3 players the Cardinals should consider with their first round draft pick

The MLB draft quickly approaches, and with it will come one of the biggest challenges of the season for the Cardinals’ front office. 

Rookie sensation JJ Wetherholt has already become an impact player at the MLB level after his selection, seventh overall, in the 2025 draft. 

The Cardinals will pick 13th this go-around. Listed below are three players they should consider for their selection. 

Jared Grindlinger (LHP/OF)

Grindlinger, who turned 17 in April, is a legitimate two-way option at Huntington Beach High School. 

Most evaluators prefer him on the mound. Although his current stuff doesn’t quite jump off the page, it’s always easy to dream on younger talent to accumulate more size with time. 

That being said, the left-hander has already touched 96 mph on his heater. His arsenal includes a changeup and slider, with the better versions being a kick-change and a more ‘bullet-like’ slider. 

The biggest flaw in Grindlinger’s offensive approach is his contact-oriented style, which doesn’t team well with his position. Most scouts project that he’ll slot in at first base or in a corner outfield spot if he hits; if that’s the case, he’ll definitely need to add some juice. 

Chaim Bloom has done a great job aiding the career turnarounds of multiple stumbling prospects. Initiating his own project on a player he’ll have plenty of time to work with could be a perfect fit for St. Louis. 

Justin Lebron (SS)

This pick reminds me of how the Cardinals ended up with JJ Wetherholt. 

Justin Lebron was one of the MLB draft's biggest names ahead of this year's collegiate season. 

After the year's end, Lebron finished with a slash line of .277/.386/.534. Although his offensive numbers weren’t quite as mind-blowing as many expected, it’s the raw tools that have scouts’ mouths watering. 

In Lebron’s three-year career, he was only caught twice in 71 attempts to steal a base. Pairing that with the 16 home runs he swatted in the 2026 season makes it easy to dream. 

Lebron is slated all over the place in the first round. Like most years, high school prep picks have skyrocketed upward, leaving collegiate picks scattered about. The reality is that if Lebron is available, he should be a St. Louis Cardinal. 

Masyn Winn looks like the clear Cardinal shortstop for years to come, but there’s nothing wrong with having a backup plan. 

The MLB draft usually functions on a ‘best player available’ mentality, especially toward the beginning. Lebron might be just that for the Redbirds if he were to fall. 

Tyler Bell (SS)

Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com had the Cardinals taking Tyler Bell, a shortstop out of Kentucky, in his latest mock draft. 

Now, to preface, lots of prospects are “shortstops” in the minor leagues. As established, Winn currently anchors shortstop, but third base is wide open. 

Similarly to Lebron, Bell is a collegiate middle infielder with raw tools and sneaky pop. 

The six-foot-one, 190lb infielder posted a 2026 season that looked like this: .343/.510/.608, 9 2B, 9 HR, 29 RBI, 10-13 SB, 30 BB, 36 K over 41 games. 

As a switch-hitter, Bell provides the Cardinals with one extra coveted tool: hitting from both sides of home plate. 

One thing that sets Bell apart from the rest is his injury history. The first-round talent played through a shoulder injury that is set to require surgery before the draft, likely postponing his pro debut until 2027. 

I’m less inclined to be excited about a player when they’re being drafted injured. Then again, that’s exactly how Wetherholt fell into the Cardinals’ lap. 

Currently, St. Louis has a stockpile of young talent. According to MLB Pipeline, multiple players with ETAs set later this season or early 2027 are still waiting in the minor leagues. 

Lebron and Bell are both college products who’d have quicker routes to The Show. Grindlinger is a project that the new regime can take slowly. This isn’t a make-or-break pick at 13, but with so much surface area in the first few rounds, it’d be nice for St. Louis to start hot. 

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