Cardinals top prospects sneak up on Nationals in Spring Breakout game

The Cardinals kicked off the 2026 spring breakout games with a 9-8 comeback victory over the Washington Nationals. 

In case you’re unfamiliar, Spring Breakout is an event where teams put together rosters of their top prospects and face off against one another. It’s an opportunity for the next wave of talent to shine ahead of the new season, when development gets overshadowed by current MLB contributors. 

St. Louis takes Spring Breakout game by a score of 9-8

The Nationals struck first when the first overall pick from last year's draft, Eli Willits, drew a walk and then stole second. Gavin Fein, who Washington acquired in the Mackenzie Gore trade, then doubled to tally the first run for the Nats. 

Gavin Fien ended up seeing double in his next AB when he peppered the gap with the bases loaded to make it 4-0 Nationals. 

JJ Wetherholt and a star-studded lineup full of future Redbirds made their presence known quickly after falling behind. 

Jesus Baez turned around a 99mph fastball right back up the box to lead things off and was later brought in to tally the Cardinals' first run. Baez showcased a great hit tool and promising glove work in the field. 

Not too long after, spring standout Joshua Baez came crashing down on Washington with a monster blast, turning and burning on an inside heater for a two-run blast. This left the score 4-3, Washington. 

Gavin Fien stayed hot for the Nats and brought in their fifth run (his fifth RBI) in the sixth inning on a groundball that snuck through the left side. 

In the bottom of the sixth, St. Louis finally broke away. Ryan Mitchell (STL, #12) led things off with a solo homer to right field that traveled 362ft. Later that same inning, Josh Kross would come to the plate and dribble an infield single off the pitcher, leading to another run and tying the game at five apiece. The Redbirds would claim their first lead of the showdown when phenom catching prospect Raniel Rodriguez wore one with the bases loaded to make it 6-5 Cardinals. Blaze Jordan (STL, #27) would then ground into a double play, notching another run. Jesus Baez capped off an eventful sixth with a two-out RBI single of his own, leaving the score at 8-5, Cardinals. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Denial Ortiz would ground into another double play, but it tallied the ninth and final run necessary for St. Louis’ comeback efforts. 

JJ Weherholt, Jesus Baez, and Blaze Jordan all racked up multi-hit games, spearheading the dynamic Cardinals offense full of future household names (fingers crossed!!). 

On the mound, Liam Doyle kicked things off and struggled to find the zone. In an inning of work, he allowed four earned runs and walked four. Not what you’d like to see from the 2025 first-rounder, but growing pains are a commodity with any young arm. 

Unranked pitching prospect Tyler Bradt would follow up Doyle and didn’t allow any earned runs of his own, although he did allow Fien’s second double that cleared the bases on a hanging breaking ball (all runs charged to Doyle). 

Left-hander Michael Watson pitched third for St. Louis and tallied a shutdown inning. He sported a jumpy fastball with ride in the low-to-mid 90s with a slider that was narrowly missing the outside corner. Keep an eye on Watson, 2026 could be a big year for him. 

Former Tennessee Volunteer and teammate of Liam Doyle, Tanner Franklin, would follow Watson. Franklin tossed three innings of one-run ball and earned the win for St. Louis on the day. His fastball was ELECTRIC, and he mixed in a low-90s cutter that racked up called strikes. Franklin was predominantly a reliever in college, but most scouts attribute this to the ridiculous rotation Tennessee was sporting at the time. His stuff was as electrifying as anything else showcased on the day. 

Yhoiker Fajardo closed things out, and although his line ended up looking a tad ugly (3 innings, 3 hits, 3 earned runs), his stuff played extremely well. The first two innings were a breeze for the righty, and then at the end, he unraveled. Despite his late-game struggles, St. Louis was able to walk away victorious, leaving fans with a good taste in their mouths. 

The spring breakout is designed to show off your best up-and-comers. For the first time in a long time, the Cardinals have a nationally recognized Minor League system, and they’re playing like it.