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

RHP Jordan Hicks (third round, 105th overall)

The Cardinals selected Jordan Hicks in the third round of the 2015 MLB Draft with the 100th overall pick out of Cypress Creek High School in Houston, Texas.

Hicks peaked on prospect rankings in 2018 when he was the organization's No. 7 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Prior to the 2018 season, Hicks had thrown 165.2 innings in the minors, and he hadn't exceeded High-A up to that point. However, he posted back-to-back seasons with a sub-3.00 ERA. This success in the minors prompted a major jump to the majors in 2018 after spring training.

Hicks was primarily a reliever for the Cardinals, but he's since shifted into a bit of a swingman role. He started 20 games for the San Francisco Giants in 2024, and he's made nine starts this year. Hicks was recently traded from the Giants to the Boston Red Sox, and he's exclusively been used as a reliever in his four appearances with Boston.

Jordan Hicks had a time when he was electric (albeit inconsistent) as a reliever for the Cardinals. He finished his time in St. Louis with a 3.98 ERA, 28 saves, and 233 strikeouts in 219.1 innings. He was a strong back-end reliever for the Cardinals from 2018-2023.

Tate Matheny, son of then-manager Mike Matheny, was drafted just a few spots after Hicks. Cody Poteet, a right-handed reliever, was drafted 166th overall.

SS Paul DeJong (fourth round, 131st overall)

With their sixth pick of the draft, the Cardinals drafted third baseman/shortstop Paul DeJong out of Illinois State. He was drafted in the fourth round with the 131st overall pick in the draft.

DeJong was never a stellar prospect in the Cardinals' system following the draft, but he was certainly a valuable contributor for half a decade in St. Louis. DeJong was known as a power-first infielder who played third base handily but also flexed his abilities at shortstop well. He would eventually become the team's primary shortstop from 2017 through 2023.

DeJong finished his time in St. Louis with 13.6 bWAR and a .233/.305/.426 slash line. He finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2017, and he was an All-Star in 2019. He was rarely a plus hitter in the majors, but his defense always made him a viable starter at shortstop for the Cardinals.

Most teams would take DeJong's career as a fourth-round draftee. The Cardinals did well with this pick in 2015.