St. Louis Cardinals Top Prospects 2026: JJ Wetherholt Leads Rebuild

The conclusion of the 2025 season marked a key inflection point in the St. Louis Cardinals’ storied history. With John Mozeliak out, Chaim Bloom now has the keys to the palace and will work to restore the franchise to its former glory.

Initially hired by the Redbirds as an advisor, the former Tampa Bay and Boston executive has a checkered history of maximizing surplus value in the early stages of a rebuild.

Bloom laid the blueprint for the Cardinals’ future in his introductory press conference. His team wasted no time getting to work, trading the stars of yesteryear for promising prospects looking to earn their stripes. Fast forward three months, and the Cardinals now arguably have a top-10 system in baseball.

1. JJ Wetherholt – SS,2B – (Triple-A)

Height/Weight: 5’10”, 190 | Bat/Throw: L/R | 1st Round (7), 2024 (STL) | ETA: 2026

HIT	Plate Disc.	GAME POWER	RUN	FIELD	FV
60/60	70/70	45/50	55/55	45/50	60

Wetherholt entered the 2024 season as one of the favorites to go first overall in the draft before a hamstring injury sidelined him for a large chunk of the season. He impressed enough in his return to action to rekindle the 1-1 fire, but to the Cardinals’ benefit, he slipped to them. Wetherholt mashed through three levels, finishing the year as one of the most productive bats in Triple-A. There are few prospects with a higher offensive floor.

Hitting

Starting open and upright, Wetherholt gets into his lower half with a big, rhythmic leg kick that he controls well as an impressive athlete. His path is conducive to elevating consistently, entering the zone early, and staying in it.

Still, his elite bat speed and barrel accuracy also allow him to post plus contact rates while creating leverage to all fields.

He has always handled lefties well, and it translated into pro ball, boasting an OPS of .880 in same-handed matchups in 2025. His plus plate discipline and ability to recognize spin resulted in as many walks as strikeouts in his pro debut, solidifying his archetype of a modern leadoff hitter.

Wetherholt took the upper minors by storm in 2025, boasting superb bat-to-ball and swing decisions.

While the top-end exit velocities may not be there like some of the other top prospects in baseball, his quality of contact floor is high, consistently finding the barrel and getting his A swing off. The data backs this with an average exit velocity of 90.5 MPH in 2025 and a hard-hit rate of 47%.

He has improved his ability to get the ball in the air pull side, giving him at least average power with a skill set that should translate into plenty of doubles.

Defense/Speed

He’s a twitchy athlete and above-average runner who can create some havoc on the base paths when healthy. The plan heading into Wetherholt’s junior season was for him to play a full season at shortstop in an effort to prove to scouts that he could fend off a move to second base.

The aforementioned hamstring injury limited him to just 27 games there, where his footwork and actions looked better, though his arm still appears short for the position.

In his first full pro season, it looked like more of the same. He may be capable of surviving at shortstop, but there will almost always be a better defensive option, including in his own organization right now.

He has a knack for getting the ball out quickly, which could hedge the lack of arm strength. It’s probably more likely than not that he moves off the six, but he has earned a longer look and still has a shot to be an average defender there. If he moves to second base, he’d project as a plus defender there.

Outlook

Plus hit, at least average power, and plus plate discipline make Wetherholt a high-floor hitter who can climb through the Minor Leagues quickly. The hope is that the recurrent hamstring issue is behind Wetherholt, especially as he takes on a full professional workload at shortstop.

Offensively, provides a high floor with still plenty to dream on. If it all works out, Wetherholt should be a high OBP table-setter who can run into around 20 homers and plenty of doubles. He controls his at-bats like a top-of-the-order bat, but flashes enough pop to drive in runs as well.

2. Rainiel Rodriguez – C – (High-A)

Height/Weight: 5’11″, 225 | Bat/Throw: R/R | IFA: $300,000, 2024 (STL) | ETA: 2028

HIT	Plate Disc.	GAME POWER	RUN	FIELD	FV
45/55	50/60	50/60	30/30	35/45	55

Rodriguez hit the ground running by mashing in the DSL to start his pro career in 2024, followed by a major power surge between the Complex League and Low-A the next season, when he launched 20 homers in just 80 games.

Hitting

Starting crouched and stacked towards his back side with the bat resting just above his shoulder, Rodriguez utilizes a simple operation. His repeatable moves with a path geared to elevate allowed him to consistently catch the ball out front and do damage pull side.

His desire to crush stuff in the air to the left can cause him to pull off stuff, breaking away from him on the outer half, but he rarely missed a hanging breaking ball and hammered fastballs on the inner half. Rodriguez generates above-average bat speed with what looks like an easy stroke, boasting an average exit velocity of 89.5 MPH in his age-18 season with a max of 113.4 MPH.

Rodriguez’s ability to recognize spin and overall feel for the zone is advanced for his age, and he leverages his hitter’s counts well, with a chase rate of roughly 18% against secondaries.

While it’s not necessarily a projectable frame, Rodriguez should convert some of his mass into strength as he matures, which, paired with the angles he creates, could give him the potential for plus or better game power.

Rodriguez offers an advanced blend of hit, power, and approach that make him a fascinating bat with plenty to dream on.

Defense/Speed

Not the nimblest of movers, Rodriguez has work to do in the blocking and receiving department. His plus arm helps his case, throwing out 31% of attempted base stealers in 2025. Still with plenty of time to develop, Rodriguez should get plenty of runway to prove that he can stick behind the dish.

