2 Cardinals teenagers designated as top Dominican Summer League players

The lifeblood of a rebuilding organization is its pipeline of prospects and young players. From a 23-year-old ready to crack the major-league roster to a teenager just signed via international free agency, each prospect plays a vital role in the future of an organization.

For the St. Louis Cardinals, the distant future is certainly looking bright as they begin their rebuild.

St. Louis Cardinals prospects Sebastian Dos Santos and Yaxson Lucena top Dominican Summer League performer list.

The Dominican Summer League is a Rookie-level circuit that is run by Major League Baseball. It has been in existence since 1985, and it presents teenagers the opportunity to show off their skills on a larger stage than what would otherwise be possible.

The 2025 DSL Cardinals team finished third in the Dominican Summer League Southwest Division with a 30-26 record. Fray Peniche's club didn't make it to the DSL Cup, but they still had a successful season.

Two players who played quite well for the DSL Cardinals were Sebastian Dos Santos and Yaxson Lucena. Both Dos Santos and Lucena were recognized by Alex Jensen of Prospects Live as two of the top DSL performers in 2025 with Santos getting the nod at the top of Jensen's list.

The Cardinals signed Sebastian Dos Santos when International Free Agency started in 2025 for just $75,000.

Dos Santos finished his first stint in the DSL with a ..313/.452/.570 slash line for a 158 WRC+. He hit 21 extra base hits in only 38 games including 13 doubles, four triples, and four home runs. He also swiped 13 bases using his decent speed. Sebastian walked more times than he struck out, and his .258 ISO was eye-popping. The 18-year-old middle infielder has a fringy arm that will probably force a move to second base, but his bat will play wherever he's placed on the infield.

The switch-hitter still has room to grow physically, and the hope is that as he fills out his frame, his speed, arm, and power will develop as well. He'll be stateside in 2026 for the first time, so he's certainly a player to keep an eye on.

Jensen's sixth-best DSL performer was outfielder Yaxson Lucena. The Cardinals signed Lucena during the 2024 international signing period.

The corner outfielder slashed .299/.442/.469 with a 141 wRC+ in his second go-around in the DSL, and he walked more than he struck out. He hit only three home runs and stole four bases, but he also hit 10 doubles and three triples in 42 games. Lucena has shown an ability to track spin at the plate, thus adding to his plus offensive output. He'll need to flex more of his offensive muscle as a corner outfielder, but the potential is certainly there for the soon-to-be 19-year-old.

Miguel Hernandez is another DSL Cardinals prospect to keep an eye on. He'll turn 18 in early June, so he spent all of 2025 as a 17-year-old against older competition. He slashed .281/.408/.444 with five home runs and 15 stolen bases in only 36 games for a 124 wRC+. Hernandez struck out 20.7% of the time, but his age is an important thing to keep in mind here, as he was one of the youngest players in all of the DSL last year. He's a strong defender at short with the potential to hit for plus power.

Alex Jensen, along with many other prospect gurus, pegged catcher Rainiel Rodriguez as the best player in the DSL in 2024, so there's certainly a recent track record of success for Cardinals' prospects in the DSL. Hopefully Sebastian Dos Santos and Yaxson Lucena can continue to rise like Rodriguez did in his first stint stateside.