2 different Cardinals prospects graded out with the top tool among all minor leaguers

The St. Louis Cardinals have a variety of intriguing prospects in their farm system going into 2024, but according to MLB Pipeline, these two players graded out with the best "tool" among all of their peers in Minor League Baseball today.

To no one's surprise, Masyn Winn received an 80 grade for his arm, the highest grade among all position player prospects going into 2024. Winn has continuously shown how special of an arm he has, and it's one of the reasons he has the potential to be an elite defender at the shortstop position for a very long time.

The other player who received the best grade for a tool among his peers may come as a surprise to many. Tekoah Roby, who was acquired in the Jordan Montgomery-Chris Stratton trade alongside Texas League Most Valuable Player Thomas Saggese, received a 60-grade for his curveball, which grades out as the best curveball in all of Minor League Baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.

Roby checked in MLB Pipeline's Top-100 prospects list as the 99th-ranked prospect in all of baseball, and he pairs his plus curveball with a plus fastball as well. With above-average control and an average slider in his arsenal, it's easy to see why the Cardinals are excited about his future as a really good middle-of-the-rotation starter. What these tools do show though is that if Roby is able to improve his command a bit over time, or one of his slider or changeup develops into a true third pitch, Roby could have the ceiling of a top-end starter that St. Louis has not had internally in some time.

Roby has dealt with some injuries over the last year, so there are concerns about his overall health and if that was just a blip in the radar or a sign of things to come. John Mozeliak has mentioned Roby's name as a guy who has the kind of stuff to move all the way up to St. Louis this year if everything goes right for him, so it's clear the organization is really excited about his potential.