Ranking the 10 most valuable Cardinals who will define their future

The vibes are high with the St. Louis Cardinals right now, and you could argue things are even more exciting when you zoom out and look at the bigger picture, considering how many valuable, young players this organization has right now.

The Cardinals are in the first year of their rebuild under Chaim Bloom, and yet are firmly in playoff position if the season ended today, and their success is being driven by their emerging young core. While we all need to wait and see what this season ends up becoming, it is difficult not to be highly encouraged by the trajectory the Cardinals are on long-term.

Between the group of young players succeeding at the big league level, their loaded farm system that ranks among the best in the sport, and the sheer amount of draft capital they have in this upcoming draft (six selections in the top 86 picks), this core is likely to strengthen just by internal development and acquisitions, with viritually zero payroll commitements they are tied to, allowing Bloom to shape this team however he sees fit.

As I've done biannually for years now, I am going to rank the 10 most valuable young players in the Cardinals organization as of today. I'll look to revisit this list again in September after we see how the year unfolds, but it's already pretty incredible to see how much the list has changed since John Mozeliak's final weeks in charge of baseball operations.

Here are a few rules I abide by when making this list to help guide the ranking:
1. Players must have 2 or more years of club control remaining
2. Players must be under the age of 30
3. Years of control, positional value, and potential all play a role in where a player is ranked.

A good rule of thumb for a list like this, although it probably doesn't apply every time, is "Would I trade X player for Y player on this list?". Whichever player you'd rather hold onto is "likely" the more valuable player, in the sense that this list is getting at.

Another thing to note, this list is not about "Who the Cardinals need to be good", but rather, in a vacuum, who are the most valuable players just as assets. Yes, the Cardinals need pitching badly, but I did not give a bump to any pitchers on this list because the Cardinals hope they'll be good. I ranked them based on how valuable of an asset they are as we sit here today.

Does not qualify for this list (Fewer than 2 years of club control remaining and/or over the age of 30): Lars Nootbaar and Riley O'Brien

Let's dive into the honorable mentions!

Honorable Mentions: 3B Nolan Gorman, RHP Tanner Franklin, OF Nathan Church, OF Tai Peete, RHP Michael McGreevy, C Jimmy Crooks, RHP Hunter Dobbins, LHP Matthew Liberatore, and C Leonardo Bernal

Selfishly, I wanted to sneak Tanner Franklin onto the list, but for now, I'll have him in the honorable mention category. I personally think he is the best pitching prospect in the Cardinals' system right now, but I'll allow a bit more time and observed development to occur before allowing that helium to rise him up this list.

Nathan Church has had a great rookie year so far and could easily rise on this list by the end of the season, but considering he has been projected to be more of a fourth outfielder, let's give it more time before we jump him over some players. That's part of why Michael McGreevy misses out on the list as well, since he lacks some of the upside to be more than a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Although after McGreevy just lowered his season ERA to 2.52 after six innings of scoreless baseball against the Dodgers, maybe it's a bit unfair not to take the known commodity on this list, even if his ceiling is more limited than other names you'll see.

Honestly, any of these players could realistically slot into the final two spots on the top 10. Nolan Gorman still has that power that you can dream on and has played an excellent third base this year, but he only has two years of club control remaining. Jimmy Crooks and Leonardo Bernal are exciting young catchers, and Tai Peete currently leads all Cardinals' minor leaguers in extra-base hits after coming over in the Brendan Donovan trade this offseason.

I didn't even mention pitchers like Richard Fitts, Tekaoh Roby, and Cooper Hjerpe. who are currently on the mend, or big league pieces like Victor Scott II, Thomas Saggese, and Pedro Pages who have varying levels of production and potential. This should tell you how different the talent pool is right now, especially when many of these honorable mentions (and some who didn't even make that cut) used to be some of the first players mentioned when talking about young players with upside in the system.

But now let's jump into the top 10.

#10 - LHP Quinn Mathews

Previous Rankings: Sept. '25 - #8, May '25 - #8

It's been a rollercoaster ride with Quinn Mathews, and while he's not as exciting as someone like Franklin or has the Major League track record of a McGreevy, he is a good mix of close to MLB-ready and having real swing-and-miss upside that the Cardinals' rotation is currently missing.

