5 potential Cardinals call-ups who are tearing it up at Triple-A in 2026

The 2026 St. Louis Cardinals are off to a strong start to this year. The Memphis Redbirds are having just as good of a start to their year, posting a 28-19 record and pacing the International League. The Redbirds' success is due to several overpowering individual contributions. While several players are playing well for Memphis, five players in particular are crushing it and could be called up in the near future.

Jimmy Crooks, Blaze Jordan, Bryan Torres, Max Rajcic, and Ryan Fernandez are all off to strong starts for the Memphis Redbirds, and each has a reason to be called up to the majors in the near future. While the organization has largely been reluctant to make roster moves without necessity, these players could force the front office's hands.

These 5 Cardinals potential call-ups are off to strong starts for the Memphis Redbirds.

C Jimmy Crooks

Fans have been clamoring for Jimmy Crooks to get called up to the majors virtually all year. Frustration with Pedro Pages's offensive output along with joy regarding Crooks's hot start have fueled these calls for a promotion.

Crooks is slashing .272/.420/.608 this year with 13 home runs. He's striking out over 30% of the time, but he's brought that number down over the last two weeks, and his 17.2% walk rate helps balance out a high strikeout rate.

Manager Oli Marmol recently poured cold water on a Crooks call-up, but it feels more like a "when" situation than an "if" one, given Crooks's red-hot start to the year. Being on the 40-man roster makes a move for Crooks much easier.

1B/3B Blaze Jordan

Again, there isn't much of a need for Blaze Jordan in the majors, but he's certainly earned a call-up at this point.

Jordan has a .297/.363/.516 slash line to go along with eight home runs. He's making a lot of contact, and his low K rate and solid walk rate show that he's putting a lot of balls in play. Jordan can capably play either corner infield position, though he's found himself at the hot corner more often than not this year.

If Nolan Gorman falls off a cliff or an injury befalls either Gorman or Alec Burleson, expect Blaze Jordan to get called up. He's not on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding move would have to be made.

OF Bryan Torres

The 28-year-old outfielder has been hitting well and getting on base all year. He has a .336/.454/.477 slash line. He's walking (17.5% BB rate) more than he is striking out (15.1% K rate). Torres certainly isn't a powerful hitter who will wow fans, but he gets the job done, and he's certainly earned a call-up. Old-school fans would love his style of play, and he can capably play all outfield positions along with second base.

Torres is on the 40-man roster, so a move would be seamless for him. He is a lefty, but that shouldn't be a problem, especially if he replaces Victor Scott II on the roster.

Note: Bryan Torres was promoted late Thursday night as a result of outfielder Nathan Church being placed on the Injured List.

RHP Max Rajcic

Max Rajcic is now a full-time reliever. He's made 16 appearances this year with one of those being a "start", but that was still just a two-inning outing. He's found his touch after a couple of disappointing seasons.

Rajcic was the Cardinals' minor-league pitcher of the year in 2023, and expectations were high for the former sixth-round draftee. Rajcic has a 1.88 ERA this year with 32 strikeouts in 28.2 innings pitched. Rajcic has managed to increase his strikeout and groundball rates while decreasing the average exit velocity against him from 89.7 MPH last year to 83.6 MPH.

Rajcic isn't on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding move would have to be made. However, if the club is looking for bullpen reinforcements, Rajcic should get a look.

RHP Ryan Fernandez

Here's a name fans should be familiar with. Ryan Fernandez had a strong debut season with the Cardinals in 2024, but he struggled mightily last year. He posted a 7.71 ERA in only 30.1 innings with St. Louis last year, and he became unplayable at a certain point. He's already made four appearances in the majors this year, and he's doing much better with a 1.59 ERA and nine strikeouts in only 5.2 innings.

Fernandez has a 3.07 ERA to go along with 17 strikeouts in 14.2 innings for the Memphis Redbirds this year. He's been a reliable reliever for Memphis this year.

Matt Svanson is a shell of his 2025 self, and he could use a reset in Memphis. In return, Ryan Fernandez could give it another shot in the majors.

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