Outlook

While the ability to stick at catcher would significantly elevate his profile, Rodriguez’s bat alone was impressive enough in his first season stateside to solidify him as one of the more intriguing teenage prospects in the game. There’s enough power potential for 30+ homers with the bat to ball and approach to allow him to get there or beyond if he can continue on his track.

3. Liam Doyle – LHP – (High-A)

Height/Weight: 6’2″, 220 | Bat/Throw: L/L | 1st Round (5), 2025 (STL) | ETA: 2026

Fastball	cutter	Splitter	slider	Command	FV
70/70	45/55	50/60	35/45	40/50	50+

A year after impressing in a starting role for Coastal Carolina, Doyle transferred to Ole Miss, where he struck out 35% of batters but with an ERA just under 6.00. He transferred again to Tennessee for his draft year, where his heater ticked up to become the best in college baseball, resulting in a 43% strikeout rate and 3.20 ERA.

That said, there may be more reliever risk than the industry is accounting for

Arsenal

It’s all about the fastball with Doyle, averaging 96 MPH with elite carry. Doyle went to the heater north of 60% of the time, generating a zone-whiff and chase rate north of 30%. Opponents hit around .170 against it, but it was righties who were particularly overwhelmed by the fastball, with a batting average that drops below .150.

Doyle’s best secondary offering is his splitter at 85-88 MPH. It tunnels well off of his fastball with nearly 18 inches of vertical separation. His feel for the pitch improved as the season progressed, picking up plenty of ground balls with it, but still only mixing the offering in just shy of 15% of the time.

His preferred secondary to lefties is a cutter in the upper 80s that flashes above average but is inconsistent and can lack some necessary bite. It has a chance to be a decent third pitch if it comes along and is well ahead of his low 80s slider.

Outlook

Doyle’s high-effort delivery, long arm action, and heavy fastball reliance provide more reliever risk than some may be accounting for, but even if things were to trend in that direction, he has closer-caliber stuff from the left side.

His improved command and overall stuff in 2025 really helped his case to be an impactful starter potentially, and with a 70-grade fastball, Doyle could still turn lineups over with just average secondaries. It will be fun to monitor what arsenal tweaks Doyle may make as a pro, but he has a great foundation to start with.

4.  Jurrangelo Cijntje – RHP – (Double-A)

Height/Weight: 5’11″, 200 | Bat/Throw: S/S | 1st Round (15), 2024 (SEA) | ETA: 2027

FASTBALL	Slider	CURVEBALL	CHANGEUP	COMMAND	FV
60/65	55/60	45/55	40/50	40/50	50

An extremely athletic pitcher who can throw with both arms, Cjintje projects best as a righty, though the door is still slightly cracked open with him still throwing bullpens as a lefty. He flashed exciting stuff in his first pro season with the Mariners before being packaged as the headliner in the Brendan Donovan trade.

Arsenal

As a right-hander, Cjintje has a four-pitch mix headlined by a lively fastball and a plus slider. His fastball sits 95-97 MPH with above-average ride from a below-average release height. Cijntje’s easy and athletic delivery could point towards an uptick in velocity as he spends more time in pro ball.

He held his velocity through his 23 starts in 2026, averaging closer to 97 MPH over his final several starts. Cijntje’s fastball command was one of his most impressive leaps in 2025.

The best secondary pitch for Cjintje is his slider that generally sits in the mid 80s. There’s some variance in the velocity and shape, throwing shorter, harder variations in the upper 80s as well. His command of the pitch was inconsistent, but it looked the part of a plus offering through stretches.

His slurvy curveball in the low 80s developed into a more reliable pitch for Cijntje as the season progressed. It tended to blend with his slider at times, but it can be an above-average offering if he can distinguish it from his slider a bit more.

While the changeup flashes average, Cjintje struggled to command it in 2025, landing it for a strike roughly 50% of the time at around 8% usage. He is still learning to kill vert on the pitch consistently, but averaged 18 inches of horizontal break and about 10 MPH in velocity separation.

As a left-hander, Cijntje sits in the low 90s with a fastball that is heavier with sinking action. He will throw a slider off of that, which looks like it can be an above-average pitch to lefties, but it seems as though Cijntje is more limited upside-wise as a southpaw.

Cijntje’s left-handed pitching stats can cause his overall numbers to be misleading, given how much he struggled from that side in 2025. When just looking at his right-handed numbers, Cijntje’s K-BB rate jumps from 15% to 20%.

Outlook

From the right side, Cijntje has middle-rotation upside. His athleticism on the mound makes it easy to forget that he has only really focused on pitching later in his baseball life. His ability to execute and sequence is a work in progress, as he is still learning to be a pitcher, especially since he is two pitchers in one.

The leap fastball command-wise in his first pro season stands out, especially with the fantastic characteristics the pitch possesses. With a plus slider to pair along with a curveball and changeup that flash as viable complementary offerings, it’s easy to envision Cijntje holding onto at least a back-end spot in the rotation.

After the Brendan Donovan trade, Cijntje immediately became the best right-handed pitching prospect in the Cardinals organization. While he is still a bit raw, he already proved capable of generating plenty of whiff and turning lineups over at the Double-A level, pitching to a 2.67 ERA in his seven starts at the level.

