Prospect guru thinks Cardinals may have another top-10 prospect waiting in the wings

Ever since JJ Wetherholt entered the St. Louis Cardinals' farm system, he has been far and away the best prospect in the organization. Now ranking as a top-five prospect in all of minor league baseball, Wetherholt will likely graduate from the Cardinals system very early in the 2026 season, and Baseball America already sees a potential heir apparent to Wetherholt's top 10 prospect in all of baseball status.

Many Cardinals fans became aware of the name Rainiel Rodriguez this past year due to the insane power he displayed as a teenager, and according to Baseball America, his ceiling is sky-high.

Baseball America thinks Cardinals' catcher Rainiel Rodriguez could be a top 10 prospect in all of baseball soon

Baseball America's Geoff Pontes ran a Q/A chat on the site following their release of the Cardinals' top 10 prospects, and when asked about Rainiel Rodriguez's ceiling when it comes to prospect rankings, Pontes had high praise for the young slugger.

"I think he could be a T10 prospect [in all of baseball] within a year or so."

Rodriguez, who doesn't turn 19 until January, checked in as the Cardinals' third-ranked prospect in their system going into 2026 behind Wetherholt and 2025 fifth overall pick Liam Doyle, but could very easily see himself become the Cardinals' top prospect and one of the top ten in the game with continued success in 2026.

Rodriguez spent most of the 2025 season between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Palm Beach and put up some otherworldly numbers. Remember, at just 18 years old, Rodriguez slashed .276/.399/.555 with 20 home runs and 63 RBI in just 84 games and 301 at-bats.

Those numbers pop off the page all on their own, but when you take into account his 162 wRC+ during an age-18 season, the kinds of prospects who have put up that kind of offensive production at that young an age in the minor leagues have been MVP winners and multi-time All-Stars. Rodriguez's feel for barreling up the baseball and getting to his optimal launch angles with the natural power he has now is truly special as just a teenager.

On top of that, there is real potential for Rodriguez to do enough defensively to stick behind the plate long-term. He already does a good job controlling the run game with his strong arm, and with him still being so young, there is plenty of time for him to grow in his framing, receiving, and game-calling. If his bat sticks behind the plate, look out. And even if not, the combination of a plus-hitting tool and near plus-plus power makes him one of the most exciting bats in all of the minor leagues.

2026 will be a massive year for Rodriguez's development, and if he continues on the trajectory he set for himself in 2025, he will be that top ten prospect in all of baseball soon.