1 Cardinals pitching prospect is shining as organizational depth is in shambles

Coming into the 2025 season, it felt like the first time in a decade that St. Louis Cardinals fans had a variety of arms in their system that they could get excited about.

Well, top pitching prospect Quinn Mathews has been on the injured list with shoulder soreness. Their second-best arm, Tink Hence, is on the 60-day injured list with a rib cage strain. And to put icing on this terrible cake, arguably their third-best pitching prospect, Cooper Hjerpe, just underwent Tommy John surgery.

It's really hard to imagine a worse start for the organization when it comes to the future of their pitching. There is a reason why some within baseball say there is "no such thing as a pitching prospect" - injuries are far too common in today's game, especially with dynamic arms like the ones I just mentioned.

The greatest concern obviously is how these injuries may impact the development of those arms. Mathews, Hence, and Hjerpe all have the upside to be very good starters in this league, but their trajectories could be altered for the worse by these setbacks.

In the immediate future, these injuries have also made it difficult for the Cardinals to count on depth beyond the six starters already on their Major League roster. Yes, Michael McGreevy is deserving of an opportunity, but after him, it is hard to imagine them turning to anyone else in Memphis.

But for those who kept a close eye on the team during spring training and have kept up with the Springfield Cardinals this year, you'll know there is another arm in the system who is taking advantage of his opportunities and catching the eyes of many - Tekoah Roby.

Tekoah Roby is shining while other Cardinals pitching prospects are injured

Roby, acquired in the Jordan Montgomery trade at the 2023 trade deadline, caught the eyes of the Major League coaching staff and front office during spring training as he flashed electric stuff and better command after a few years filled with injuries and regressed performances. Roby was someone many viewed as a top 100 prospect back in 2023, but those two things caused him to fall out of favor nationally, and there were real question marks about what Roby would become long-term.

Boasting a four-pitch mix, Roby has always had the stuff to get guys out at a high level, and after a mental reset this offseason, he's looked like a man on a mission this year. Roby was assigned to Springfield after his strong camp performance, and his first four starts have been incredible thus far. Through 17 innings, Roby has struck out 16 batters while posting a 1.06 ERA.

I really would not be surprised if Roby gets the call to head to Memphis here soon, especially with how depleted the depth is there. And if he keeps this up for the next few months, he'll be up in St. Louis soon enough. I know the Cardinals have massive needs in their bullpen right now, but I think the Cardinals would be wise to keep Roby on the starters' path and make sure he can handle that workload long-term. And as we looked at earlier, the Cardinals really don't have much starting pitching depth behind their current options in St. Louis.

We all know how much of an issue developing starting pitching has been for St. Louis over the last decade, so having a bright spot like Roby is a massive breath of fresh air. We'll keep an eye on his performance as the year goes on, but so far, so good for Roby and his future with the Cardinals.