5 Cardinals prospects not named JJ Wetherholt to keep an eye on

LHP Drew Rom

Drew Rom is the only player on this list to have made his MLB debut. He is, however, still a prospect in my eyes due to his limited time in the majors in 2023.

The Cardinals acquired Rom via trade at the 2023 trade deadline, and he threw 33.2 innings across eight starts with a 8.02 ERA. Rom was seen as starting pitching depth heading into the 2024 season, but he suffered a left shoulder biceps tendinitis injury in Spring Training, which took him out of the entire season.

Rom entered this year with a clean bill of health, and he's been strong so far in limited time. He started off the 2025 season in Low-A Palm Beach. Rom pitched nine innings there across three starts, and he allowed only one run. In his most recent start with the Memphis Redbirds, Rom threw four shutout innings of one-hit ball. He struck out four batters and walked only two. This is reassuring for Rom, who hadn't thrown a professional pitch in over a year up to that point.

Drew Rom likely isn't going to be blowing MLB batters away, but he is a solid depth piece for a farm system that has been depleted due to injuries this year.

OF Joshua Baez

The Cardinals drafted Joshua Baez in 2021 with the 54th overall pick. It has felt like Baez has been in the system for a long time, and that is quite true. Baez is in his fifth season with the Cardinals this year after being drafted as a teenager.

Up to this point, Baez has failed to produce to the levels that people thought he would upon being drafted. He always posted plus offensive numbers according to wRC+, but his strikeout rates hovered in the mid-30% range throughout the minors.

Something has clicked this year for Baez. He is slashing .314/.399/.446 through 32 games at High-A Peoria so far, and he's dramatically lowered his strikeout rate to just 21.4% so far. Baez's walk rate remaings above average at 10.7%.

Baez has hit only two home runs so far this year, but he's also logged 18 stolen bases this year. His plus speed is a key factor for him on both sides of the ball. Most of his time in the outfield has been spent in right field, and he has yet to commit an error there in 200 innings so far.

Joshua Baez may finally be living up to his billing as a former top-10 organizational prospect. If he can continue to hit well, steal bags, and limit his strikeouts, expect to see the 22-year-old outfielder rise up the system quickly.