Breakout Canidates for Each NL Central Team

With Spring training underway, let’s take a look at one player from each NL Central team, whose poised to breakout.

St. Louis Cardinals: Lars Nootbaar

Honorable Mention: Nolan Gorman

The Cardinals provide a couple players who can be on the breakout list, but Lars Nootbaar is my pick here. After debuting in 2021, Nootbaar played in 108 games last year for the Cards and held his own. While his numbers weren’t all-star caliber, he still had a solid year for it being his second in the majors. He batted .228 with an OBP of .340. He knocked in 40 runs to go with 14 homers on the year. Nootbaar is still only 25 years old and has a season and a half under his belt. He has the ability to play any position in the outfield and be effective doing so. If he can up his hit production at the plate just slightly, he can give the Cardinals that extra boost they need.

Chicago Cubs: Seiya Suzuki

Honorable Mention: Christopher Morel

Seiya Suzuki had some hype around his name coming into last season, and while he didn’t disappoint, he didn’t have a rookie of the year type year. He played in 111 games last year and batted .262 with an OPB of .336. He is very talented player, but at the age of 28, he’s not your usual breakout candidate. What is partly holding Suzuki back is injury. He missed time last year due to injury and has already withdrawn from the World Baseball Classic roster with a left oblique strain. He’s reportedly added 20-pounds over the offseason and is stronger than ever. If Suzuki can stay healthy, he is primed for a breakout year.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Ke’Bryan Hayes

Honorable Mention: Cal Mitchell

As down as the Pirates have been, they still have some pretty good young players who will get ample opportunity this year. O’Neil Cruz is the obvious pick, but it’d hardly be a breakout after his rookie campaign. Ke’Bryan Hayes is his teammates to his left, and while he has played well, he hasn’t broken out just yet. Hayes debuted in 2020 with the Pirates and solidified himself as a starter and played in 136 games last season. He batted .244 last season which leaves room for improvement with his bat. His power been there yet, but his exit velocity shows it will soon. With how good his defense is (gold glove worthy last season), if he comes into his own at the plate, the Pirates could be looking at one of the best left sides of the infield in baseball.

Photo from pirates.pittsburghbaseball.com

Milwaukee Brewers: Aaron Ashby

Honorable Mention: Abraham Toro

Aaron Ashby is a little bit more a of riskier pick than the others in this article. The 24-year-old appeared in 27 games last season, and that brought along with it some growing pains. Ashby had an ugly 2-10 record with an ERA of 4.44. While that may not be the most impressive season, he did show some promise toward the back end of the year, especially out of the bullpen. He showed promise with a strikeout percentage north of 29%. If Ashby can carry the end of the previous season into this one, it could lead to a breakout year for him, and an interesting decision for manager Craig Counsell. Fans will have to wait to see the young lefty for a little bit as a shoulder injury has him sidelined, but he’s hopeful for a mid-May return.

Cincinnati Reds: Nick Lodolo

Honorable Mention: Hunter Greene

The Reds are a young team with some good raw talent. This pick for me came down to Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo. Both of whom were on display last year for the Reds. I’m going with Nick Lodolo on this one. His rookie campaign was nothing for the record books, but it was something to have hope for. He started 19 games and came away with a 3.66 ERA, 1.248 WHIP, and ended with a 4-7 record. His performance was good enough to earn him sixth in NL ROY voting. If he can steadily improve his game, he could end the year as the Reds’ ace.