Grading the Cardinals' last 5 first round draft picks

2022: LHP Cooper Hjerpe, 22nd overall

The Cardinals have not drafted a high school pitcher with their first-round pick since 2013, when they chose Rob Kaminsky with their second selection of the first round that season. Before that draft, the Cardinals were keen on the prep arms because of the cost savings they presented while working with what the team believed to be a top pitching development system. They selected Shelby Miller in 2009 and followed that up with Tyrell Jenkins in 2010 before making Kaminsky the last pitcher to take those honors for St. Louis.

That continued in 2022 when the team selected funky lefty Cooper Hjerpe out of Oregon State University with the 22nd pick in the draft. Hjerpe took the same timeline as McGreevy at OSU, beginning in the bullpen before transitioning to the rotation during his sophomore season. The southpaw really took off in his junior year, throwing 103.1 innings and went 11-2 with a 2.53 ERA. His wacky delivery contributed to him striking out 161 batters that year despite having a fastball in the low 90s.

Hjerpe did not pitch for the St. Louis organization after his selection, as the Cardinals hoped to keep him healthy after a busy college season, and he was sent to the minors at the beginning of the 2023 season. A concern for Hjerpe is that his arm angle would create potential arm issues, and the first of those popped up in his first year as a pro. After throwing 41 innings in Peoria, Hjerpe underwent arthroscopic surgery on his elbow and missed the rest of the minor league season before returning for a short stint in the Arizona Fall League.

2024 saw Hjerpe move up to Double-A Springfield after beginning the year with Peoria, but that stay only lasted 14.2 innings thanks to another injury. Arm concerns sent Hjerpe to the injured list in July, and it was later decided that he would be better off recovering for the rest of the year and try again in 2025. The lefty pitched three innings with the Cardinals in big league spring training, but he was moved to minor league camp shortly after. Unfortunately for Hjerpe and the Cardinals, he would not throw a regular-season pitch in 2025, as he underwent Tommy John surgery and is not expected to be back until the middle of the 2026 season at the earliest.

The Cardinals will have an interesting decision to make with Hjerpe this offseason, as he is Rule 5 draft eligible this offseason. If the Cardinals do not add him to the 40-man roster, he can be selected by other teams during that draft. If St. Louis wants to retain Hjerpe and allow him to rehab under their supervision, they could add him to the 40-man roster but then transfer him to the 60-day IL next year. The issue with this decision is that Hjerpe would be holding that spot from another player, so it would not be surprising if the Cardinals cut ties with the lefty.

The 2022 draft was more top-heavy than in other years, as there were not many huge names on the board when the Cardinals selected Hjerpe. Pitcher Noah Schultz, outfielder Spencer Jones, and first baseman Xavier Isaac were still available after the 22nd selection.

Overall grade: C-. Although Hjerpe was healthy in college, there was enough buzz around his delivery to worry about his arm long-term. He put together a nice resume with strikeout capabilities while commanding the strike zone, so it was a defendable selection by the Cardinals. It remains to be seen what the outlook is for Hjerpe in the organization.