Chaim Bloom gifted another opportunity to improve the Cardinals farm system

In the 2025 MLB Draft, the St. Louis Cardinals were able to select fifth overall by virtue of rising in the draft lottery. St. Louis chose starting pitcher Liam Doyle, a flamethrower out of Tennessee University. The Cardinals were granted $8.13 million at that slot, and they saved some money by selecting Doyle, who signed for $7.25 million. Those savings helped the Cardinals go above slot value to draft outfielder Ryan Mitchell with their second pick.

Altogether, the Cardinals selected four players in the first 100 picks, a good step in the club's rebuild. In addition to Liam Doyle (#5) and Ryan Mitchell (#55), the Cardinals selected RHP Tanner Franklin (#72) and 1B Jack Gurevitch (#89). These early picks will help set up Chaim Bloom and the organization's pipeline for the next several years as they enter this rebuild.

Acquiring more young players via the draft is a great way to create a strong foundation of prospects within the system. Chaim Bloom was just given a golden ticket to continue rebuilding the farm system through the draft.

St. Louis Cardinals and Chaim Bloom given a top Competitive Balance Round A pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.

The Competitive Balance Round A takes place between the first round compensation picks and the second round in the MLB Draft. These picks typically fall within picks 30-38, though that can fluctuate each year. This year, 15 teams were awarded picks in the two Competitive Balance Rounds. The order of picks within the CB round is dependent upon the standings in the previous year.

The St. Louis Cardinals, by virtue of missing the playoffs and being a small-market team, were granted a pick in Competitive Balance Round A. To make things even better, the Cardinals were given the fourth CB Round A pick. As of now, that pick is projected to be 32nd overall.

This Competitive Balance Round A pick grants the Cardinals two picks early in the draft next year, presenting Chaim Bloom with an excellent opportunity to beef up a farm system on the rise.

The Cardinals will be in the lottery for the 2026 MLB Draft for the third consecutive season. After drafting JJ Wetherholt seventh overall in 2024 and Liam Doyle fifth overall in 2025, the Cardinals will once again be able to draft a top collegiate athlete or prep player to add to their farm system.

While the Cardinals have been in the lottery and selected in the top ten in consecutive years, "lottery" picks are technically only the top six selections in the draft. Their seventh overall selection in 2024 does not count as a lottery selection. Therefore, the Cardinals are once again eligible to move up in the draft in 2026.

The Cardinals currently have the eighth-best odds at nabbing the No. 1 pick in next year's draft, having a 2.35% chance at moving up seven spots.

Having a second pick this high in the draft grants the Cardinals additional bonus money. Historically, the Cardinals have opted to draft below slot value, thus saving them money for picks later in the draft. They followed that pattern last year, saving money on Liam Doyle and spending more than slot value on Mitchell and Cade Crossland (#120).

With two selections in the first 32 picks of the 2026 MLB Draft, Chaim Bloom will be able to rebuild the farm system and find talented players to outfit the future roster. He has his eyes set on the long-term, and these picks will assist his vision for the future of the organization.