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It’s nothing new, but the St. Louis Cardinals have yet another young pitcher who is ready to make an impact at the major league level. This time, his name is Marco Gonzales, and he’s ready to take the league by storm in the next couple of years.
It was originally thought that he might have to wait until next season to get a chance to start regularly in the rotation. However, now that staff ace Adam Wainwright appears done for the season, he may get called to duty earlier, even though he is currently on the 7-day DL in Triple-A Memphis. It could be a blessing in disguise for the Cardinals as Gonzales may get nearly a full season of work at the big league level now.
Gonzales was taken in the first round of the 2013 draft out of Gonzaga and was thought to be nearly major league ready. It turns out he is because he already got some experience out of the bullpen last season, winning two games in the NLDS.
He is still a little rough around the edges, but he is a lefty and has one of the better changeups in baseball already. That combination should at least make him effective his first time around the league. Once teams have advanced scouting reports on him is when the real work starts.
As long as he can make adjustments once other teams know he likes to attack hitters, he will be very effective at the major league level. In 2015, it’s all about him getting experience and contributing at the back end of the rotation. In the future, it’s about him developing into one of the top lefties in baseball.
Clearly, with his lack of experience, he has a long way to go, but Gonzales has all the tools to be the Cardinals’ next home-grown ace within the next few years.
