Feb 27, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (37) looks on from the dugout before the game against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Oli Marmol Pushes Back Against One Expected Cardinals Weakness

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Mar 23, 2026 1:02 PM ET

It was only natural that the manager of a very young baseball team would be asked about leadership a lot going into the season.

The St. Louis Cardinals traded away four of their longest-tenured players last season, including the only two (Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan) who had ever made All-Star teams wearing a Cardinals uniform. They're entering an exciting rebuild, but they're going to be one of the most inexperienced teams in the sport all season.

Manager Oli Marmol, who signed an extension earlier this month, isn't daunted by the task of guiding a team without a lot of established veterans to police the clubhouse. In fact, based on his end-of-spring comments, it seems as though he believes the team has a lot of leadership qualities to draw upon.

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Marmol confident that 'the room' will provide leadership

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Cardinals have a nice mix of young players who have been around for the last couple of years and veteran newcomers who have something to prove, and after Sunday's game, Marmol expressed confidence in that group to collectively bear the torch.

“A lot of questions early in camp were around leadership as far as, 'Who's that leader?' Marmol said, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "And I don't think you have to have a guy.

“I think each person stepping into that next phase of leadership for them is important, but that room has done a nice job of speaking into that and then talking through how they're going to hold each other accountable to the style of play.”

St. Louis will assuredly look to position players Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson, as both have put together standout seasons with the club in the past, as well as opening day starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore, and probably a couple others who will emerge over the next few months.

Hope springs eternal at this time of year, and it's not as though Marmol is telling the fan base to expect a playoff berth this season. But if the Cardinals feel as confident as they say they are that the clubhouse is in a great place, that's one reason to feel positive about the direction they're heading.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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