A look back at the St. Louis Cardinals 2015 draft class

With the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft right around the corner, I found it fitting to take a look back at the 2015 MLB Draft for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Of their first 10 picks, six of them made it to the majors, and at least four were consistent contributors to good teams. Let's take a look at various picks for the Cardinals and other players the club could have selected in 2015.

OF Nick Plummer (first round, 23rd overall)

The Cardinals opted to draft outfielder Nick Plummer out of Brother Rice High School in Michigan. Plummer was a solid hitter with slightly above-average power and plus bat speed, and he had the chance to remain in center thanks to his plus speed.

Plummer's professional career didn't start off strong; he suffered an injury to his hamate bone, and he missed all of the 2016 season as a result. He failed to hit better than .228 at any level in the minors prior to 2021. In 2021, Plummer managed to step up his offensive profile, but he was 24 years old at the time. He's no longer in professional baseball. This was a tough way to start the 2015 draft.

RHP Walker Buehler went to the Los Angeles Dodgers right after Plummer, and other major leaguers, including outfielder Taylor Ward (26th overall), Mike Soroka (28th overall), Ke'Bryan Hayes (32nd overall), and Ryan Mountcastle (36th overall) went soon after Plummer.

RHP Jake Woodford (Competitive Balance Round A, 39th overall)

Jake Woodford was a teammate of the No. 5 pick in the 2015 draft, Kyle Tucker, at Plant High School. Woodford displayed a plus fastball that could touch 94 MPH and a strong curveball that had strong break due to his tall frame.

Woodford's initial showing in the minors was quite strong. He had a 2.39 ERA in 2015, a 3.31 ERA in 2016, and a 3.10 ERA in 2017. He didn't strike out many batters, but he did a good job of limiting hard contact while generating ground balls.

Once Woodford hit the upper levels of the minors, the hitters began catching up to him. He made his MLB debut on August 15, 2020, and he struggled out of the gate. In just 21 innings that year, Woodford allowed 13 runs and gave up seven home runs.

He has a career 4.88 ERA across 219.2 innings in the majors. Woodford recently opted out of his minor-league deal with the Chicago Cubs, and he signed a new deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He's shown some growth this year with strikeouts while putting up 8.7 K/9 in the minors.

Third baseman Austin Riley (41st overall) and RHP Triston McKenzie (42nd overall) were chosen soon after Woodford in 2015.

OF Harrison Bader (third round, 100th overall)

The Cardinals used their 66th overall pick to select third baseman Bryce Denton, but he never materialized in professional baseball. The highest level that Denton reached was High-A.

With their fourth pick of the draft, the club selected speedy outfielder Harrison Bader out of Florida University. He flashed strong tools as a prospect, and he reached Triple-A just one year after being drafted thanks to his strong hit tool and penchant for decent power.

Bader made his MLB debut on July 25th, 2017, and he went 1-4 in the game. He won the Gold Glove in 2021, and his defense has almost always graded out well above average. After being traded from the Cardinals to the New York Yankees in 2022, Bader went on to play for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, and Minnesota Twins.

Bader peaked offensively in 2021 with a .785 OPS, but his defense has always made him an attractive commodity for teams looking for someone to roam center field. As far as early-round picks go, Bader has certainly lived up to his billing.