REDBIRD REVIEW

The Cardinals are getting some love from the prospect evaluators. Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America have spoken, and Cardinals prospects have shown up on the Top 100 list for 2025.

Baseball Prospectus goes with a Top 101 list instead of 100 … so give BP some credit for style points. Both sites are excellent. Their prospect analyses are something I pay attention to and look forward to reading. The in-season updates are valuable as well.

Even the best prospect evaluators swing and miss, but I trust their process. My other favorite prospect watchers include Keith Law (The Athletic), Kiley McDaniel (ESPN) and the team at FanGraphs.

Let’s take a look at Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America …

BASEBALL PROSPECTUS, AKA “BP”

Four Cardinals prospects made the Top 101.

Infielder J.J. Wetherholt, No. 13
Pitcher Quin Mathews, No. 27
Pitcher Tink Hence, No. 38
Catcher Jimmy Crooks, No. 88

Other notes from BP: Cardinals infield prospect Thomas Saggese made the “Next 10” list which puts him among the top 111 prospects … Mathews is BP’s top-rated left-handed pitcher … Wetherholt is the fourth-rated shortstop but will almost certainly play second base or third base for the Cardinals – with an outfield spot being another consideration … Hence is the sixth-rated pitcher among righties … Crooks is rated 13th among catching prospects (deep position!) … speaking of catchers, BP placed three catchers on the Cardinals Top 10 prospects list for 2025: Crooks (4th), Leonardo Bernal (7th) and Raniel Rodriguez (9th) … Among NL Central teams, Milwaukee and St. Louis are tied for the lead with four prospects in the Top 101. The only organizations with more prospects in the Top 101 are the Rays (9), White Sox (7), Tigers (7), Mariners (6), Dodgers (5) and Mets (5.)

BASEBALL AMERICA, AKA “BA”

Baseball America is a trusted source, so I make no protests here. But BA put three Cardinals in the Top 100 and all three were given lower ratings than what we saw at Baseball Prospectus. And Jimmy Crooks did not make the BA list. One interesting aspect of this is Baseball America’s view of Mathews earlier in the cycle; he was selected as BA’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year. But that wasn’t reflected in the Top 100 countdown.

To compare:

Wetherholt: 13th at BP – and 25th at BA
Mathews: 27th at BP – and 41st at BA
Hence: 38th at BP – and 68th at BA

Baseball America also placed Saggese among 15 players that “Just Missed” making the Top 100.

All of this prospect fuss is welcome. The Cardinals do have some good hitters and pitchers on the way. And based on a realistic view of what we can expect over the next two-to-three seasons, some logjams are forming at several places.

CATCHER: With Willson Contreras relocated to first base, the Cardinals have two young catchers in place to handle the load in 2025 … Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages. But what happens when Jimmy Crooks is ready? Perhaps later in 2025, and almost certainly in 2026. And then there are the two other catchers I mentioned earlier: Bernal and Rodriguez. We could see Herrera or Pages traded at some point – unless the Cardinals decide to move Crooks in a trade instead. I’d be surprised. But Chaim Bloom will be running the baseball ops by then.

OUTFIELD: The Cardinals currently have Lars Nootbaar, Jordan Walker, Michael Siani, Alec Burleson, Victor Scott and Matt Koperniak in the mix for 2025. And if Nolan Arenado stays in St. Louis, that means Nolan Gorman will continue to start at second base, and Brendan Donovan will spend more time at a corner-outfield spot. So there’s already some traffic out there. But coming (relatively soon) are outfield prospects Chase Davis, Nathan Church and Travis Honeyman. And there are other promising outfielders that are younger (age 21) and still a ways off: Joshua Baez, and Won-Bin Cho. I realize that I am undoubtedly leaving some people out … but you get the idea. I don’t want to make it seem like the Cardinals have 12 outfield prospects ready to roll. That said, having so many options (potentially soon), a veteran may be expendable. Alec Burleson?

INFIELD: If Arenado stays, the infield will have a crowd of aspiring talents If Arenado is a Cardinal in 2025, here’s the infielder supply:

1B: Contreras, with maybe Burleson as the backup, and I don’t know where Luken Baker will stand.

2B: Gorman, B. Donovan – and what about Saggese? Felix Fermin is still around.

SS: Masyn Winn … and maybe Saggese or Fermin or former Reds top prospect Jose Barrero as backup options. Barerro is kind of intriguing. If he makes a positive impression at spring training, keep in mind that he’s capable of playing shortstop and can be utilized as an outfielder. But Barrero isn’t on the 40-man roster.

3B: Arenado, Donovan, Saggese and perhaps nominal prospect Cesar Prieto.

AND THIS: J.J. Wetherholt could be ready to join the big club in the second half of 2025 – but the Cardinals may want to slow down the JJ Train until they can make proper room for his arrival.

Last season the infield duties were fairly streamlined. But there are more infielders in the paddock now, and the Cardinals will have less flexibility if Arenado plays his usual 140 games (or so) at third base.

There’s always the DH spot to play around with.

STARTING PITCHING: OK, if the Cardinals keep all of the starters that are currently slotted to fill the 2025 rotation, there’s a lot of arms lining up to play a game of chance and opportunity. I am in no way suggesting that all of these guys are ready for the big leagues. But I do know the Cardinals have a “No Vacancy” sign which could block some of their young hurlers from getting a true opportunity in what is supposed to be a “reset” season that prioritizes playing/pitching time for younger talent. Ahem.

Current five starters: Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde, Miles Mikolas, Andre Pallante, Steven Matz.

Circling John Mozeliak’s runway: Michael McGreevy, Quin Mathews, Tink Hence and possibly Zack Thompson, Gordon Graceffo and Matthew Liberatore. But Graceffo and Liberatore are bullpen options as well.

Off in the distance, keeping their wings loose: Cooper Hjerpe, Tekoah Roby, Sem Robberse, Ian Bedell. (Bedell has the strikeout stuff to contend for a bullpen role. If he can stay healthy. Same goes for Roby.)

Coming attractions? Brycen Mautz, Darlin Saladin, Inohahn Paniagua, Alex Cornwell. Not in 2025, though.

Heck if I know: Drew Rom, Max Rajcic, Victor Santos.

Well, like baseball people have been saying for many decades: you can never have enough pitching.

Especially good pitching … but we don’t know how many of these guys will be good. Some of these starting pitchers will need time to develop. Other young starters don’t need as much time to complete their minor-league education, so the Cardinals will have to find a way to make some room. By 2026, there will be openings. One would hope that two or three or four get a chance with the big club in 2025.

The Cardinals have young talent. That makes the reconstruction of the minor-league and player-development operation even more important.

Thanks for reading…

–Bernie

Bernie Miklasz

For the last 36 years Bernie Miklasz has entertained, enlightened, and connected with generations of St. Louis sports fans.

While best known for his voice as the lead sports columnist at the Post-Dispatch for 26 years, Bernie has also written for The Athletic, Dallas Morning News and Baltimore News American. A 2023 inductee into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, Bernie has hosted radio shows in St. Louis, Dallas, Baltimore and Washington D.C.

Bernie, his wife Kirsten and their cats reside in the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood of St. Louis.