By Rob Rains
Any list of top prospects in an organization is compiled largely based on the player’s current performance and his potential for future success.
One challenge in ranking the Cardinals’ prospects this year also has been having to take into account injuries to many of the organization’s top pitchers.
Of the 13 pitchers included in these rankings, seven of them missed varying amounts of time this year because of injuries. Three either underwent or were recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Including pitchers who were ranked a year ago, an additional four were injured this season, with one more undergoing Tommy John surgery.
How all of those pitchers recover likely will have a major impact on the major-league club in the next couple of years.
This is the 10th annual prospect rankings compiled by STLSportsPage.com following the amateur draft and trading deadline. As always, there have been significant changes to this list from the one published 12 months ago.
Eleven of the 25 players included on this year’s list were either unranked or not in the organization a year ago. Two newcomers came in the July draft and three from the deadline trades that sent Ryan Helsley to the Mets and Steven Matz to the Red Sox.
One player from the 2024 list, Thomas Saggese, graduated to the majors. Nine players fell out of the rankings: outfielder Won-bin Cho (ranked 6th), righthander Brian Holliday (15th), righthander Darlin Saladin (16th), righthander Max Rajcic (17th), righthander Zack Showalter (18th), righthander Sem Robberse (19th), righthander Ian Bedell (21st), infielder Jonathan Mejia (22nd) and catcher Sammy Hernandez (24th).
The rankings come with the annual disclaimer that players 25 or older are not eligible, which explains the absence of Nathan Church. Any player who has already made his debut in the majors is also ineligible, even if he is now back in the minors.
The rankings are based on a player’s potential for major-league success, not how close they might be to the majors. The list includes five players currently at Triple A Memphis, seven at Double A Springfield, four at high Class A Peoria, four from low Class A Palm Beach, one from the rookie Florida Complex League and two from the rookie Dominican Summer League. Two players have yet to make their professional debut. Six of the players are teenagers.
The list features eight right-handed pitchers, six lefthanders, three catchers, three infielders, four outfielders and one first baseman.
More than half of the players on this list, 13, were selected by the Cardinals in the amateur draft. Eight players were signed as international free agents and four were acquired in trades. This year’s list consists of 25 players because it is 2025, and also includes an extra “player to watch” from each of the Cardinals’ five U.S.-based farm teams.
Here is the 2025 STLSportsPage.com’s re-ranking of the top 25 prospects in the Cardinals organization. All statistics are through games of Aug. 5.
1. JJ Wetherholt
Last year’s ranking: 2
It’s only been 53 weeks since Wetherholt made his professional debut in low Class A and he has risen to the top of these rankings the same way he reached Triple A Memphis – getting there in a hurry, now knocking on the door to the major leagues. Primarily a shortstop at West Virginia and so far in the minors, most scouts project that he will become the Cardinals’ regular second baseman, likely as early as next season. Wetherholt, who will be 23 in September, has a career .303 average in 108 pro games, including hitting .323 in 17 games since his promotion to Memphis. He also has shown more power, recently hitting five homers in an 11-game span. The question facing the Cardinals is whether to bring Wetherholt up in September after his first full pro season, and start his MLB clock, when if he is not promoted, he won’t have to be protected on the 40-man roster this winter.
Major-league ETA: April 2026
2. Liam Doyle
Last year’s ranking: Not in the organization
The Cardinals used their draft lottery luck, moving up to the fifth overall selection, to land the left-handed Doyle with their highest selection since they drafted J.D. Drew in 1998. In his only season at Tennessee, Doyle used his 100-mph fastball to strike out 42 percent of the hitters he faced (164 of 385) and led NCAA Division 1 with an average of 15.5 strikeouts per nine innings. The Cardinals used many of their selections in this year’s draft on pitchers with swing and miss stuff, none more so than the 21-year-old Doyle. Known for his fiery competitiveness on the mound, Doyle could move quickly through the organization. He threw 95 innings at Tennessee, but is now working out in Jupiter and likely will make his pro debut at some point later this month.
Major-league ETA: 2027
3. Quinn Mathews
Last year’s ranking: 3
This has been a tough year for Mathews, who burst onto the scene in 2024 and was named Baseball America’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year in his first pro season. Mathews spent several weeks on the injured list and has battled control issues all season at Memphis, walking more batters than he did in all of 2024 in only one-third of the innings. The lefthander, who will turn 25 in October, is still recording a decent amount of strikeouts, 63 in 55 innings, but needs to re-establish his control before the Cardinals can justify a promotion to the major leagues even on a staff that fully expects to have openings in the rotation next year. Mathews took a step in the right direction in his most recent start on Aug. 1, striking out nine and only issuing one walk in 6 2/3 innings against Norfolk.