The Cardinals' big league rotation currently ranks 29th in baseball with a 16.7 K%, just 0.1% better than the last-place Colorado Rockies. Their K-BB% ratio is also in the bottom five in baseball, and when it comes to generating swinging strikes in general, they are historically bad for this century.

Mathews has command issues that he needs to get under control (no pun intended) before he can step foot on a big league mound, but once he does, he has that swing and miss the Cardinals are craving.

Through his first five starts in Memphis entering Saturday, Mathews has struck out 32.2% of the batters he has faced, and while he hasn't been getting them to expand the zone all that often, they are whiffing on 33.8% of the pitches he throws. Opposing hitters are posting just a .163 xBA and .285 xSLG, so they really aren't hitting the ball well off him either. He just needs to quit giving up the free passes, as he's walked 19.5% of the batters he has faced in 2026.

On Saturday, Mathews made his fourth start of the year, striking out seven batters across five innings, allowing just one run on a leadoff homer while walking another three batters and surrendering just two hits.

Mathews throws a fastball that sits around 94 MPH and mixes in a sinker as well as the same velocity, with his go-to off-speed and breaking ball offerings being his whipe out change up and his slider. The change-up is his best pitch, with his slider also grading out as an above-average offering.

While 2025 was a rough year for Mathews, he did win Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2024 for practically every major outlet due to his rise across four minor league levels and striking out over 200 batters in the process. It won't be too long before Mathews can start striking big league hitters out for the Cardinals' rotation, and he'll mark the first in a wave of exciting arms that the Cardinals can build around long-term.

#9 - RHP Jurrangelo Cijntje

Previous Rankings: Was not with the organization

Acquired as the headliner in the Brendan Donovan trade this past offseason, Jurrangelo Cijntje is one of the most unique players in all of baseball, aiming to make his mark as a switch-pitcher on the mound.

While the Mariners were ready to fully convert him to just a right-handed pitcher going into this season, the Cardinals are willing to be patient and allow him to continue to throw from the left side a bit, something that he's done in games for them this year, but it still remains likely that his right arm will be the one he throws with long-term.

For now, it is tantalizing to dream on a guy who is as good as he is from the right side who can also attack lefties as a lefty himself. That could be a true one-of-one weapon in the Cardinals' rotation long-term if he is able to put it all together.

Currently, Cijntje is pitching for the Cardinals' Double-A affiliate, and it's been an overall rough start for him that has included a few good starts and some really bad ones. In his first outing of the year, Cijntje struck out seven batters while allowing just one hit in 5.2 scoreless innings, but followed that up with allowing six runs and four runs in fewer than five innings in consecutive starts. He rebounded nicely on April 21st with just one earned run in 4.2 innings, but had another short outing on April 26th.

Cijntje's fastball runs in the upper 90s and generates a lot of swing and miss, and pairs that with a slider that could end up being a plus pitch long-term. As a lefty, he gets a few ticks less of velocity on those pitches, and he will mix in a change-up from both sides as well.

Bloom did well to add so many dynamic young arms to the Cardinals' system this offseason, and Cijntje is among the most intriguing of the bunch. It will be fascinating to follow his trajectory from here on out, and if he can get the switch-pitching to work out, that will be a ton of fun to watch on the mound in St. Louis.

#8 - LHP Liam Doyle

Previous Rankings: Sept. '25 - #7, May '25 - Wasn't drafted yet

Believe it or not, this is the highest a pitcher ranks on this list right now. But Liam Doyle has the stuff to rise up this list as he gets more comfortable facing professional hitting.

There seems to be a bit of panic amongst fans regarding how Doyle has looked so far in 2026, but I think it would be incredibly unfair to make too many conclusions about him right now. The Cardinals were aggressive in placing Doyle at Double-A to begin the year, knowing that he would be tested immediately and likely fail, but they did so knowing how competitive he is and because it would force him to focus on his weaknesses early and often.