5. Jimmy Crooks – C – (MLB)

Height/Weight: 6’1″, 215 | Bat/Throw: L/R | 4th Round (127), 2022 (STL) | ETA: 2026

HIT	Plate Disc.	GAME POWER	RUN	FIELD	FV
35/40	50/50	50/50	30/30	55/60	50

Crooks is a well-rounded catcher who took a big step forward offensively at Double-A in 2024 and carried that success into Triple-A in 2025, earning a late-season call-up. He is a grinder behind the dish who pitchers love working with.

Hitting

Starting very open with his front foot on the outer-edge of the batter’s box and his hands cast out in front of him. He utilizes a big leg kick to close himself off while pulling his hands back to his slot. He manages the moving parts well, starting his load early and repeating his mechanics well.

There’s some concern that big league secondaries could take him out of his rhythm and timing, especially as a hitter who likes to make contact further out front than the average hitter.

Crooks has little issue being on time for the heater, hammering fastballs through his Minor League career. While he was productive against secondaries overall, Crooks’ contact rates dropped significantly.

Against non-fastballs in 2025, Crooks made contact with just 57% of pitches, but hedges that by hammering hangers and showcasing decent pitch-rec skills.

After struggling mightily against southpaws in 2023, Crooks put together respectable numbers in same-handed matchups in both 2024 and 2025. While the top-end exit velocities don’t jump off the page, Crooks’ average exit velocity of 90 MPH is comfortably above average.

Crooks tends to spray fastballs all over the field with a greater tendency to pull softer stuff, given his out-front contact point. He likely projects for average power, but could have room for a bit more. The hit tool may be fringy at best, but he hedges that with improvements left on left and the ability to do damage against all pitch types.

Defense/Speed

It’s difficult to poke a hole in Crooks defensive game, grading out as an above-average receiver with a strong arm, throwing out a third of attempted base stealers in Double-A and Triple-A. His blocking has steadily improved since his draft year at Oklahoma, but it may be the one area where he is not clearly and comfortably above average.

Crooks earns high marks for how he works with the Cardinals’ arms.

Outlook

Crooks has the upside to provide slightly above average offense and plus defense if it all works out. Still, even if the production is closer to league average, Crooks has the ingredients to be a steady primary catcher at the MLB level.

With swing and miss expected to creep into his game more in the big leagues, there will be added importance for him to tap into his at least average power potential and draw walks.

Between his strike-stealing and run-stopping skills, Crooks has the floor of a backup catcher, with how much he hits likely determining whether he is a primary catcher or high-end second option.

6. Joshua Baez – OF – (Double-A)

Height/Weight: 6’3″, 220 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 2nd Round (54), 2021 (STL) | ETA: 2026

HIT	Plate Disc.	GAME POWER	RUN	FIELD	FV
35/45	45/50	55/65	55/50	50/50	50

A year ago, Joshua Baez’s 50th percentile outcome was an organizational depth outfielder. Major publications didn’t dare give him serious prospect consideration after his strikeout-riddled 2024 season. The former cold-weather amateur always had the tools to be special, but this was the first year he put it all together.

Hitting

Baez spent the 2024/25 offseason cleaning up his swing mechanics and moving parts while improving his attack angle. The results followed, taking High-A and Double-A by storm with a 145 wRC+ between the two levels.

Before this, he consistently ran zone contact rates in the low-mid 70s, but now he sits much more comfortably in the low-80s.

These improvements have led to significantly higher strikeout rates. In 2025, he did so at a 20.6% clip, compared to 35.5% in 2024.

Equipped with thunderous raw power, Baez has been clocked as high as 114.4 MPH off the bat in Statcast-tracked games.

Defense/Athleticism

Given his size, Baez is an impressive athlete and showed it on the basepaths this year.

For context, he was one of just two players in MILB this year to go yard 20 times and steal more than 50 bags. The other was baseball’s consensus number one prospect, Konnor Griffin.

In the minors, he’s gotten most of his run in right field; this was no different at Double-A Springfield, where he logged 419 innings. He’s also gotten reps in center field, where he recorded 138 innings.

Baez’s long-term home is likely a corner, where he should easily settle in, given his elite arm strength. He’s reached 94 MPH as a pitcher in high school.

Outlook

Baez’s overwhelming changes in contact ability and barrel accuracy have landed him on top-100 prospect lists.

He has all the ingredients of a superstar if he continues putting it all together. He’ll likely begin 2026 at Triple-A Memphis, and if he picks up where he left off in 2025, an MLB debut will come much sooner rather than later.

Even with the 2025 breakout, there’s still some helium in the Baez balloon. He’ll continue ascending if he proves his contact rates in 2025 weren’t a fluke.

The Dominican native is another Cardinal top-100 prospect (2-2.5 average WAR per season over the first six years of team control), profiling as an average everyday right fielder.

7. Leonardo Bernal – C – (Double-A)

Height/Weight: 6’0″, 200 | Bat/Throw: S/R | IFA: $680K – 2021 (STL) | ETA: 2027

HIT	Plate Disc.	GAME POWER	RUN	FIELD	FV
40/45	40/50	40/50	30/30	45/55	45+

The signature trait of the Cardinals’ player development team is their ability to produce countless top-tier catching prospects.

Hitting

Leonardo Bernal is no exception, with the Panamanian product slowly ascending through the minor leagues while flashing average or better tools across the board.