Major-league ETA: 202
4. Leonardo Bernal
Last year’s ranking: 9
A switch-hitting 21-year-old catcher, Bernal has enjoyed the best offensive season of his career at Double A Springfield while continuing to progress defensively. He already has set a career high with 12 home runs and has cut down on his strikeout total with scouts believing he can hit for average as well as for power. After throwing out 35 percent of would-be basestealers in 2024, Bernal has improved that number to 40 percent this season. He also has received praise for his makeup and work ethic. Signed as an international free agent out of Panama in 2021, Bernal is the first of three catchers on this list. To read more about Bernal, CLICK HERE
Major-league ETA: 2027
5. Rainiel Rodriguez
Last year’s ranking: 11
The Cardinals didn’t know much about Rodriguez when the 17-year-old catcher showed up for a tryout at their academy in the Dominican Republic in the spring of 2024. They know a lot more about him now, as Rodriguez has quickly established himself as one of the top prospects in the organization. He was one of the best players in the Dominican Summer League last year as a 17-year-old, then tore up the Florida Complex League to begin this year before his promotion to Palm Beach, where he is one of the youngest players in the Florida State League. His offensive number have declined as he makes the adjustments to that level, as expected, but he has earned praise for his maturity, baseball IQ and his leadership skills. CLICK HERE to read more about Rodriguez.
Major-league ETA: 2029
6. Tink Hence
Last year’s ranking: 1
The fact that Hence fell from being the Cardinals’ top-ranked prospect on this list a year ago to sixth is not from a perceived decline in his ability but because of two other factors – the emergence of a few other players in the farm system and another injury that has once again limited Hence’s time on the mound. The right-hander, who turned 23 on Tuesday, began the year on the injured list as the organization worked to correct some mechanical flaws in his delivery. He came back to make three starts for Springfield, totaling 10 2/3 innings, before returning to the injured list because of shoulder inflammation. Hence still has some of the best swing-and-miss stuff in the organization, but is going to have to prove he can stay healthy to keep progressing toward the majors. He is expected to resume pitching before the end of the season.
Major-league ETA: 2027
7. Tekoah Roby
Last year’s ranking: 5
Roby would have been a few spots higher in these rankings if the list had been published a month ago as the righthander appeared to finally be recovered from two injury-filled seasons and was pitching well, earning a promotion from Springfield to Memphis. Between the two levels Roby made 16 starts, struck out 87 and issued only 19 walks in 78 1/3 innings. That was when his season again was cut short, this time because of an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery and will likely force him to miss most if not all of the 2026 season. Roby, who will turn 24 in September, likely would have been a strong candidate to earn a spot in the major-league rotation next year but now that will be on hold for at least a year, depending on how he recovers from the surgery.
Major-league ETA: 2027
8. Jesus Baez
Last year’s ranking: Not in the organization
The highest ranked of any of the six minor-leaguers acquired in the Cardinals deals at the trading deadline, Baez is a 20-year-old shortstop who came from the Mets as part of the return for Helsley. The Mets signed Baez as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2022. Scouts believe he has plus raw power and good bat control but don’t know defensively if he will eventually need to shift to third base. The Cardinals got a good look at Baez when he spent most of last season in the Florida State League. He was assigned to Peoria to begin his time with the Cardinals.
Major-league ETA: 2029
9. Yairo Padilla
Last year’s ranking: 23
The player who jumped up the most on this list from 2024, climbing 14 spots, Padilla joined Rodriguez as one of the teenage standouts on the Dominican Summer League team last year and like Rodriguez, was promoted to the Florida Complex League this season. The switch-hitting shortstop, who just turned 18 in late June, made a smooth transition to the new level, posting a .283 average while stealing 24 bases in 28 attempts. Scouts believe he can stay at shortstop with a lot of room for growth and physical projection. Padilla missed the end of the Complex League season because of a strained shoulder but it was not considered to be a serious injury.