Prior to Saturday, Doyle had made four Double-A starts this year, allowing 12 earned runs in just 11.2 innings of work, striking out 13 batters and walking six in the process. That stat line is not going to make anyone feel good about him, but it is very important to know that Doyle is intentionally working on developing his arsenal, rather than just trying to blow away Double-A hitters with his best stuff.

But in his fifth outing of the year on Saturday, Doyle was in command of the game, throwing 4.1 innings while allowing just two hits, one walk, and one run with five strikeouts. Adam Akbani pointed out that he's got a 1.42 ERA and 37.5 K% against the last 24 batters he has faced this year, while walking just 4.2% of them and only allowing four hits.

Everyone knows about Doyle's fastball, which sits in the upper-90s and gets above 100 MPH when he wants it to. It's a true 70-grade pitch that can be his go-to offering as a Major Leaguer and one of the best in the sport, but if he wants to be a truly dynamic starter for a long time, he has to get his secondaries in order.

His splitter is already a really good pitch as well, moving in the upper 80s, and is the best swing-and-miss offering he has among his secondaries. But where Doyle really could use work is with his slider and cutter, with both pitches' development likely being the key to him unlocking his full upside.

So, the Cardinals have him throwing those pitches and working on them in games as often as possible, even when he could just go to his fastball or splitter to get the job done. Now, at the moment, Doyle is pretty all over the place and is even struggling to land the fastball at times, so it's not hard to see how he needs a lot of work. Don't be surprised if all of 2026 is pretty up and down for Doyle, as that may be what is needed to get him to the guy fans want to see him become.

#7 - OF Joshua Baez

Previous Rankings: Sept. '25 - HM, May '25 - Not even mentioned

Talk about a meteoric rise. Almost like what Jordan Walker is doing at the big league level this year, Joshua Baez was basically a "cast-off" among prospect evaluators going into last season after years of deep struggles at the plate, and he finally put everything together in 2025 to blossom into one of the top prospects in the sport.

Baez, who turns 23 at the end of June, posted a .287/.384/.500 slash line with 20 home runs and 54 stolen bases across High-A and Double-A last season, dramatically improving his horrible swing-and-miss issues and emerging as a top 50 prospect in the sport according to most outlets.

The outfielder followed that up with a really fun spring training, blasting home runs left and right and putting the Cardinals and this fanbase on notice. Chaim Bloom rightfully placed Baez in Memphis to begin this year, though, not looking to rush the development of such a promising young bat in their system, who still needs to prove he can overcome his swing and miss issues against Triple-A pitching.

Things have gone pretty well for Baez so far in Memphis, slashing .221/.315/.474 with six home runs and five stolen bases in just 25 games. Oh, and as I'm writing this, he just mashed his seventh homer of the year 454-feet!

His strikeout rate has gone back up to the troubling marks from before, currently sitting at 35.2% on the season, but that's why the Cardinals are giving him time to bake in Memphis. There is no rush to get him to St. Louis, but once he is ready, he has the potential to become a 30-30 player with good corner outfield defense for a long time.

Baez could even see some time in center field for the Cardinals long-term, but his likely defensive home seems to be in one of the corners, where his speed and plus arm can allow him to be a well-above-average defender there.

Baez hits baseballs extremely hard, and with Memphis this year, he ranks among the very best in Barrel%, Hard-Hit%, exit velocities, xSLG, and he's pulling fly balls at a high rate. This is a very exciting prospect to dream on.

#6 - 1B Alec Burleson

Previous Rankings: Sept. '25 - #6, May '25 - HM

This probably looks insanely disrespectful toward Alec Burleson, but I assure you, I believe he is a very, very good player, and if he were just a bit younger or had a bit more club control remaining, he'd bump up a spot or two on this list. But hey, this should give you a glimpse as to how strong this young core looks right now, specifically when it comes to position players.

Let's briefly talk about why I have other players higher than Burleson before we jump into why he is still so valuable. The Cardinals' first baseman will turn 28 in November and has just two years of club control remaining following this season. That means he's going to get expensive in arbitration starting this offseason, and he's going to be looking at a really nice payday in free agency soon, right when he turns 30. Not a bad thing at all, but it does hurt his "value" a bit when it comes to the big picture. Plus, he's a first baseman, so positional value is dinged a bit here as well.