The 2025 season was a tale of two halves for Bernal. He registered an impressive 135 wRC+ through 6/30, but a putrid 68 wRC+ after July 1st.

The bat-to-ball skills are not much of an issue, posting a strong 78% contact rate and 84% in-zone contact rate in 2025. An interesting quirk in his profile in 2025 was a seven percent higher contact rate from the left side while posting an OPS roughly 160 points lower.

Though the sample is less than half, Bernal’s quality of contact was significantly stronger from the right side, with a Hard Hit rate nearly 20% higher and a 2.5 MPH gap in 90th percentile exit velocity.

Bernal’s overall exit velocities still flash above average despite not showing it consistently in games. His 104.7 EV90 would rank 19/32 amongst MLB catchers in 2025 (min. 300 PA), which translated to a career-high 13 round-trippers in just 107 games.

Defense/Speed

Defensively, Bernal has all the makings of a guy who’ll stick at catcher long-term. He has good bounce and agility for a guy his size.

Arguably the most special part of his profile is his arm strength, where he nabbed 39.1% of basestealers in 2025 (across 747 1/3 innings caught), a mark that would’ve ranked fourth in all of MLB amongst qualified backstops.

Outlook

There’s a lot of congestion towards the top of the organization at the catcher position. Ivan Herrera is likely to begin the season as the starter, while Pedro Pages should serve as a premium defense-first backup with Yahel Pozo in the mix as well.

Given this depth, the front office will surely begin his 2026 at Memphis, where he’ll likely spend most of the season splitting time with Jimmy Crooks. Bernal has the offensive ingredients to push his ceiling higher, especially if he can bridge the gaps between the advantage in rate of contact from the left side and quality of contact from the right side.

Bernal is a fringe top-100 prospect (1.5-2 average WAR per season over the first six years of team control) who currently profiles as a slightly below-average or second division everyday catcher.

8. Quinn Mathews – LHP – (Triple-A)

Height/Weight: 6’5″, 190 | Bat/Throw: L/L | 4th Round (122), 2023 (STL) | ETA: 2026

FASTBALL	SLIDER	Changeup	Curveball	COMMAND	FV
50/55	55/60	60/60	45/45	40/50	45+

After a monster 2024 campaign that saw his fastball jump several ticks as he climbed four levels of the minor leagues, Quinn Mathews was primed to debut in 2025 and claim his spot in the big league rotation. Instead, Mathews battled a shoulder injury, loss of velocity, and shaky command in 2025, spending the entirety of the season at Triple-A.

Arsenal

Quinn’s heater was the primary reason he ascended as quickly as he did in 2024, going from a command/control low-90s guy to averaging 94.5 MPH on his fastball.

He was never fully healthy in 2025, which led to a 1 MPH drop in fastball velocity. While the extension remained the same, his release height was slightly higher. He struggled to find a consistent release point, especially with the fastball, seeing his strike rate drop to 53%.

His secondary offerings played a huge role in supporting his ailing heater in 2025, with the most-used offering being a gyro slider that had a nearly 40% whiff rate. It was the pitch Mathews landed most frequently for a strike, but it was still down from his 70% strike rate on the pitch in 2024.

His signature secondary, however, is his changeup. It gets 12 inches of vertical offset from the fastball with a 12 mph velocity gap as well. Hitters have a hard time adjusting to the change in velocity, as shown by the eye-watering 55% whiff rate on the offering. It’s a true plus cambio with the chance to push beyond that with more consistent execution.

Mathews’s curveball is a solid fourth offering, averaging -13 inches of vertical break and 9 inches of horizontal in the upper 70s.

The hammer also gives him something to work with against lefties, as a solid 14 inches of horizontal offset from the fastball makes it easier to work them inside.

Outlook

Mathews is almost certain to begin 2026 at Memphis, and while his command was slightly better toward the end of 2025, his peripheral data was shaky throughout the season.

Despite this, he’ll likely get a shot to crack the big-league rotation early in the 2026 season, especially after an encouraging spring. He has the upside of a mid-rotation starter on a championship-caliber team at his best, as shown in 2024.

Given his regression in 2025, which may have been in part due to health concerns, he currently profiles more as a back-end rotation starter, and even then, the command will need to be better to stabilize there.

9. Cooper Hjerpe – LHP – (Double-A)

Height/Weight: 6’3″, 200 | Bat/Throw: L/L | 1st Round (22), 2022 (STL) | ETA: 2027

Fastball	CHANGEUP	Sweeper	Cutter	COMMAND	FV
55/55	50/55	55/55	40/45	35/45	45

Since being selected out of Oregon State in 2022, the side-arming Hjerpe has dealt with numerous elbow issues before finally succumbing to Tommy John surgery this past season.

He’ll likely be shelved until the middle of this upcoming campaign, though Hjerpe is reportedly ahead of schedule. He is already throwing bullpens in spring camp, according to Brian Walton of The Cardinal Nation.

Arsenal

Hjerpe’s arsenal is interesting in that he won’t ever blow you away with a scathing heater, but his outlier release point and diverse pitch plot will deceive hitters.

His fastball sits 90-91 MPH from a 4.2-foot vertical release. It generates about 16 inches of armside run and tightens up left-handed batters. It was a major reason why he held lefties to a 0.557 OPS against and a 36.9 zone-whiff% in 2024.

