3 prospects the Cardinals should call up to St. Louis, 2 they should be patient

The St. Louis Cardinals are off to a really nice start to the season record-wise at 10-8. But if they want to sustain winning baseball as the weeks go on, they need to consider another infusion of youth to their roster.

This young ballclub is playing with grit, energy, and determination that have allowed them to overcome rough outings from their pitching staff or grind out a low-scoring ballgame, but over time, it will become harder and harder for them to steal games away from their opponents if they do not fix some of their roster weaknesses.

Luckily for St. Louis, they have a variety of prospects who could be a part of that solution in the near future.

Now, the Cardinals do need to be selective with who they call upon to join the big league roster, as there are some high-profile prospects at Triple-A that I do believe need more time to develop before having to perform on the biggest stage. The Cardinals have been very clear that this season is about the big picture, and while sometimes that means giving opportunities to young players, other times that means being patient with prospects and not throwing them into tough situations too soon.

Let's take a look at some prospects that the Cardinals should be looking to call up soon, and others that they need to continue to be patient with.

These 3 Cardinals deserve a call up to St. Louis soon

Let's see what Jimmy Crooks can do in St. Louis

This is the change that most fans seem to be clamoring for, and I have a hard time disagreeing with them. Jimmy Crooks has been raking for Memphis this year, slashing .292/.404/.563 with four home runs and 10 RBI in his first 13 games.

While the Cardinals have been clear that they are waiting to increase Ivan Herrera's playing time behind the plate to make sure he can stay healthy with a catcher's workload, they can improve the other part of their catching rotation if they were to call up Crooks and play him over Pedro Pages.

While Pages has earned quite the reputation from the Cardinals for his command of the pitching staff and play behind the plate, that has seemed to slip in a substantial way this season. Pages ranks in the bottom third of catchers in blocking, framing, and ABS usage, with his ability to control the running game being the only plus part of his defensive profile this season.

His bat has also continued to be a negative for the team, slashing .206/.263/.324 on the season, even worse than his .635 OPS from 2025. It's hard to imagine Crooks not being more productive at the plate than Pages, and his defense looks like it could be close to his, if not better.

Crooks' 34 K% so far this year is concerning, though, and may be one of the main things holding him down for Cardinals' leadership right now.

Blaze Jordan deserves a shot as the Cardinals right-handed bench bat

Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and since Blaze Jordan was in high school, he's been in the national spotlight. While his professional career hasn't quite matched the hype thus far, he's been on fire to begin the year in Memphis.

In his first 55 at-bats, Jordan owns a 1.070 OPS with four home runs and nine runs batted in, hitting the ball extremely hard, putting his average exit velocity by almost six miles per hour and hard-hit% by 9%. On top of that, Jordan is being more aggressive on pitches in the zone, and it's resulting in great numbers.

Jordan has held his own defensively at third base and first base this season, giving him positional versatility off the bench if the Cardinals wanted to bring him up. While Yohel Pozo had a clutch hit for the Cardinals on Wednesday, he still has only a .333 OPS and doesn't serve much of a role outside of pinch-hitting and occasionally subbing in at catcher. If the Cardinals want to pack more punch off the bench, Jordan is the guy.

Bryan Torres can be the Cardinals' utility man off the bench

So far this season, none of Jose Fermin, Thomas Saggese, or Nathan Church has done much offensively. At some point, it may be in the Cardinals' interest to add a new name to the mix to see if they can get more offense going.

Bryan Torres, on the other hand, has a sparkling 158 wRC+ on a .342/.491/.421 slash line in 54 plate appearances. Torres is someone who can play almost any position on the field, giving the Cardinals ultimate flexibility, and someone who is swinging a hot bat.

In fact, Torres has been raking for years now. In 2024, he posted a 138 wRC+ in Double-A, and in 2025, he raised that wRC+ to 158 in 2025.

Thomas Saggese and Jose Fermin serve very similar roles as backup infielders and corner outfielders for the Cardinals, while Church is someone the organization really likes but has mostly struggled to begin the season.

Swapping Saggese or Church with Torres would get that guy consistent playing time in Memphis. Designating Fermin for an assignment risks losing him, but it gives the Cardinals the chance to let Torres get his shot. No one has run with the left field job or utility role yet, so why not let Torres try and do so?

These 2 Cardinals prospects need more time to develop before an MLB debut

Don't let the rotation woes rush a Quinn Mathews promotion

While the Cardinals' starting rotation could use a lift right now, continuing to be patient with Quinn Mathews is the best thing for his development.

Command has been a big issue for Mathews to begin the year, walking at least three batters in all three of his starts thus far. Mathews did not get out of the fourth inning in either of his first two starts, but Wednesday's outing for Memphis was a great step in the right direction, striking out eight batters and allowing just one hit over five scoreless innings of work.

Adding that swing and miss to their rotation sounds so nice, but giving Mathews the freedom to fail and figure out how to get back in the zone while still limiting damage and missing bats is much better for his long-term development.

The Cardinals should take their time with Joshua Baez

After a bit of a slow start to the 2026 season, Joshua Baez has been blasting extra base hits and looking far more like the prospect we saw last season and the slugger that made a name for himself in spring training.

On Wednesday, Baez mashed his third home run of the season for Memphis, a 111.8 mph laser to the opposite field that showcased his immense raw power.

Just like it would be tempting to add Mathews' stuff to the rotation right now, getting a bat with the upside that Baez possesses in left field for St. Louis would be equally exciting. And yet, Baez is still very new to the Triple-A level, and it would make far more sense for St. Louis to let him bake there for a while before thrusting him into their lineup.

If Baez continues to hit this summer, a promotion could become likely by the All-Star Break or trade deadline. But there should be no rush to get his bat to St. Louis. Let the man figure things out for a while, and when the time comes, he'll be ready to make his impact.

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