention for one of the National League's Wild Card positions, despite focusing on developing their younger players.

“You play for the score -- it’s meaningful, and it’s a test every night of whether we did it well or not,” Marmol said about maintaining high expectations while developing talent. He believes that combining development with winning creates "winning players."

The Cardinals ended the first half of the season with a 51-46 record after defeating the Braves at Busch Stadium. Key players like Brendan Donovan, Iván Herrera, Alec Burleson, and Nolan Gorman have shown growth. On the pitching side, Matthew Liberatore and several relievers have also made progress.

Gordon Graceffo highlighted how learning from bullpen veterans has helped him improve his game this season. “Those guys have taught me how to approach the game in the bullpen every day," he said.

After a challenging start to their season, including a nine-game winning streak in May and overcoming a tough June schedule, the Cardinals find themselves just outside of playoff position following a recent slump.

Marmol remains optimistic about blending young talent with experienced players like Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras. He believes this strategy will benefit the franchise long-term: “We knew there were going to be frustrations along the way, but we’ve done a good job of not paying attention to anything outside of our internal [goals]."

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