Best Pure Hitter: The Cardinals in recent years have prioritized contact skills as much as any team, and OF Ryan Mitchell (2) was a standout on the 2024 showcase circuit for his strong hand-eye coordination and bat-to-ball skills. He has the sort of contact ability that should give him a chance to be an above-average pure hitter. 

Best Power Hitter: This St. Louis class doesn’t have any huge sluggers, but 1B Jack Gurevitch (3) did turn in a career year in the power department this spring with San Diego. After hitting just 15 home runs in his first two seasons, he hit 17 in 2025 and shows solid power to the pull side.

Fastest Runner: Hawaii OF Matthew Miura (6) has the legs to cover plenty of ground in center field, and he’s also been a consistent collector of stolen bases throughout his college career. In three seasons with Hawaii, he went 37-for-51 (73%) and was even more aggressive during summers in the Cal Ripken, Northwoods and Cape Cod Leagues. 

Best Defensive Player: Miura (6) has played all three outfield positions but he looks like a long-term center fielder and was a reliable defender for Hawaii. He made only two errors in 255 total chances throughout his career. 

Best Fastball: LHP Liam Doyle (1) has an easy case for the best fastball in the entire draft class. It’s a high-velocity, high-riding pitch he throws often and is easily a 70-grade offering. He throws it in the mid 90s and will touch 100 mph with a flat plane that allows it to dominate hitters anywhere in the zone, particularly at the top rail, where he regularly spots the pitch. In his three college seasons, Doyle threw the fastball 64% of the time and generated an 18.6% swinging strike rate. 

Best Secondary Pitch: RHP Tanner Franklin (2S) has a hard cutter around 90 mph and a slider in the mid 90s. He used the cutter this spring as his go-to secondary pitch, though his slider was a more consistent swing-and-miss offering. Both pitches have a chance to be solid secondaries.

Best Pro Debut: Doyle (1) made just two starts in his pro debut, first with Low-A Palm Beach and then with Double-A Springfield. He struck out three, walked two and allowed a homer in his first outing. Then, at the Double-A level, he threw a pair of shutout innings with three strikeouts and no walks. Overall, he posted a 2.45 ERA over 3.2 innings with six strikeouts and two walks. 

Best Athlete: Mitchell (2) is a wiry athlete with a 6-foot-2 frame that still has tons of room to add more strength and physicality. He’s a good runner who has the actions to be a middle infielder, but many scouts believed he would be better off playing center field, where his natural athleticism could take over. The Cardinals drafted him as an outfielder. 

Most Intriguing Background: RHP Jake Shelagowski (13) was a catcher and outfielder in high school, but he converted to pitching in college and had a breakout 2025 season with Division II Saginaw Valley State (Mich.). Shelagowski set a program record with 11 saves, became the fifth player drafted from the program and was also the highest-ever drafted from the program. 

Closest To The Majors: Doyle (1) fits in the tier of players who could move most rapidly from this 2025 draft class. His fastball could play in the majors right now, and depending on the development of his secondaries or the role the Cardinals might want to pitch him in, he could impact the big leagues as soon as 2026.

Best 11+ Round Pick (Or UDFA): SS Jalin Flores (11) has big tools to go with big variance that comes from an aggressive, unrefined hit tool. He has rock-solid defensive actions at shortstop with a big arm and reliable hands, and can also put a charge into the ball, especially to the pull side. He was an up-and-down hitter with Texas and will need to add a bit more polish to his bat path and approach in order to take advantage of the impact he has.Â