Okay, enough with the nitpicking, because all Burleson does is hit the baseball and do it with authority, and he has gotten better and better at doing that each and every season he has played at the big league level.

During his 2023 rookie campaign, when many wondered what on earth the Cardinals saw in him, Burleson posted an 89 wRC+ while the advanced metrics said he was one of the unluckiest players in baseball. In 2024, he had an incredible summer, but a really rough September dropped his wRC+ to 106 on the year. 2025 was his first Silver Slugger season, posting a 124 wRC+ with 18 home runs and 46 total extra base hits in 139 games. Now on the young season, Burleson has a 130 wRC+ and is just really beginning to heat up at the plate.

Burleson has always been a great bat-to-ball guy who pairs that with above-average power, but this year, he actually ranks in the 96th percentile in xSLG (.571), and he's doing so due to improved hard-hit rates, barrel%, and average exit velocities.

This is likely due to Burleson continuing to hone in on the strike zone. He's never been a guy who strikes out much, always ranking among the best players in the sport in K%, but he would expand his zone a bit and make contact with not great pitches. This year, Burleson is taking his walks, forcing opposing pitchers to attack him in the zone, and he's using his plus-plus bat skills and great power skills to do damage.

How the Cardinals handle his future will be one of the biggest storylines to follow in the coming years. Based on everything Bloom has said about this rebuild, Burleson kind of seems to fit the mold of Brendan Donovan, someone they could get a ton of assets for, more so than the younger players on the roster. But if this is who Burleson is becoming, there is every argument to be made that he needs to be a part of this core moving forward.

#5 - C Rainiel Rodriguez

Previous Rankings: Sep. '25 - #4, May '25 - HM

I know this is an aggressive ranking, but I'll stand by it. Rainiel Rodriguez is one of the best prospects in the sport right now, and I do believe he'll be seen as a top ten prospect in the game by season's end because of the insane offensive upside he is displaying as a teenager.

Rodriguez turned 19 back in January and has been ripping the cover off the baseball since he started playing professional baseball. The dude just mashes, truly earning his "Hulk" nickname that my good friend and Cardinals prospect expert Kareem Haq has given him. Rodriguez hits home runs and extra-base hits left and right, posting some of the best underlying metrics you'll see from a guy his age and hitting the ball with authority at the right angles to do damage. Hulk smash indeed!

Rodriguez posted a 162 wRC+ across the complex league, Low-A, and High-A in 2025, a number we've pretty much only seen from 18-year-olds who have gone on to be All-Stars, MVPs, and Hall of Fame-level players. Rodriguez is now posting a 141 wRC+ with High-A Peoria this year, continuing to mash the ball at high rates, taking his walks, and not striking out much at all.

Not only does he have the upside to be one of the best hitters in the sport, and do so debuting at such a young age if he continues on this trajectory, but there is real reason to believe he can stick behind the plate defensively as well, giving up superstar upside that makes him so exciting to follow as a prospect.

There is a world where the Cardinals eventually move Rodriguez to first base, third base, or designated hitter full-time, but when I hear feedback on Rodriguez, there is zero hesitation about his catching skills at his age. People need to remember he is just 19 years old, and he already has a hose for an arm, so if they give him more time to develop as a blocker, framer, and game-caller, he could be one of their answers behind the plate long-term.

I fully expect Rodriguez to be in Springfield by the end of June or early July if he continues on this pace, and at that rate, we are talking about him potentially starting 2027 in Memphis as just a 20-year-old. There is zero reason to rush him, and I know the Cardinals are going to be very careful to ensure that he develops properly, but there are so many reasons to be excited about what the young catcher is becoming.

#4 - SS Masyn Winn

Previous Rankings: Sep. '25 - #3, May '25 - #2

While Masyn Winn lacks the flashy offensive upside of other position players on this list, he has already developed into one of the best defensive players in all of baseball at one of the hardest positions to play, raising his floor as a player as he continues to find his identity with the bat.