Major-league ETA: 2030
10. Joshua Baez
Last year’s ranking: Unranked
Baez first appeared in these rankings in 2021 when he was the Cardinals’ second-round pick in the draft but a tough start to his career dropped him off the list a year ago. A bounce-back season, split between Peoria and Springfield, has the right-handed hitting outfielder back on the list as he has ranked among the organization’s leaders in hits, home runs and RBIs all year while also leading the organization with 43 stolen bases in 49 attempts – and he just turned 22 in late June. Baez still tends to strike out too much but already has set a career high in walks. To read more about Baez CLICK HERE
Major-league ETA: 2027
11. Chen-Wei Lin
Last year’s ranking: 8
A pair of injuries also has hampered Lin this season, leading to his dropping a few spots on this list. The native of Taiwan has been limited to 10 starts combined between Palm Beach and Peoria, with the 23-year-old, 6-foot-7 righthander throwing only 33 1/3 innings. Lin held opponents to a .202 average in 89 innings at Palm Beach in 2024 and the Cardinals hope getting him healthy will allow him to be able to show that ability again. He is the scheduled starter for Peoria on Tuesday night.
Major-league ETA: 2028
12. Jimmy Crooks
Last year’s ranking: 10
This hasn’t been as good an offensive year for Crooks as 2024, when he was the Texas League Most Valuable Player. He has struck out more and saw his batting average drop off significantly in his move up from Springfield to Memphis. He still has led the Triple A club in homers, with 12, and in RBIs with 68. Crooks, the third catcher on this list, also was moved down a couple of spots on this list because at 24, he almost is aging out of being listed as a prospect. Crooks was the fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma in the 2022 draft.
Major-league ETA: 2026
13. Ryan Mitchell
Last year’s ranking: Not in the organization
The second player on this list who has yet to play a game for the organization, the 18-year-old Mitchell was drafted in the second round this year out of a Tennessee high school. He has been a shortstop there but the Cardinals are moving him to center field. Mitchell is a bat-first player who had a scholarship waiting for him at Georgia Tech before he signed. Mitchell’s adjustment to his new position will be the most important thing to watch as his pro career begins, likely later this month.
Major-league ETA: 2030
14. Ixan Henderson
Last year’s ranking: Unranked
An eighth-round pick in the 2023 draft out of Fresno State – where he once started a game against Paul Skenes when he was at Air Force – Henderson moved up to Springfield this season and was among the organization’s leaders in ERA, strikeouts and innings pitched. A 23-year-old lefthander, Henderson allowed only 75 hits in 97 innings while striking out 100, holding opponents to a .214 batting average while compiling a 2.60 ERA.
Major-league ETA: 2027
15. Keiverson Ramirez
Last year’s ranking: 13
The 19-year-old righthander began this year in the rookie Complex League before a promotion to Palm Beach. The 6-foot-1 native of Venezuela still has a lot of room for physical growth, which could lead to an uptick in velocity. Ramirez dominated the Dominican Summer League in 2024 and has not been quite as effective as he began making the necessary adjustments to be successful at the higher levels.
Major-league ETA: 2029
16. Branneli Franco
Last year’s ranking: 14
A native of the Domincan Republic, the right-handed Franco was the Cardinals’ top international free agent signing in 2024. The 6-foot-3 18-year-old does not have as much room for physical growth as Ramirez, but already can reach the mid to upper 90s with his fastball, to go along with an effective slider and changeup. Franco only pitched in eight games this season, logging just 10 1/3 innings, but did get in a lot of work at the team’s academy even if it wasn’t during games.
Major-league ETA: 2030
17. Kenly Hunter
Last year’s ranking: Not in the organization
The Cardinals signed Hunter in January out of Nicaragua, and he spent his first pro season in the Dominican Summer League. Just 17, Hunter displayed good bat-to-ball skills, striking out only 15 times in his first 116 at-bats while posting a .302 average. He also stole a team-leading 20 bases. Scouts believe Hunter has the speed and defensive skills to stick in center field.
Major-league ETA: 2031
18. Blaze Jordan
Last year’s ranking: Not in the organization
Acquired by the Cardinals in the deal that sent Matz to the Red Sox, Jordan has been a widely-known prospect since he won a home run derby in high school. Since turning pro in 2021, however, Jordan has proven to also have good bat-to-ball skills, posting a .300-plus average in two of his five pro seasons, including a .301 mark so far this year, to go along with 55 career homers. The 22-year-old right-handed hitter, whose best position is first base, was assigned to Memphis after the trade.
