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In his fourth season in the St. Louis Cardinals farm system, outfielder Matt Koperniak has done everything he needs to make his major league debut with the Cardinals but with a logjam in the outfield is it a realistic possibility?
With the clock ticking on adding him to the 40-man roster due to his Rule 5 eligibility, this season the 26-year-old outfielder is putting up monster numbers in Memphis slashing .308/.367/.506 with 45 extra-base hits and 67 RBI in 107 games.
Congratulations to OF Matt Koperniak (AAA) on being named International League Player of the Week!
— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) August 5, 2024
Koperniak, 26, led the league in AVG, RBI, hits (13), XBH (6) & TB (23).
He established a new single-game career-high going 5-for-5 with 3 doubles & 5 RBI on August 1 at Durham. pic.twitter.com/P3Tc40iuXV
Hitting from the left side, the London-born Koperniak represented Great Britain in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and went 8-26 with five RBI in 20 spring training games this season with the Cardinals.
One of the most consistent bats in the farm system since signing as an undrafted free agent out of D-III Trinity College in 2020, he has put up a .297/.373/.458 slash line with 142 extra-base hits in 439 minor league games.
During his time in the minors, Koperniak has also proven to be a serviceable fielder playing all three outfield positions committing only nine errors with 27 outfield assists in 415 games.
Last night's @flymemphis Player of the Game, Matt Koperniak! pic.twitter.com/GSLIB7PEME
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) August 24, 2024
With five outfielders on the active roster and the need to be added to the 40-man roster, it's hard to find a roster spot for Koperniak with the big league club but with the impending Rule 5 draft it would be wise for the Cardinals to find playing time for him.
Given his track record of success at every minor league stop in his career combined with his big season in Triple-A in 2024, losing him to another team without giving him a chance in St. Louis would be another misstep by the front office this season.