SPORTZONE27

The 2025 MLB season became a proving ground for the St. Louis Cardinals’ young roster. With substantial doubt about roster capability due to development issues, roster patching, and a lack of resources offered by the front office, John Mozeliak left on the verge of discovering what the team he built was capable of. Some players thrived in this scheme, including Masyn Winn, who improved his defense and won his first Gold Glove Award. Alec Burleson also established that he is no longer a platoon player by winning the Silver Slugger Award in a utility role. We also saw Matthew Liberatore finally put himself together, resulting in a very successful season as a dependable starter. However, numerous players in this system failed to demonstrate that their expected skill would be realized.

Here are three players who have unfortunately reached their peak and are leaving.

Lars Nootbaar

Once hailed as a darling of Baseball Savant metrics, Lars Nootbaar was expected to turn his elite exit velocity, strong on-base skills, and low swing-and-miss profile into stardom with the Cardinals. Instead, he has plateaued — a solid player whose floor and ceiling seem indistinguishable. Despite another year filled with promising Statcast numbers, his overall production remained ordinary.

In a career-high 135 games, Nootbaar posted a 1.3 WAR — the second-lowest mark of his career. His 119 hits, 24 doubles, 13 homers, and 48 RBIs all fell short of his career averages. His 2025 slash line of .234/.325/.361 (.686 OPS) was notably below his typical .242/.341/.406 (.747 OPS). Even with his best run of health at the big-league level, Nootbaar couldn’t elevate his game beyond being a decent everyday player rather than the star many once envisioned.

Nolan Gorman

Once projected as a long-term middle-of-the-order force, Nolan Gorman is now simply trying to keep a spot in the lineup. His 2025 campaign was his worst yet — a steep drop-off for the young slugger. In 111 games, Gorman managed just a 0.1 WAR, slashing .205/.296/.370 (.666 OPS) with 14 doubles, 14 home runs, and 46 RBIs across 402 plate appearances. He ranked in the bottom one percent of MLB in both strikeout rate and expected batting average, and in the bottom four percent in whiff rate. The only thing salvaging his production was his ability to draw walks.

With younger players like Thomas Saggese and JJ Wetherholt emerging and Brendan Donovan excelling defensively at second base, Gorman’s future role looks uncertain. If Wetherholt takes over at second next spring, Donovan could slide to third — particularly if Nolan Arenado is traded. Time is running out for Gorman as an everyday starter in St. Louis, and if he’s unwilling to accept a platoon role, a trade this offseason seems likely.

Jordan Walker

For those who thought Dylan Carlson’s decline was frustrating, Jordan Walker’s trajectory has been even more disappointing. His struggles have become emblematic of the failures of the John Mozeliak era. The tragic loss of Oscar Taveras a decade ago derailed the organization’s developmental pipeline, and Mozeliak’s subsequent attempts to replace that lost star power have largely fallen flat. Carlson, once viewed as the next cornerstone after winning the 2019 Texas League Player of the Year, was mishandled and eventually dealt to Tampa Bay in 2023.

Walker was drafted to rebuild that lost promise, seen as the franchise’s next potential star. Instead, his career has been marred by poor communication, rushed defensive experiments, and a lack of confidence and adjustment. His 2025 season was disastrous, producing a -1.7 WAR and offering virtually no on-field value. Despite his youth and physical talent, Walker’s first three big-league seasons have established a worrying trend — and unless something changes, that trend may simply be who he is.