Since his rookie year, Winn has sneakily been one of the most valuable players in baseball, tied with Mookie Betts for 38th in all of baseball in fWAR over that stretch (7.9) and ahead of players like Cody Bellinger, Manny Machado, and Will Smith. Per FanGraphs' defensive rating, Winn has been the sixth most valuable defender in baseball since 2024, ranking 10th in OAA and 21st in DRS.

After a down year at the plate during his sophomore campaign, Winn is back to hitting the ball to all fields, and for the first time in his career, has upped his walk rate to close to 10%, helping to make him an on-base machine, which is a better fit for his offensive profile than trying to sell out for power. When Winn is at his best, he'll run into home runs, but the majority of his damage will come from line drives to the outfield grass.

Because of that, Winn is slashing .265/.350/.363 with one home run, six extra-base hits, 13 RBIs, and 14 runs scored while already swiping four bags, almost half of the number he did in 2025. His 107 wRC+ would be a career high at the plate, allowing him to be a productive bat in the bottom half of the lineup.

Last season, Winn posted 3.5 fWAR while being 9% below league-average at the plate, so if he's able to produce like an above-average bat this year, you can expect him to post his first 4 fWAR season in 2026.

It's hard to imagine Winn ever being the best player of this core, but he also has one of the highest floors of the bunch because of just how elite and stable his defense is, and how he can continue to grow as a contributor at the plate and on the basepaths.

#3 - C/DH Ivan Herrera

Previous Rankings: Sep. '25 - #2, May '25 - #1

Ivan Herrera has done nothing to "drop" him on this list. In fact, he's only continued to cement himself as an elite bat and is now back behind the plate trying to establish himself as a catcher. There are just two players who have undeniably raised their stock in the last eight months.

Honestly, if I had to make this list again, I may actually move him to the second spot on this list, because once you see just how productive he's been at the plate for years now, it'll be hard not to just take that known commodity rather than crossing your fingers for "more" from the other two.

I wrote about this for the site yesterday, but since 2024, Herrera has been one of the top 15 bats in baseball by AVG, OBP, wRC+, wOBA, and xwOBA, and ranks in the top 5 hitters 26 or younger in those same categories. In 2026, Herrera seems to have mastered his feel for the strike zone, walking at a career high rate (16.9%) and striking out at the lowest percentage of his career (16.2%). Only Mike Trout, Jose Ramirez, and Yordan Alvarez have been as productive at the plate as Herrera had are walking more than they strikeout.

This is forcing opposing pitchers to either give Herrera constant free passes or come into the strike zone to attack him, allowing Herrera to do more damage on pitches he can strike. Herrera also doesn't have a split "weakness", posting a 125 wRC+ against righties and 147 wRC+ against lefties for his career, which is such an advantage to have in a lineup.

Herrera is now catching two out of every five days right now, working to get himself into position to be a regular catcher again, which would improve his value even further. Even if Herrera does not stick behind the plate, he has the tools to be a left fielder or first baseman someday, which would give him some defensive value to add to his game as well. Even if not, Herrera is more than capable of providing top-end value as a DH-only player, if that were to be his destiny.

He doesn't turn 26 until June 1st, and still has three years of club control remaining following this season. The Cardinals will need to make a decision on his long-term future soon, because Herrera is continuing to drive up his price with his consistent, impactful production at the plate.

#2 - RF Jordan Walker

Previous Rankings: Sep. '25 - HM, May '25 - #9

My oh my, this has been a truly historic turnaround for Jordan Walker, who now looks like the star that Cardinals fans had dreamed he would be when he debuted as a 20-year-old back in 2023.

As I said with Herrera, there is an argument for Walker, Herrera, or the number one player on this list to all be in the top spot, and if Walker keeps this production up for another month or two, he'll be far and away the most valuable player in the Cardinals organization because of the truly limitless ceiling he has as a player.

Still just 23 years old, Walker is slashing .325/.377/.605 with ten home runs, 16 extra-base hits, 27 RBIs, and 26 runs scored to go along with six stolen bases in just 32 games. Right now, Walker is on pace for 49 home runs, 79 extra-base hits, 132 RBIs, 128 runs, and 29 steals, truly insane stuff! How on earth is he not the number one player on this list?