Major-league ETA: 2027
19. Andrew Dutkanych IV
Last year’s ranking: Unranked
A righthander out of Vanderbilt who only pitched 17 1/3 innings in college because of injuries, Dutkanych IV, who turned 22 on July 31, was drafted in the seventh round by the Cardinals in 2024 even though he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. He did not make his pro debut until July, and has now moved into the rotation at Palm Beach. Dutkanych was projected to be a first-round pick out of high school but told teams he was going to college instead of turning pro. To read more about Dutkanych CLICK HERE
Major-league ETA: 2028
20. Nate Dohm
Last year’s ranking: Not in the organization
A 22-year-old righthander, Dohm was one of the prospects the Cardinals obtained from the Mets in exchange for Helsley. He was drafted by the Mets in the third round of the 2024 draft out of Mississippi State and was pitching in high Class A at the time of the trade. Combined with his starts in low Class A, Dohm struck out 77 batters in 62 2/3 innings before the trade. He was assigned to Peoria.
Major-league ETA: 2029
21. Leonel Sequera
Last year’s ranking: 12
Signed by the Cardinals when he was 16 in 2022 out of Venezuela, the right-handed Sequera turned 20 on Tuesday. He has been a starter at Palm Beach this season, one of the youngest pitchers in the Florida State League. Sequera’s strikeouts are down from a big 2024 season in the Complex League as he works to make adjustments to the higher level.
Major-league ETA: 2030
22. Braden Davis
Last year’s ranking: Unranked
Drafted in the fifth round last year from Oklahoma, the 5-foot-11 Davis, a 22-year-old lefthander, began his pro career at Palm Beach in April and was one of the best pitchers in the Florida State League before his promotion to Peoria. Combined between the two levels Davis has allowed just 48 hits in 88 2/3 innings with an organization-leading 124 strikeouts.
Major-league ETA: 2028
23. Brycen Mautz
Last year’s ranking: Unranked
After he was the Cardinals’ second round pick in the 2022 draft, Mautz was ranked 20th that season and 17th on this list in 2023 before dropping off last year when he was 3-13 in Peoria. This has been a bounce-back season for the 24-year-old lefthander at Springfield with a 3.22 ERA over 18 starts and 89 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings.
Major-league ETA: 2027
24. Chase Davis
Last year’s ranking 7
The first-round pick in the 2023 draft, Davis has fallen in these rankings from fourth that season to seventh a year ago with a more dramatic drop this year. Davis, 23, has spent the season at Springfield, but the left-handed hitting outfielder has struggled, posting a .221 average with eight homers, striking out 109 times in 312 at-bats.
Major-league ETA: 2028
25. Cooper Hjerpe
Last year’s ranking: 20
One of several Cardinals’ pitching prospects who had to deal with injuries this season, the left-handed Hjerpe, 24, missed the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. The first-round selection by the Cardinals in 2022 has only been able to pitch a combined 93 1/3 innings in his career. Hjerpe likely will be out until at least the middle of next season as well.
Major-league ETA: 2028
Here are the other “players to watch” for each of the Cardinals’ five U.S.-based affiliates:
Memphis – Max Rajcic is one of only a few players on the Triple A roster who either isn’t included in the top 25 rankings but is still eligible for this list. The right-handed product of UCLA, who was ranked 17th on this list last year, has started three games since his promotion from Springfield. The sixth-round pick in 2022 has averaged a strikeout per inning for his first three professional seasons.
Springfield – Signed as a non-drafted free agent last year, Michael Watson is a 23-year-old left-handed reliever who already has reached Double A. Combined with his work at Peoria, Watson has allowed only 39 hits in 61 1/3 innings with 83 strikeouts.
Peoria – The Cardinals selected Denial Ortiz in the 16th round of the 2024 draft out of a junior college. The third baseman, who will turn 21 later this month, hit 10 home runs in 287 at-bats at Palm Beach before being promoted to Peoria and also is second in the organization with 32 stolen bases.
Palm Beach – Another pitcher working his way back from elbow surgery that forced him to miss all of 2024 is righthander Jacob Odle, drafted in the 14th round in 2023. Odle, 21, has allowed only two runs in 15 innings over his last four starts with 17 strikeouts while still working on getting his command back.
Florida Complex League – Promoted to Palm Beach after the FCL season ended, right-handed reliever Alan Reyes had a 0.70 ERA in 14 games in the FCL and recorded 26 strikeouts with just nine walks in 25 2/3 innings. Reyes, 21, was an international free agent from Mexico who signed in December 2023.
Photo of JJ Wetherholt courtesy of Memphis Cardinals
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