The Cardinals might already be seeing signs of a breakout from one of the players they acquired in a recent trade.
The St. Louis Cardinals made several significant moves this offseason as part of a rebuilding effort, trading away four key players including Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras in exchange for prospects.
With those departures, the team will lean heavily on its young talent to shape a promising future. Prospects like JJ Wetherholt are expected to make an impact, but the pitching staff will also need to step up.
TJStats analyst Thomas Nestico recently named a breakout candidate for each MLB team heading into the new season. For the Cardinals, he pointed to pitcher Richard Fitts, who was acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the Sonny Gray trade.
Fitts shows strong breakout potential in St. Louis
Nestico had previously identified Fitts as a breakout candidate in 2025 while he was still with Boston, but injuries and inconsistency derailed that prediction. Now with the Cardinals, Fitts could have a clearer path to meaningful innings, especially given the team’s relatively thin starting rotation.
Nestico highlighted Fitts’ strong command, an uptick in velocity, and the addition of two new pitches during Spring Training as reasons for optimism. With his health expected to improve, Fitts could settle into a solid role at the back end of the rotation in 2026.
Although Fitts has limited major league experience so far, he has shown encouraging signs. His performance this spring has been particularly promising, suggesting he may be ready to take a step forward.
Given the lack of established arms on the Cardinals’ roster, Fitts should have plenty of chances to prove himself. If he can maintain an ERA around 4.00 or better, it would mark a successful season and potentially signal the start of his emergence as a key contributor.
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