Ranking the ceilings of the St. Louis Cardinals' top pitching prospects

#3 - Gordon Graceffo

Ranking on Cardinals' top prospect lists:
Baseball America: #6
MLB.com: #4
Birds on the Black: #5 (2.d)
Data Driven: #4

Here is where we get into the exciting young arms for St. Louis. Gordon Graceffo was selected in the 5th round of the 2021 MLB Draft and really impressed the organization and scouts last season, launching himself up prospect lists.

2023 has been more of a struggle in Triple-A Memphis, posting a 1-2 record with a 4.91 ERA over 22 innings. He's only been able to start 5 games due to injury, but he still boasts really high potential.

There is a reason why Graceffo was someone the Cardinals held tightly to in trade talks this offseason. He's got a four-pitch mix featuring a mid-90s fastball that can hit 99, his go-to wipe-out slider, a 12-to-6 curveball, and a low-80s changeup.

I think some people have gotten a bit carried away with the upside of Graceffo, as he seems much more like a high-end number three starter or low-end number two starter than an "ace", but none the less is still a very valuable arm to have.

At 23 years old, he still has a ton of time to develop as a starter, and hopefully he's able to bounce back from his Injured List stint this year and put himself in the conversation for the Cardinals' 2024 rotation. If the Cardinals sell off some of their arms at the deadline this year, there is a chance we could see Graceffo later this year.