MLB prospect guru shades Cardinals' rising farm system in latest rankings

January is the time of the year when several outlets release their top-100 prospect rankings for the upcoming season.

Baseball America has already released its rankings. They had four St. Louis Cardinals prospects in their top-100 list, with JJ Wetherholt leading the bunch in the third overall spot. Left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle (#33 overall), catcher Rainiel Rodriguez (#35 overall), and outfielder Joshua Baez (#54 overall) rounded out the Cardinals' top-100 prospects for Baseball America.

Last Friday, MLB Pipeline released its top-100 prospect list as well. Pipeline gifted the Cardinals five top-100 prospects. Once again, JJ Wetherholt led the pack, but he fell slightly compared to BA's list to the No. 5 overall spot. LHP Liam Doyle (#34), C Rainiel Rodriguez (#37), OF Joshua Baez (#87), and catcher Leonardo Bernal (#98) were also ranked for St. Louis.

One of the final noteworthy ranking systems came out on Monday by Keith Law of The Athletic.

Keith Law's top-100 prospects rankings strays from the norm for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Keith Law has been ranking prospects for 19 years. He's been doing this job longer than probably half of the players on his list have been alive. He's more than experienced at what he does, and his list deserves as much attention (and potential scrutiny) as lists done by conglomerates like Baseball America and MLB Pipeline.

Law ranked shortstop JJ Wetherholt the lowest of any major outlet so far, placing him as the seventh-overall prospect in baseball. Law placed Wetherholt as the sixth-best shortstop in the minors behind Konnor Griffin, Kevin McGonigle, Jesus Made, Colt Emerson, and Aidan Miller. Law lauded Wetherholt for his ability to spray the ball and make consistent contact, but he recognized that the West Virginia alumnus doesn't have great power potential.

"He's the National League prospect about whom I'd feel most confident saying that he'll win a batting average title some day," said Law, proving that Wetherholt is a top prospect in baseball. His ranking, however, is a bit disappointing to Cardinals fans who grew comfortable seeing JJ as a top-five prospect in all of baseball.

Law also ranked LHP Liam Doyle and C Rainiel Rodriguez higher than any other outlet. He placed Doyle twenty-sixth overall, the highest spot for a left-handed pitcher. Law said that he sees No. 2 potential for Doyle, citing the southpaw's elite fastball and plus splitter as his two greatest calling cards.

Law ranked Rodriguez twenty-ninth overall. Rodriguez's calling card is clearly his power, and Law believes that there's a possibility that Rainiel is able to stay behind the plate, only raising his ceiling as a future major leaguer.

Unlike the other prospect rankings, Keith Law doesn't have outfielder Joshua Baez or catcher Leonardo Bernal ranked. Baez found his stroke in 2025, slashing .287/.384/.500 with 20 home runs and 54 stolen bases in 117 games. Bernal won the MiLB Gold Glove award while being an above-average hitter (103 wRC+ with 13 home runs).

Law's rankings stray from his contemporaries in the fact that he snubbed Joshua Baez and Leonardo Bernal and ranked Wetherholt seventh instead of in the top five. He does, however, have Doyle and Rodriguez ranked the highest among all other lists. Regardless of where he has the Cardinals' prospects ranked, fans can rest easy knowing that the future is bright.