Every year, a handful of players ranked outside the top 10 in their respective farm systems take meaningful steps forward to improve their stock and vault up prospect rankings. Part of the fun is trying to identify those breakouts before it happens. So today, we’re identifying Cardinals prospects who have the potential to make a jump in 2026.

To qualify, a player must rank outside the organization’s preseason Top 10 prospects. All scouting reports are from Baseball America’s 2026 Prospect handbook, which you can purchase here.

You can find Top 30 prospect rankings for all teams here and all breakout candidates here.

Breakout Prospects

Ryan Mitchell, SS/OF 

BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
Adjusted Grade: 40

Track Record: Mitchell won a gold medal with USA Baseball’s 15U National Team in 2022 as one of the linchpins of the American lineup. Throughout his touted prep career outside Memphis, he earned a reputation as an advanced hitter with projectable power. The Cardinals loved what they saw from Mitchell as an amateur and drafted him in the second round in 2025. He signed for a bonus of $2.25 million and did not debut following the draft.

Scouting Report: Mitchell’s hitting prowess earned him a reputation as an amateur as one of the best pure hitters in the country. He stands 6-foot-2, 185 pounds with some remaining projection and average athleticism. A lefthanded hitter, Mitchell sets up wide in the box, with a deep bend in his knees and a high hand set. He has a fairly quiet load and shows the ability to get on plane with pitches. Mitchell uses a toe tap that gives way to a stride that further extends his wide base as he rotates on his front foot. He shows above-average bat-to-ball skills with advanced swing decisions. Mitchell shows above-average raw power and posts impressive exit velocities in games and batting practice. His swing is more geared toward line-drive contact, and added loft could help his power projection jump half a grade. An above-average runner, many scouts believe that Mitchell will move to the outfield, where the Cardinals announced him in the draft after he had played primarily shortstop as an amateur. The team plans to use Mitchell in both the infield and outfield. He looks like an average defender with an average arm.

The Future: Mitchell has the tools to develop into an above-average everyday regular if it all clicks.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50

Deniel Ortiz, 3B

BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35

Track Record: Ortiz is a native of Puerto Rico who moved to Lynn, Mass., in his youth. He attended St. Mary’s High before transferring to Redan High in Georgia for his senior year. He committed to Walters State JC in Tennessee and spent two seasons there, hitting .387/.535/.771 with 34 home runs over 117 games. The Cardinals drafted Ortiz in the 16th round in 2024 and signed him for $200,000. He debuted at Low-A in 2025 and reached High-A over the last month of the season. Ortiz hit .300/.416/.462 with 13 home runs across 107 games in 2025.

Scouting Report: Ortiz was a notable scouting find by the Cardinals, who landed him in the later rounds of the draft and bet on his upside. His skills came to the surface immediately as a professional. Ortiz showed advanced swing decisions and above-average contact quality right away. Ortiz has below-average bat-to-ball skills and ran higher in-zone whiff rates in his pro debut. Ortiz mitigates some of the risk of his hit tool with above-average swing decisions. He rarely expands the zone and is very aggressive on strikes. Ortiz shows above-average raw power with the ability to get to it in games. He has a lofty swing that allows him to elevate the ball consistently. He elevates the ball to his pull side and consistently finds the barrel. Ortiz is an above-average runner and good basestealer. His defense at third and first base is below-average but he shows an above-average arm.

The Future: Ortiz is a second-division regular with a quality hit tool and defensive questions.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Field: 40 | Arm: 55

Jack Gurevitch, 1B

BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35

Track Record: Over three seasons at San Diego, Gurevitch was a consistent performer for the Toreros who earned all-West Coast Conference freshman team honors in 2023. He starred in the Cape Cod League in 2024, earning all-star honors. In 2025, Gurevitch went nuclear at USD, hitting .371/.477/.681 with 17 home runs to earn all-WCC first team honors. The Cardinals drafted Gurevitch in the third round in 2025 and signed him for $879,000. He debuted with Low-A Palm Beach following the draft.

Scouting Report: Gurevitch is an average-sized, lefthanded-hitting first baseman with a stocky but strong build. He deploys a fairly simple setup at the plate with a deep bend in his knees and a high hand set. Gurevitch uses a simple toe tap and stride before giving way to a level, clean bat path. He shows loose, adjustable hands capable of hitting a variety of pitch types and locations. He didn’t see much mid-90s velocity in college, and there are some questions about how he’ll adjust to more velocity in pro ball. He shows average bat-to-ball skills with plus swing decisions. He shows average power, as his above-average exit velocity data is limited by flatter launch angles. Gurevitch is a below-average runner and not a basestealing threat. His primary position is first base, but he has seen action at third base. He has an average arm.

The Future: Gurevitch is a bat-first prospect who profiles as a second-division regular or platoon bat.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50