6 Cardinal prospects whose stocks have risen and 4 whose stocks have fallen

Cooper Hjerpe continues to rise in prospect rankings.

A former top pitching prospect coming out of college, Cooper Hjerpe was taken 22nd overall in the 2022 draft. His first season was stunted due to elbow surgery, and he pitched in the Arizona Fall League in 2023 with average numbers. The Cardinals have been careful with Hjerpe to an extent, as his 52.1 innings this year is a career-high.

Hjerpe's fastball won't blow anyone away, but he uses a sweeper with plenty of horizontal break and a changeup that moves in the opposite direction. His sweeper is probably his best pitch.

Hjerpe's sidearm motion allows for plenty of deception, and that has allowed him to rack up strikeouts. He has struck out 12.27 batters per nine innings this year at Double-A Springfield for a K rate of 35.1%. Prior to his promotion to Springfield this year, Hjerpe was striking out 35.2% of batters in Peoria. His walk rates have always been a concern, and he is sitting at 14% in Springfield after just four starts.

Hjerpe has an ERA below 3.35 this year between the two levels, so he's done a good job at limiting run damage. If Hjerpe can continue striking out batters at an absurd rate while limiting run damage, he has the potential to be a strong pitcher in the majors. His elevated walk rates are concerning, but he didn't display control issues in college. If he can get his walks under control, Hjerpe's stock will continue to rise.