5 starting pitchers the Cardinals should target in the 2024 MLB Draft

RHP Brody Brecht, Iowa

If you liked what you saw from Chase Burns, wait till you get a look at Brody Brecht. Like Burns, he will be a junior this coming year and rose his SO/9 up to 14.7 this past season thanks in large part due to his upper 90s fastball that has hit 104 MPH in an outing on March 31st.

The stuff plays with his secondary offerings as well, boasting an upper-80s slider that gets so many swings-and-misses, and a nice changeup as well. You know a guy has nasty stuff when they make regular appearances on Pitching Ninja's Twitter account.

Brecht could easily be the best pitching prospect in this draft class by the time it rolls around, especially if he is able to get his command sorted out in a meaningful way. He has been very erratic on the mound in his college career, walking 9.9 batters per nine innings in his freshman year and 7.1 per nine in his sophomore year. Another noticeable drop in that number would be huge for his draft stock.

Brecht's stuff is undeniable though, and the upside is far too high to pass on if Burns is off the board or struggles in 2024. While neither guy is in the same tier as Paul Skenes as a prospect, both have the kind of upside that could make them "can't miss guys" by next July.