St. Louis Cardinals: 5 Potential Breakout Candidates to Watch in Spring Training

The St. Louis Cardinals enter spring training as a perennial playoff contender. The team has found success building from within and making smart choices outside of the organization. They enter the 2015 season with very few question marks on their roster.

That's not to say that some players will not have the ability to incite some excitement over the next six weeks. There are numerous players that will come to spring training with an opportunity to break out and show everyone they are the star many have hoped they would become.

Manager Mike Matheny will go into camp looking for a few players to impress him. It will help put everyone's mind at ease when Opening Day arrives if these five players can put all doubts aside. Baseball season is growing closer.

Here's a look at how Jon Jay, Jason Heyward, Michael Wacha, Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal can truly break out during the 2015 edition of MLB spring training.

Jon Jay Has to Prove He Deserves the Job Security He Suddenly Has

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Jon Jay has spent the early part of his career with two constants—he would have competition for the starting job in center field and be playing on a one-year contract. Those constants subside greatly going into 2015. Now he has to break out and prove he's worthy of that.

Jay and the Cardinals came to an agreement on a two-year contract before reaching an arbitration hearing this offseason. It gives the Cardinals some payroll certainty, while Jay gets some peace of mind. It was an investment that sent the strong message that the Cardinals believe in Jay and expect him to be entrenched in his role for the next few years.

The team is not without options. Peter Bourjos is waiting in the wings to prove that he deserves playing time. Randal Grichuk will be out to prove that he is ready for the major leagues. Both players will need Jay to stumble to see significant playing time.

But Jay has the opportunity to break out this spring. There is something about a comfortable situation that allows players to simply relax and play the game they love. For the first time in his career, Jay has that comfort level. It can allow him to break out or fail spectacularly, depending on how he reacts.

The Cardinals are hoping that the young man is ready to prove himself once again.

Jason Heyward Could Be the Superstar the Cardinals Need

David Goldman/Associated Press

Possibly the most talked-about player on the St. Louis Cardinals right now is the newly acquired Jason Heyward. A Cardinal by way of a trade with the Atlanta Braves this offseason, Heyward steps into the spotlight left vacant by the tragic death of Oscar Taveras.

Without a doubt, Heyward offers some stability immediately. Taveras, Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty, were all players that the Cardinals would be looking for to step up in their development. Heyward is already there. Despite a recent slide in his production, Heyward still offers a known commodity in right field.

That said, the Cardinals are hoping that known commodity can be the player he is hyped to be. The team will look for a healthy Heyward to break out this spring by producing at the plate while continuing his impressive defense. If he can settle into a role as a run-producer near the top of the lineup, the team will be very happy to have him in St. Louis.

The first step for Heyward is to break out in spring and show that he is ready to produce in 2015.

Michael Wacha's Return from Injury Is Key to 2015 Success

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Michael Wacha is an impressive young pitcher that battled through some tough injury news in 2014. As the calendar turns to 2015, the pitcher proclaims health and eyes a return to the rotation. If he can stay healthy, the Cardinals have a formidable pitching staff on their hands.

Wacha has recently thrown a pair of bullpen sessions at the team's spring training facility in advance of the official reporting date. Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com caught up with the righty and recorded his thoughts on his health in a recent piece:

"

I don't have any of that feeling in the shoulder area. I'm real happy with everything, the way everything is coming out, the way the arm feels throughout the whole 'pen. Hopefully I'll just keep building off of each bullpen, getting a little more command of each pitch each time out.

"

That's encouraging news, indeed. When Wacha was healthy, he was impressive. Should he be able to return to the mound with his health intact, he will surely turn some heads this season.

Wacha has the opportunity to break out by showing he is healthy and back to his consistent form. That breakout may be one of the most important things to the Cardinals this spring.

Carlos Martinez Has a Chance to Earn His Spot

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

The young pitcher on everyone's mind entering spring training is Carlos Martinez. An impressive prospect that has endured a lot recently, Martinez will look to capture the final spot in the Cardinals' rotation this spring. 

Martinez will report to camp with a new jersey number. The youngster will wear 18 in honor of his fallen friend, Taveras. He also finds himself with a new locker location, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Derrick Goold on Twitter:

"

Molina asked for a #cardinals to move a certain young pitcher next to him for spring training. #stlcards http://t.co/mBKB24zdzM

— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) February 16, 2015"

It seems that veteran catcher Yadier Molina will take on the role of mentor for the young man. Martinez has been an exciting pitcher early on in his career but has the ability to become a player with longevity and impact in the near future.

A strong spring will solidify him into the rotation. A breakout spring will put him and the team in an impressive place for a long time to come.

Trevor Rosenthal Can Further Embrace His Role on the Team

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Similar to Jon Jay, Trevor Rosenthal enters this spring with the comfort of knowing his role on the team prior to earning his role on the team. In the past, Rosenthal has entered the spring not knowing if he would be a part of the rotation or the bullpen. This season, Rosenthal knows he is the closer, and he's ready for it.

That comfort allows Rosenthal to be better prepared entering the season. He knows what he is preparing for. He's not worried about high pitch counts and preparing to pitch six or seven innings. He is worried about keeping his pitch count low so he can bounce back the next day, if needed. It was a thought he shared with i70baseball's Matt Whitener earlier this year:

"

A big focus for 2015 is attacking hitters early, trying to be more efficient, not be too fine and trying to get my pitch count down. But at times not trying to give up the big hit too early or not being completely confident or convicted. Getting ahead in the count early is important, but at the same time not saying that like it is an easy thing to do.

"

The wear and tear of a long season can erode a pitcher along the way. Rosenthal is well aware of this after stumbling a bit toward the end of the 2014 season. But now he can prepare for that mentality and know what is expected of him.

He can come into spring prepared and have a breakout camp if he simply shows dominance along the way. It will give the team the reassurance of knowing the end of the game is well taken care of.

If Jon Jay, Jason Heyward, Trevor Rosenthal, Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez can have the breakout spring they are capable of, the Cardinals will quickly become the team to beat.

Bill Ivie is the founder of I-70 Baseball. Follow him on Twitter to discuss baseball anytime.