Predicting which St. Louis Cardinals' prospects will make their debut in 2023

Which Cardinals prospects will make their Major League debut in 2023?

There is so much excitement surrounding the St. Louis Cardinals as Spring Training has gotten underway. Their roster is packed with young players looking to establish themselves as regulars on the roster, as well as up-and-coming prospects who are eager to make their debut.

Notable names who were invited to Spring Training this year are Jordan Walker, Maysn Winn, Tink Hence, Gordon Graceffo, Michael McGreevy, Jimmy Crook II, as well as 40-man roster members Connor Thomas and Moises Gomez. Most of these names could actually make a case for the big league roster at some point in 2023, some of them sooner than others.

With how fluid the Cardinals are currently shaping up to be, a strong Spring Training could see some names jump onto the roster as soon a Opening Day. Others may find their way after some combination of strong performances in the minor leagues, injuries or disappointing seasons from the big league roster, and potential trades during the season. The Cardinals have received significant contributions from rookies in recent years, so relying on more again makes a ton of sense.

This amount of young talent being on the cusp of big-league action is an exciting and unique situation. By the end of Spring Training, there will be multiple names who do not make the roster who you could probably make a strong case for. Some guys still need more seasoning sure, but others will simply miss out due to the amount of talent they are competing with.

Let's take a look at which Cardinals' prospects will make their Major League debut during the 2023 season. The candidates I'll look at today will include Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn, Tink Hence, Gordon Graceffo, Michael McGreevy, and Moises Gomez

Jordan Walker

Coming into 2023 as a top 5 prospect in all of baseball, Jordan Walker carried a ton of expectations among fans and national media. So far, he has been nothing but impressive this spring.

Walker's most recent game saw him draw comparisons to Fernando Tatis Jr. from Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. Walker is a part of the crowded outfield competition, looking to secure a starting role in one of the corner spots.

While there are multiple reasons why Walker may miss the Opening Day roster, I am becoming more and more optimistic that Walker will be starting Opening Day in St. Louis. While the Cardinals' other outfield options are exciting, Walker is already showing the game-breaking potential that only Tyler O'Neill and Lars Nootbaar have flashed for significant stretches as well. Walker making the Opening Day roster will make it tricky to find consistent at-bats for everyone on the roster, but the reward is just too high not to try it.

If the Cardinals disagree and start Walker in Triple-A Memphis this season, he will be up in St. Louis by middle of June at the lastest. It's clear that Walker will make his debut this season, it's just a matter of how soon.

Debut in 2023? Yes.

Masyn Winn

At just age 20, Masyn Winn has displayed some elite tools and pairs that will quality production at every level.

Known for his 80-grade arm and other high-level traits, Winn has the potential to be an elite defender at shortstop while making an impact at the plate as well. His speed will give him even more value as well, as he could eventually be among the league leaders in stolen bases.

Winn does have room to develop at the plate though, especially before seeing big-league pitching on a consistent basis. Last season, Winn put up a .832 OPS in 119 games across High-A and Double-A, but his OPS dropped to .760 in the AFL. There’s no need to rush Winn, especially since there is not a clear path for him toward playing time at this moment. That all could change though with a strong season in Triple-A and different things unfolding in St. Louis.

Should Paul DeJong continue to struggle and an injury occurs to one of Tommy Edman, Nolan Gorman, or Brendan Donovan, it would make a lot of sense for Winn to slide in at shortstop, assuming he is meeting or exceeding expectations in Memphis. With the new shift rules, there's a world where Gorman is too much of a liability at second base, so Winn could receive a late promotion to allow Edman to slide to second base at times.

In all likelihood, Winn remains in the minors through the 2023 season and get's his first opportunity in 2024.

Debut in 2023? No.

Tink Hence

Perhaps the fastest riser in the Cardinals organization this last year in terms of prospect status, Tink Hence is now seen around baseball as a potential front-line starter. Even so, there is still a lot of room to develop into that kind of player.

There are concerns Hence's size, and if his body can handle that workload, both over the course of a season and going deep into ball games. Like Walker and Winn, Hence is just 20 years old, so there is no rush to get him to St. Louis. Even so, you can't help but get excited about the talent Hence is already flashing in big league camp.

During his outing, Hence's fastball averaged 96.7 MPH and he displayed nasty off-speed pitches as well, showing why he had a crazy high 13.9 SO/9 during his 2022 season. While it's just one outing, it would be easy to see why the Cardinals may want to use him in a relief role this coming season with his elite stuff.

I don't see Hence joining the Cardinals' bullpen this season, and I really don't see a way he makes the rotation either. The Cardinals view Hence as a potential ace and need to keep him on a development plan that maximizes that potential, rather than any short-term reward of having him in their bullpen. Come October though, Hence could make a quick feature in their bullpen. But with them looking to slowly build up his endurance, I doubt they'd have him throwing that late into the season.

Debut in 2023? No.

Gordon Graceffo

Although I said Hence may have been the fastest riser in terms of prospect status, Gordon Graceffo could easily give Hence a run for his money.

In 2022, Graceffo posted a 2.97 ERA in 139.1 innings across High-A and Double-A ball. His 9 SO/9 rate and 0.94 WHIP indicate a lot of success to come, and is consistently praised for having a wide arsenal of above average pitches to lean on.

While Hence has concerns about his frame and near-term workload, Graceffo could find his way into the Cardinals' starting rotation in 2023 if the opportunity arises. Right now, the five-man group appears to be set in stone, but a lot could change by the end of 2023. Adam Wainwright seems to be dealing with more velocity regression, so it's fair to wonder what kind of starter he will be throughout the season. Steven Matz was injured much of last year but projects to be at the back of the rotation, so he could be someone Graceffo pushes out.

The more likely scenario would be Graceffo receiving an opportunity due to an injury at some point this season. Every rotation deals with injuries over the course of a season, and this is where I think Graceffo makes his debut and potentially sticks there for the remainder of the season. Graceffo's talent is too high to wait on and compared to their other rotation depth arms, I'd rather tap into the potential of Graceffo than the high floor of other guys.

Debut in 2023? Yes.

Moises Gomez

After raking against Double-A and Triple-A pitching last year, Moises Gomez is already flashing his elite power in big league camp and making a name for himself in a crowded field.

During the first game of Spring Training, Gomez smoked a double with an exit velocity of 105.7 MPH, and then ended the game on a 111.8 MPH ground out. When Gomez makes contact with the baseball, he does damage to the ball, which makes him such an intriguing prospect going forward and potential contributor in 2023.

After slugging 39 home runs last year, it's amazing that Gomez may struggle to find a spot on the St. Louis roster. There remain a lot of concerns about the 24-year-old's swing and miss in his game, but if he cuts down on that, or just continues to mash the ball, the club will have no choice but to promote him.

Gomez will have to compete with Juan Yepez, Alec Burleson, Nolan Gorman, and perhaps Jordan Walker for DH at-bats, making it difficult to see a path for Gomez to begin the season. But players struggle and injuries happen, so I do think Gomez will get some run in St. Louis during the 2023 season, or maybe even for another team should the club make a major trade with him as one of the pieces.

Debut in 2023? Yes.