Cardinals' bullpen savior is already in the organization, and he's not that far from MLB

Much like their home-run swing on Tanner Franklin in the second round of the 2025 MLB Draft, the St. Louis Cardinals went big with their first pick on Day 2 this year, drafting UCLA pitcher Cal Randall in the fifth round. There's not a lot of guesswork needed as to why; the right-hander struck out 16.5 hitters per nine innings in his junior season, making mincemeat of the Big 10 with, effectively, just one pitch.

That offering just so happens to be a very special fastball, one which can routinely touch triple digits on the radar gun and has extreme characteristics thanks to Randall's elite extension and low release height. Because he doesn't have any secondaries worth writing home about, he certainly looks destined for the bullpen in the pros, but that might not be such a bad thing if the Cardinals are hoping to promote aggressively.

Prospect guru Jonathan Mayo (of MLB Pipeline) went so far as to suggest that Randall might not need much seasoning before getting the call to St. Louis: "That fastball alone is a ticket to a fast track. Maybe you start him in Double-A, and then if he's dominating, you do not waste any time, and I think could very much see him impacting the Cardinals' bullpen next year."

It's probably best to pump the brakes on the hype train until he starts pitching in the minors, but it's clear that the Cardinals' bullpen salvation isn't far away.

Cal Randall could make immediate impact in St. Louis as MLB's next one-pitch wonder

Randall has aleady signed on (for full slot value), so his pro debut shouldn't be too far away. Exactly what level he'll start at is unclear, but it's safe to say that his fastball is simply too good for the hitters at the lower levels of the minor leagues.

If there is a reason to be cautious, Franklin's pro debut is where we should turn our attention. He's still piling up the punchouts in High-A this year (28.1% strikeout rate), but he's got a 4.62 ERA and 5.16 FIP. The jump to the pros is a big step up for even the most talented pitchers, including ones who pitched in the SEC in college (Franklin is a product of Tennessee).

The silver lining here is that the Redbirds are trying to develop Franklin as a starter, which is a far more laborious process than giving a guy the keys to the ninth inning. There's no doubting that Randall's 80-grade fastball (Franklin's was a 70) is ready for The Show right now; it's just a question of his ability to mitigate the damage when he isn't locating properly and lacking in execution.

With the Cardinals set to lose JoJo Romero to free agency (or trade) soon, they need to find a partner in crime for All-Star closer Riley O'Brien in the late innings of tight games. If they can turn that search inward, it'll free up a lot of resources to upgrade other areas of the roster ahead of next season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow