Oli Marmol has done an excellent job managing the Cardinals this season. Despite entering the year with modest expectations, a reduced payroll, and a lineup missing Paul Goldschmidt, Marmol has skillfully navigated the challenges, maintaining transparency with the media throughout. His strategic coaching hires—bringing in Brant Brown as hitting coach and Dusty Blake as pitching coach—have yielded positive results. Additionally, instructors like Jon Jay and Daniel Descalso have helped players exceed expectations.
Bernie Miklasz, writing for Sports Hub STL, took a deeper look at Marmol’s impact, highlighting that even in 2024, the Cardinals surpassed projections by winning six more games than their Pythagorean record suggested. Miklasz also pointed out that Marmol’s record over his first four seasons tops that of legendary manager Tony La Russa during the same span.
While managers today don’t wield as much influence due to changes like the universal designated hitter eliminating many in-game strategic decisions, Marmol’s success has not gone unnoticed. He appears to be a strong fit for the role moving forward.
With John Mozeliak stepping down after the 2025 season and Chaim Bloom poised to take over, there’s speculation about potential managerial changes. Still, given Marmol’s performance, it’s becoming increasingly unlikely that he’ll be replaced—especially not for fan favorites like Albert Pujols or Yadier Molina. While Molina has expressed interest in managing elsewhere, including the rival Cubs, removing Marmol despite his success would be hard to justify.
Managers rarely receive widespread praise from their team’s fanbase, as Mozeliak has observed, but Marmol has clearly matured and improved throughout his tenure. As the Cardinals look to return to championship contention, Bloom may very well choose to stick with the promising young manager already in place.
Mozeliak believes Oli Marmol is a standout manager in the making.
The St. Louis Cardinals’ surprise triumph in 2025 is the buzz of the town, and several players deserve credit for the team’s achievement. However, in an interview with KMOX, President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak specifically mentioned one member of the squad as someone to keep an eye on in the future.
“I honestly believe Oli [Marmol] is an upcoming star. I think he understands the game, and I believe players enjoy playing for him. He manages an excellent clubhouse. I believe he understands the in-game tactics. There are times when he makes decisions that don’t work, but anyone who has to do that job is constantly scrutinized. It’s difficult, but I believe he has the personality to deal with it and does an excellent job.”
John Mozeliak