Cooper’s sweeper gives him an option glove-side towards righties. It sits in the high-70s with 17 inches of glove-side for a total of 33 inches of horizontal offset between the heater and sweeper. This, along with a 14 MPH velocity difference, gives Hjerpe one of the most lethal pitch combos in the organization.

He’ll also dot a cutter in the high-80s with 8 inches of rise. It serves as a nice tertiary option and a midpoint between the fastball and sweeper.

Hjerpe’s final offering is a changeup that gives him a southern arm-side offering that generates 14 inches of vertical offset from the fastball. It sits in the low-80s and generates about 11 MPH of velocity offset from the heater.

Outlook

Hjerpe easily boasts some of minor league baseball’s most unique pitch mixes. That being said, a major swing factor will be his ability to consistently command his offerings, as he yielded a free pass in 13% of his batters faced in 2024.

A second question mark surrounding Cooper is how he’ll bounce back post-TJ. Will he throw harder? Can he eventually be ramped up to handle starter bulk as he did in his junior season at Oregon State? Right now, he carries heavy reliever risk and has only thrown 93.1 frames as a professional, almost four years after being drafted.

As of now, Cooper profiles as a fifth starter on a contender, with a high-leverage relief role being the more likely outcome.

10. Brandon Clarke – LHP – (High-A)

Height/Weight: 6’4″, 225 | Bat/Throw: L/L | 5th Round (148), 2024 (BOS) | ETA: 2028

Fastball	Slider	Curveball	Changeup	Command	FV
55/55	70/70	50/50	45/45	35/40	45

When the Cardinals traded away Sonny Gray, they included $20 million to buy prospects in the process. Taking one look at Brandon Clarke’s arsenal, it’s not difficult to see why. Unfortunately, injuries have been a theme for Clarke dating back to his amateur days, and he will be working back from a shoulder procedure to correct an aneurysm in his throwing arm. Clarke is still expected to be available for more than half of 2026.

Arsenal

Clarke’s fastball sits around 97 MPH and has topped 100 MPH, appearing faster than the gun’s reading due to his 7.3 feet of extension off the mound and generating a 25% whiff rate.

Even if he only generates 10 inches of IVB, he does so from a 5.5-foot slot and blows it by hitters when paired with his elite extension. It will be a very effective offering if he can command it.

His signature pitch is an upper-80s slider that flashes 10 inches of glove-side movement. It’s arguably one of the filthiest sliders in all of the minors, especially when you consider it tunnels off the heater with 21 inches of horizontal offset and 10 MPH of velocity offset. It had a 66% whiff rate.

Another solid breaking ball offering is his curveball, which generates nearly ten inches of drop and 20 inches of vertical offset overall off the heater. It generated a whiff rate of 64%.

Brandon’s changeup gives him another weapon against righties and generated a whiff rate of 50%. He only used it 5% of the time against them, but it’s something he has in his back pocket.

Outlook

Equipped with four offerings inducing plus-plus caliber whiff rates, Clarke has a case for the deepest and most tantalizing arsenal of any pitching prospect in the Cardinals system. The biggest question will be, can he put it all together? He tossed just 38 professional frames in fourteen starts in 2025.

The lefty also dealt with a nagging blister throughout the season, and his new shoulder issues add more uncertainty to what was already a murky makeup profile.

Clarke offers a very wide range of outcomes, with the stuff to be a middle rotation starter, but a very high degree of reliever risk. He will get more runway as a starter once he returns from injury, but if he is relegated to a bullpen role as is expected, his stuff could make him a high-leverage option.

11. Ixan Henderson – LHP – (Double-A)

Height/Weight: 6’2″, 200 | Bat/Throw: L/L | 8th Round (245), 2023 (STL) | ETA: 2027

FASTBALL	Slider	Curveball	CHANGEUP	COMMAND	FV
50/50	50/55	40/45	40/45	45/55	40+

2025 Texas League Pitcher of the Year Ixan Henderson has been a mini diamond in the rough as a professional. He should be ready to move up to Memphis after posting a 2.59 ERA through 132 IP.

He has a nice collection of four fringy-to-average offerings, with command that has steadily improved as he’s ascended through the Cardinals’ system.

Henderson is behind this Spring due to a flexor tendon strain, which is said to be mild. He is currently on a no-throw program.

Ixan’s primary offering is a mid-90s four-seamer that generates about 15 inches of rise and induces an 18.7 zone-whiff%.

Henderson’s main secondary is a sweeper that sits 80-81 MPH and generates 13 inches of glove-side movement, giving him nearly two feet of horizontal offset from the 4-seamer.

On occasion, he’ll throw in a mid-70s curveball that will generate 14 inches of drop, for a 29-inch vertical offset and a 16 MPH velocity difference from the fastball.

There isn’t a glaring weakness in Ixan’s pitch mix. He’s a solid all-around pitching prospect who has shown better command than he did in college. 2025 was the second year in a row he twirled more than 100 innings in a season, and he will go for the trifecta in 2026.

Ixan profiles as a fifth or sixth starter, with a long-relief role as his lower-end outcome.

12. Tink Hence – RHP – (Double-A)

Height/Weight: 6’1″, 175 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 2nd Round (63), 2020 (STL) | ETA: 2026

FASTBALL	SLIDER	CHANGEUP	Curveball	COMMAND	FV
45/45	55/55	65/65	45/45	35/40	40+

A former top 100 prospect, Tink Hence now finds himself fighting to regain his former glory as a wiry fireballer who can pump the brakes with a scathing cambio.

