Re-ranking the 10 most valuable young players in Cardinals' organization

Back in May, I ranked the St. Louis Cardinals' 10 most valuable young position players, seeking to give a "state of the young core" for people to chat about.

But now, as we wrap up the 2025 season, that list has changed quite a bit. Some young players have risen in their performance, some have stumbled in major ways, and there are even a few new names that have been added to the mix.

Here is how I approached making this new ranking - if I were asked to put in order the players and prospects they value the highest right now, not who has proven the most, but who I am most inclined to hold onto and have the most belief in, this is the order I would put them in. Sure, it means projecting at times and believing before seeing in some cases, but the hope of stardom can supersede known commodities if those ceilings are more limited.

It's also important to note that factors like age, years of control, and positional value all play a role as well.

With all of that being said, here is how I would rerank the St. Louis Cardinals' 10 most valuable young players as the 2025 season wraps up

Honorable Mentions: Matthew Liberatore, Victor Scott II, Nolan Gorman, Jordan Walker, and Leonardo Bernal

Matthew Liberatore and Victor Scott both fell off my list from May, where Scott was ranked seventh and Liberatore was ranked sixth. Both players had very encouraging starts to their years, but have struggled big time as the season has gone on. I could easily see either guy jumping back into the top 10 next season, but for now, they don't make the cut.

Jordan Walker has been awful this year, and while he still has a ton of raw talent, he has so much to prove if he wants to be seen as one of their most valuable assets. Gorman had a really encouraging summer, but has fallen off over the last few months and is back to being a below-league-average hitter. Considering they were the faces of runway this year, it's a horrible result that neither can be justified in the top 10.

Leonardo Bernal is an extremely exciting catching prospect at the Double-A level who has the ability to be a plus hitter and defensive catcher long-term. He's still just 21 years old, so it may be a bit before we see him, but if he can put together a strong campaign in 2026, he may get a shot at St. Louis sooner than you'd think.

Some other names that could move their way into the honorable mentions or onto this official list soon include 2025 breakout prospect Joshua Baez, who slugged 20 home runs and stole 54 bases with an .884 OPS this season, Tekoah Roby, who was excellent at Double-A and finding his footing in Memphis before season-ending surgery, and Yairo Padilla, who is an 18-year-old shortstop prospect who was receiving even more hype than Rainiel Rodriguez prior to the season.