10 burning questions facing the St. Louis Cardinals as Spring Training begins

Which prospects impress the most during the spring?

Last spring, Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn took Jupiter by storm, with Walker forcing his way onto the Opening Day roster and Winn reshaping expectations for him as a prospect in the Cardinals system.

Entering 2024, there are a few names that stand out that could have camps like that duo did last year. The obvious pick is Victor Scott II, whose blazing speed has put him into the conversation as one of the most exciting prospects in recent memory. His bat and glove took major strides in 2023, taking him from just a "runner" to a really good baseball player who also happens to be faster than everyone else. A strong spring from Scott will at least force a conversation about his future, and would likely accelerate his call-up timeline in 2024.

Thomas Saggese, one of the pieces who came over in the Jordan Montgomery/Chris Stratton trade, is fresh off winning the Texas League Most Valuable Player award and looks to be the next in a running list of Cardinals utility infielders who hit their way into St. Louis. Finding a specific role for Saggese right now is tough, but like Scott, he can enter that "roster bubble" conversation rather quickly with a strong camp.

While there are other position players to watch out for this spring, there is an intriguing group of starters who we need to keep an eye on as well. Tink Hence and Tekoah Roby are the top pitching prospects in the system, and while both are likely at least a year away from St. Louis, this spring can give us a good idea of their progress, and potentially what their ceilings are as prospects.

Gordon Graceffo is the closest to St. Louis with a higher-end prospect pedigree and could move his way into the next man up for the rotation category soon as well. Adam Kloffenstein, Michael McGreevy, and Sem Robberse are other prospects who will start the year in Memphis and are close to providing the Cardinals with pitching depth as well.

While I am skeptical that anyone will force their way onto the roster like Walker did last year, it's very possible any of those names finish the spring on the doorstep of a call-up and make their debuts early on in the 2024 season.