Hence’s mid-90s heater has wavered in velocity year over year. This was once a plus fastball, but it hasn’t quite been as filthy as it was in years past. Even so, it can still be effective in short spurts. In 2025, it sat 93-94 MPH and got 13 inches of IVB from a 5.75-foot release point.

Even with his fastball regression, Tink’s changeup is still a plus offering. It generates over 10 MPH of velocity offset from the heater, and the shift in gears fools hitters to the tune of a 58.8 zone-whiff%.

Tink’s gyro slider rounds out his starter’s mix of offerings; it sits in the mid-80s, and its true bullet shape gives him a lethal midpoint option on his pitch plot.

His biggest swing factor will be his ability to stay on the mound. Can his frame endure the trials and tribulations of a full season? Can his impressive raw arsenal last five or more frames every fifth day? Can he throw enough strikes to handle a starter’s workload?

Even if he doesn’t answer any of these, he still has the makings of a high-leverage reliever should the rotation no longer be a viable path.

13. Tanner Franklin-RHP-High-A

Height/Weight: 6’5″, 225 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 2nd Round, CB-B (72), 2025 (STL) | ETA: 2029

FASTBALL	SLIDER	Changeup	Cutter	Command	FV
70/70	50/55	35/40	55/55	40/45	40+

After selecting Liam Doyle with their first pick of the 2025 MLB Draft, the Cardinals went back to the Knoxville well in the second Competitive Balance round, choosing fireballer Tanner Franklin with their third overall selection.

Tanner played a key role in Tennessee’s 2025 College World Series run and found himself flying up draft boards after showing vastly improved command out of the bullpen, which was a major concern for him as an underclassman at Kennesaw State.

He features a scathing heater that sits at 96-97 MPH and touches 101, generating 19 inches of vertical ride from a 5.6-foot slot. It ranked as one of the best bat-missing fastballs in Division-1 last year, registering an eye-watering 99.5 percentile Swinging Strike%.

His main secondary offering is a high-80s glove-side cutter that gives him a nice mid-point on his pitch plot.

Franklin’s slider has the potential to be an above-average offering, sitting in the mid-80s and generating 15 inches of horizontal offset from the fastball.

Occasionally, Franklin will dabble with a changeup that gets 11 inches of vertical offset and 7 MPH of velocity offset from the fastball, though the offering still needs some seasoning.

Not enough can be said about Franklin’s ability to rack up whiffs, but his biggest swing factor will be whether or not he can continue to improve his command and stamina to extend himself into a starter or a high-leverage reliever capable of throwing 60+ frames a year. He only walked 5.5% of hitters but did surrender six round trippers in just 38.2 innings at Tennessee.

He currently profiles as a middle reliever, with his elite fastball giving him a solid foundation to work off of as he hones in the rest of his arsenal. The clay mold of an impact arm is there; how high he ascends is entirely up to Franklin and the Cardinals’ pitching development team.

Regardless, Franklin has a low-risk, high-ceiling prospect that could reward the franchise handsomely if he can put it all together.

14. Tekoah Roby – RHP – (Triple-A)

Height/Weight: 6’1″, 190 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 3rd Round (86), 2020 (TEX) | ETA: 2027

FASTBALL	Curveball	Slider	CHANGEUP	COMMAND	FV
50/50	60/60	50/55	40/50	40/45	40+

Another former top 100 prospect who’s battled a myriad of injuries as a professional, Roby had finally ascended to Triple-A before succumbing to Tommy John surgery in July. He is expected to miss the entire 2026 season.

Roby’s heater will sit in the mid-90s and has flirted with triple digits. At only 16 inches of IVB, it lacks much carry, so he’ll have to maintain his velocity and command it well to fool hitters.

His signature offering is his plus curveball, which generates about 14 inches of drop and over 30 inches of vertical offset from the fastball. It fooled hitters to the tune of a 39.7% whiff rate.

Roby’s gyro slider offers him a third swing and miss breaking ball and a middle point between his heater and curveball. It produced similar results to the curveball with a 38.1% whiff rate.

A fourth pitch in his arsenal is a kick change. It’s a low-spin offering with around 1250 RPM, featuring additional depth and less arm-side run than his old changeup shape. The offering is still very much a work in progress, but the ability to kill spin after throwing a devastating curveball will improve his sequencing.

The former third-round pick has all the ingredients of a 3-4 starter; however, he may never be healthy enough to handle a starter’s workload, with too much variance in the quality of his stuff. He currently profiles as a long reliever who may move into a high-leverage role.

15. Nathan Church – OF – (MLB)

Height/Weight: 5’10″, 180 | Bat/Throw: L/L | 11th Round (337), 2022 (STL) | ETA: 2026

HIT	Plate Disc.	GAME POWER	RUN	FIELD	FV
50/50	45/50	35/40	60/60	55/60	40+

Church was considered to be a defensive specialist prospect for much of his minor-league career, but turned in a stellar campaign in 2025, posting a 144 wRC+ between Double-A and Triple-A, boosting his future value in the process.

Before this mini-breakout, it was difficult to consider Nathan as anything more than organizational depth or a fifth outfielder at best.

He ran a 94.9 Z-Contact% in AAA this year, and with a lack of true power, he’ll need to continue putting lumber on leather if he wants to start.

