Cardinals dot the landscape of Baseball America's 2020 first-round redraft

The St. Louis Cardinals' vaunted 2020 draft has seemingly planted several fixtures into the team's roster and its future plans. But as we approach five years since the five-round draft that was shortened because of the pandemic, some players from that draft have begun to make their marks on the league while others have failed to live up to their billing. Baseball America (subscription required) utilized that information to perform a hypothetical redraft of the first round in 2020, which illustrated what many fans already knew: The Cardinals made out like bandits during that draft.

The first Cardinal off the board in the redraft was Masyn Winn, who was selected third overall in the redraft, with his actual draft position in 2020 at number 54. Drafted as a two-way player, Winn broke out when he abandoned pitching and switched to shortstop full time. In his first full year in the major leagues, Winn played exceptional defense and held his own at the plate, with a 102 OPS+. He served as the leadoff hitter for much of the year and could cement himself as the table-setter the Cardinals have long coveted.

The second Cardinal to be chosen in the first round was Tink Hence, who landed at pick 23, 40 spots higher than his actual draft position. Hence has had injury issues crop up during his ascent through the minor leagues, but his ability when healthy is unquestionable. With Double-A Springfield in 2024, Hence had a 2.71 ERA and a 34.1% strikeout rate, and if he can stay healthy, he might find himself in St. Louis at some point in 2025.

Alec Burleson was selected 25th in the redraft and went to the Cardinals with the 70th pick in 2020. Burleson always had a reputation as a contact-oriented hitter, and he has lived up to that billing in the major leagues, finishing 2024 with a minuscule 12.8% strikeout rate along with a .269 average and 21 home runs. His lack of speed and subpar defensive ability limit his ceiling, but the Cardinals are obviously happy with the return on their choice of Burleson.

The Cardinals' top pick in 2020 happens to be the one who is closest to the bottom of the first round in the redraft. Jordan Walker was selected 21st overall in 2020 and shot up prospect ranking lists in the subsequent two years after a torrid minor league performance. But the redraft places Walker as the 28th selection, one spot below 2020's first overall pick, Spencer Torkelson. Walker still holds immense upside, but he hasn't made the gains in the major leagues that the Cardinals and fans were hoping for, holding a 24% strikeout rate over parts of two seasons in the big leagues and struggling defensively in right field.

The Cardinals look to have achieved something special in the 2020 draft given the presence of four members of the team whom Baseball America deemed worthy of first-round picks, and the success of the team's attempt to retool in 2025 will largely depend on whether those players can find another step forward in their games.