Well, as I said at the top, this turnaround from Walker is truly historic, as there is basically little to no historical precedent for a player to be as bad at the plate as Walker was for multiple seasons and then to turn around and become a superstar. While I've already seen enough to buy in on Walker as a good player moving forward, I think it is probably wise to ask for a bit more time before saying, "Oh yeah, he's like a top 10 player in baseball" now after how deep the struggles were.

But man, all the tools are there. Standing at 6'6, 250 lbs, Walker is an alien, ranking in the 92nd percentile in sprint speed, 99th percentile in arm strength, and posting 96th percentile or better numbers in terms of average exit velocity, Barrel%, Hard-Hit%, and bat speed. When Walker makes contact, he does damage, and now that he's swinging at better pitches and improving his attack angles, it's far easier to buy in on those red Statcast bars as real indicators of who he is.

While Walker isn't a plus defender, posting -1 OAA on the season, it is far better than he was a few years ago, when he ranked among the worst defenders in the sport. His arm has become an absolute weapon, as he leads all of baseball in outfield assists, and you can see nightly how balls hit to right field cause opposing runners to hesitate when given the opportunity to try and grab an extra base.

Walker emerging as what looks like a true superstar player is truly changing the outlook of the organization. There's only one player who I would take over him at this moment, but man, that is going to change here in a few weeks or months if he keeps up this incredible turnaround.

#1 - 2B JJ Wetherholt

Previous Rankings: Sep. '25 - #1, May '25 - #5

Coming into the 2026 season, JJ Wetherholt was a favorite to win National League Rookie of the Year as a consensus top-five prospect in the sport. While Cardinals fans were very excited to see him debut, I don't think anyone could have predicted how good he would be so far.

Through his first 32 big league games, Wetherholt has posted a .246/.365/.459 slash line with seven home runs, 12 extra-base hits, 16 runs batted in, and 27 runs scored to go with four stolen bases. His 134 wRC+ ranks sixth in a stacked rookie class, and he's tied with Kevin McGonigle for the most fWAR among the first-year players (1.5).

Wetherholt's calling card as a prospect was his elite feel for the strike zone, forcing pitchers to attack him in the zone, and he then knows how to attack mistake pitches with powerful swings while doing what he can with pitches that are not as optimal to do damage with. But what has been surprising so far is just how powerful a bat he's swinging so far, and how he's also already playing top-end defense at second base.

Saturday night was a perfect example of this. While he hasn't been productive at the plate against the Dodgers in the first two games of the series, Wetherholt has made multiple great plays already, helping hold the Dodgers' offense in check and get the Cardinals two wins over the reigning World Series champions.

Wetherholt is currently on pace for 35 home runs, 60 extra-base hits, 20 stolen bases, and 133 runs scored, and he hasn't even been swinging the bat well until the last week. Prior to waking up in a big way during the series in Pittsburgh, Wetherholt was maintaining value at the plate by constantly getting on base through drawing walks, getting hit by pitches, or squeaking singles around as he could. But now? He's making pitchers pay when they give him something to hit.

There are a few reasons why I gave Wetherholt the nod over Walker and Herrera. First is the fact that the Cardinals have him under club control through the 2031 season, while both Walker and Herrera would be free agents after the 2029 season. Second, Wetherholt has an extremely high ceiling as a player, and while it is not as high as Walker's and may not be as high as Herrera's, his floor seems to be much higher than both of them as well.

When Walker has struggled in past years, he's been one of the worst players in baseball. If Herrera's bat isn't playing, he's currently a below-average defensive catcher or just a DH. But Wetherholt knows how to be an above-average player at the plate even when he's swinging the bat well, and his defense and baserunning allow him to provide immense value as well.

The fact that you can make a strong argument for any of those three players, and then you still have Winn, Burleson, Rodriguez, Baez, Doyle, Mathews, Franklin, Cijntje, and more behind him is incredible.

The Cardinals really do feel set to turn this around in a big way over the next few seasons, and hey, so far they are doing that literally right now. But to think that the young pitching hasn't even come yet, these young Major League bats have more room to grow, more young position players are coming, Bloom has a collection of draft picks to use, and as clean a slate financially as he could have to work with gives the Cardinals one of the brightest futures in the sport.