Church’s glove and wheels give him a higher floor. He looks like a true center fielder with the potential to be plus up the middle. Church showed up to Spring Training moving the bat significantly faster in 2026, giving him an improved outlook in the quality of contact department.

The uptick in bat speed, paired with a knack to pull the ball in the air, could result in a bit more slug than expected.

He easily profiles as a fourth outfielder, but if Church can maintain what looks like a step forward in the quality of contact department, he could be an average regular in centerfield.

Other Names to Watch

Tai Peete – CF – (High-A)

Height/Weight: 6’2”, 193 | Bat/Throw: L/R | 1st Round, CB-A (30), 2023 (SEA) | ETA: 2028

HIT	Plate Disc.	GAME POWER	RUN	FIELD	FV
30/35	30/45	45/55	60/60	45/55	40+

Part of the elite trio of Seattle’s first three selections in the 2023 MLB Draft, Tai Peete has been challenged as a young professional. While he had just a 79 wRC+ at High-A Everett in 2025, he did so while being one of the youngest players at the level.

Tai’s plate coverage against LHP far exceeds that against RHP, as shown by his 33.5 K% against RHP versus 23.4 K% against LHP. Improving his contact ability against righties is the clear next step in his development. Changeups in particular really gave him fits in 2025.

Despite contact ability being a glaring weakness, it’s really the only one in an all-around, toolsy, athletic profile. Peete shows above-average raw power with a 111 Max EV, which he cooks in-game with a 105.2 EV90. The latter would rank slightly below league average amongst all qualified 2025 MLB center fielders.

Defensively, he should profile as an above-average centerfielder as the game continues to slow down for him. He made the switch to the eight in 2025 after being a shortstop until that point.

Peete was also a pitcher in high school who routinely blew 90+ MPH fastballs past hitters. This bodes well for his projection in the outfield, as runners will think twice before testing his plus arm.

In all, the former competitive balance pick profiles currently as a lefty-hitting platoon bat, but has plenty of time to grow and improve his projection. He likely gets assigned to repeat High-A, but if all goes well, he should finish the season with a good chunk of PA’s in Double-A by season’s end.

Peete will have all the time in the world to continue improving his value, and if he eventually winds up as a starter on a contender, no one should be shocked, given his tools. But there’s still a lot of refinement needed in his game to get there.

Yhoiker Fajardo – RHP – (Single-A)

Height/Weight: 6’3″, 181 | Bat/Throw: R/R | IFA: $400K, 2024 (CHW) | ETA: 2029

FASTBALL	SLIDER	Changeup	COMMAND	FV
40/50	50/55	40/45	40/55	40+

Venezuelan Yhoiker Fajardo was a standout in the environment-neutral Carolina League in 2025, with an impressive 27.8 K% at just eighteen years old.

He features a mid-90s fastball that touches 97, with more room for velocity as he matures physically. Its shape doesn’t particularly stand out, however, with just 14 inches of IVB.

Fajardo also hurls a tight mid-80s gyro slider, with a near pure-bullet shape at 0 inches glove side and 1 inch of drop. It generated a 33.9 zone-whiff% and a 31.2 chase%. showing that hitters fail to track it efficiently either in or out of the zone.

His changeup will sit in the upper-80s with swing-and-miss potential. It gets a 13-inch vertical offset from the heater and misses 30.2% of bats in the zone.

His command is outstanding for his age, surrendering a mere 9.4 BB% and no home runs (!) in 72 total innings this past season.

He currently projects as a depth starter, but has the ingredients of a back-end rotation guy on a contender if his performance holds steady as he ascends through the minor leagues.

Yairo Padilla – SS – (CPX)

Height/Weight: 6’2″, 200 | Bat/Throw: S/R | IFA: $760K – 2024 (STL) | ETA: 2030

HIT	Plate Disc.	GAME POWER	RUN	FIELD	FV
30/55	35/55	30/50	55/50	30/50	40+

Padilla has quickly emerged as the second-best prospect from the 2024 Cardinals international free agent class behind Rainiel Rodriguez. After impressing in the DSL as a seventeen-year-old, he made his stateside debut in 2025 at the Florida Complex League.

Here, he showed a precocious blend of bat-to-ball skills while at least flashing a little bit of pull-side pop. Padilla boasted an 89% z-Contact% at the level, to go along with an 18.8 chase%, showing he can effectively spit on pitches that aren’t to his liking. Swing decisions are to be taken with a grain of salt in the DSL, given the high percentage of fastballs and poor command, but there is a tangibly solid feel for the zone.

Padilla added strength heading into the 2026 spring, providing some optimism that he can tap into more impact as he continues to mature and learns how to utilize his lower half more effectively.

Defensively, Padilla profiles as an average defender with enough arm strength to stick at shortstop should his range allow for it. Padilla currently looks the part of a third middle-infield option, but there is so much time and potential for the teenager to reach closer to his upside of a big league regular.

Jesus Baez – SS – (High-A)

Height/Weight: 5’10″, 180 | Bat/Throw: R/R | IFA: $275K – 2022 (NYM) | ETA: 2028

HIT	Plate Disc.	GAME POWER	RUN	FIELD	FV
35/45	35/45	40/50	50/45	40/45	40+

Part of the Mozeliak regime’s ultimate group of acquisitions, Baez is a power-first middle infielder with burgeoning bat-to-ball skills.

He’s made slow but steady improvements in this department, registering a 79.4 contact% in 2025 compared to 77.4% the year prior. The discipline has also held steady, with a 10.4 BB% this past season between low-A and high-A.

Jesus’s calling card at the plate is raw power. He seamlessly cooks this in-game with 14 dingers in just 103 games. He also makes efficient use of his raw juice towards a short field, registering an AirPull% of 30%.

Though athletic, Baez’s fringy range will likely move him off the six long-term, with a more probable long-term home being third or second base. If he sticks at the hot corner, he has the requisite arm needed to nab runners across the diamond routinely.

Like Yairo Padilla, Baez currently profiles as a platoon-hitting fifth-infielder type, but has plenty of helium if he can continue putting it all together as he ascends through the minor leagues.

Brycen Matuz – LHP – (Double-A)

Height/Weight: 6’3″, 190 | Bat/Throw: L/L | 2nd Round (59), 2022 (STL) | ETA: 2026

FASTBALL	SLIDER	Changeup	Curveball	COMMAND	FV
45/45	60/60	45/45	50/50	55/55	40+

A throwback to the Mozeliak-era mantra of pitcher, Mautz was initially a command/control arm out of the University of San Diego.

Since then, he’s flourished under Matthew Pierpont’s leadership as director of pitching, exhibiting newfound velocity and a wider pitch map while maintaining his pinpoint command. These improvements allowed him to capture the 2025 Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award.

Initially sitting in the low-90s with his fastball, Mautz now routinely pumps mid-90s heat and has touched 97. It’s more of an east-west offering, generating anywhere between 12-14 inches of armside run on a good day.

A nice midpoint in his pitch plot is his gyro slider, sitting in the mid-80s and showcasing a pure bullet shape.

Holding Mautz back from a rotation starter projection is the lack of a true glove-side offering with enough horizontal offset. His curveball has some slurvey tendencies, but it doesn’t tighten up right-handed hitters the way you would like. Opponents registered a .689 OPS against as an older prospect in Double-A.

Right now, he projects as a depth starter with some long or middle-relief intrigue. If he can really execute consistently, there’s No. 5 starter upside on an average team.

Chen-Wei Lin – RHP – (Double-A)

Height/Weight: 6’8″, 190 | Bat/Throw: R/R | IFA: $500K, 2023 (STL) | ETA: 2027

FASTBALL	Slider	CHANGEUP	Splitter	COMMAND	FV
55/55	50/50	45/55	45/50	35/40	40+

Chen-Wei Lin was a rare international signee from Taiwan, where he pitched collegiately before moving stateside. He flew through the complex and the pitcher-friendly Florida State League, but injuries and command issues led to struggles in 2025 between High-A and Double-A.

One look at Lin and you’d think he’s the starting small forward on your favorite college basketball team. His towering 6’8 frame allows him to rear back and routinely dot the zone with high-90s heat, occasionally flashing triple digits. It doesn’t generate many whiffs due to a lack of heavy vertical carry (14 inches of IVB), so the velocity will have to do a lot of the heavy lifting.

Lin’s most impressive secondary whiff-wise is his changeup, which generates 9 inches of vertical offset from the fastball and 8 MPH of velocity offset. It absolutely fools hitters when located, but he struggled to get it in the zone as consistently as he needed, registering a strike rate below 50% in 2025.

His splitter is a solid offering when his command is on, with 10 MPH of velocity offset from the fastball, though he only mixed it in about 8% of the time in 2025.

Lin also throws in a gyro slider sitting in the mid-80s, with a zone-whiff rate nearing 30%. It lacks command, but has a promising shape with 4 inches of drop and 1 inch of glove-side movement.

When he’s locked in, he has multiple ways of making you miss with his deep arsenal, but his command blew up in 2025 to the point where he presently has major red flags as a starter.

He currently profiles as a fringe rotation piece, with a more likely outcome being a leverage reliever with plenty of upside if he can hone a very deep bag of offerings.

Ryan Mitchell – CF – (CPX)

Height/Weight: 6’2”, 185 | Bat/Throw: L/R | 2nd Round (55), 2025 (STL)| ETA: 2030

HIT	Plate Disc.	GAME POWER	RUN	FIELD	FV
25/55	25/55	20/50	60/55	25/55	40

The Georgia Tech commit was the Cardinals’ sole high school draft pick in 2025, injecting a solid but raw all-around game into an organization lacking much prospect depth at positions 3-9.

Mitchell’s calling card on offense is his advanced bat-to-ball ability, registering an above-average 85 z-Contact% on the high-school circuit.

He doesn’t hit for much power now, with a 15% hardhit% on the circuit. Given his frame, he may grow into league-average in-game juice, as shown by his home run in the Spring Breakout game. It was clocked at a 103.2 MPH evit velocity. This is further aided by a fast swing he recorded this Spring at 77 MPH.

Mitchell is a tremendous athlete who has every opportunity to stick up the middle. Ryan was a shortstop in high school, but has since transitioned to centerfield, where his plus wheels should buoy his defensive value as he adapts to a new position. He also has an above-average arm, though it’s not the most accurate right now.

Standing at 6’2, Mitchell brings plenty of physical projection despite plenty to prove in the coming years. He’s immediately become one of the more exciting players in the organization and has the upside to be one of the best.

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