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.

#10 - Michael McGreevy (Previous ranking: #10)

Sitting at number ten on this list, I gave Michael McGreevy the slight edge over Matthew Liberatore due to years of control remaining and a bit of a steadier floor as a starting pitcher.

Liberatore clearly has the higher ceiling, and even showed he can hit that middle of the rotation or number two starter production for sustained stretches in 2025, but continued concerns regarding his ability to handle a larger workload, get deep into ball games, and maintain velocity late into starts still plague him. It was great to see Liberatore push through these things to finish the year, but question marks will still surround him until we see what he can do next year.

McGreevy, on the other hand, is never going to be a top-end starter, but he has posted the best ERA among Cardinals starters in 2025 (4.08) and has done so with a 3.75 FIP to back it up. His dependability as a solid, back-of-the-rotation starter is much needed on a team that has lacked young pitching for years.

McGreevy won't hit arbitration until 2028 and won't be free agent eligible until 2031, so the Cardinals have to be happy about the cheap rotation option they have on their hands. I do think McGreevy has a bit more in the tank that he could hit long-term, pitching to a high-3s ERA while covering a lot of innings for the club.

If we were ranking this list purely on potential, McGreevy does not make the cut. But there is real value in a pitcher you can depend on every fifth day to give you a chance to win, especially on a cheap contract, and McGreevy checks those boxes right now in a way that frankly most young arms in the organization can't.

#9 - Lars Nootbaar (Previous ranking: #4)

Another tumbler on this list, Lars Nootbaar has been one of the biggest disappointments of the Cardinals' 2025 season for a number of reasons.

From Nootbaar's debut season in 2021 through 2024, he was 74th out of 303 qualified hitters in baseball in wRC+, forging a path as a key contributor in the Cardinals lineup who had underlying metrics that pointed to even more success that could be had. Among players his age or younger, Nootbaar was 35th in wRC+ out of 120 qualified hitters, which put him in the top 29% of players under the age of 28 at the plate.

For Nootbaar, the question wasn't whether or not he could be productive when he was on the field; it was whether or not he could stay on the field enough to maximize that impact.

For the first half of 2025, Nootbaar stayed on the field, but it was clear that he either was battling ailments that led to his demise at the plate or had just seen major regression at the plate. Through his first 1379 big league plate appearances, Nootbaar was 16% above league average at the plate. This year, in his 557 plate appearances, he's been 3% below league average.

If his season ended today, this would be his career high in plate appearances by 57, but also his worst offensive production of his entire career. The greatest dip that Nootbaar has seen in his profile is in his slugging percentage, which is at a career worst .368 and has been on a downward trend since his 2022 breakout season.

With two years of club control remaining, there will be interest in teams around the league in Nootbaar. He's a valuable player for sure, so I'm not here to pile on him, but with just a .237/.325/.368 slash line, 13 home runs, and continued injury concerns, it's hard to value him nearly as high as we once did.

I very much believe Nootbaar will look more like himself next year, and could even hit the heights that many of us believed he could at some point as well. If the Cardinals decide to hold onto him for that very reason this offseason, rather than sell low, I totally get that, but I do think there is a good chance that Lars Nootbaar won't be with the club in 2026.

#8 - Quinn Mathews (Previous ranking: #8)

Here's an interesting exercise. If the Quinn Mathews were a pitching prospect for a different team and were offered to the Cardinals for Lars Nootbaar, would the Cardinals say yes? I think so.

Following a stellar debut with the organization in 2024 that saw Mathews rise four levels and win every major pitching award for prospects that year, the Cardinals were eager to see what they had in their young lefty in 2025 and were hopeful that he could be a contributor in St. Louis at some point as well.

Things did not go according to plan, though. Mathews spent the beginning of the minor league season on the injured list, and when he made his way back from injury, it was marked by velocity dips and command issues that clearly held him back from being an option for the big league club.

On the season, Mathews has a 3.73 ERA and has struck out 10.45 batters per nine innings, but his BB/9 is a crazy high 6.73 while using the Major League baseball. It's been a collection of good and bad, but things have seemed to get better as the year went on. In August, Mathews limited opposing hitters to a .193 batting average with a 2.27 ERA in 31.2 innings, striking out 41 batters and walking just 13.

Going into spring training, Mathews will have a chance to earn a spot in the Cardinals' rotation, but may need just a bit more time in Memphis before they give him the call. Before the 2025 season, Mathews was consistently ranked as a top 50 prospect in baseball, but things are a bit more inconsistent now on whether he's even a top 100 prospect to various talent evaluators. Even so, he is still one of the few prospects in the Cardinals' organization who boasts front-of-the-rotation upside, and so he maintains his ranking on my list.

#7 - Liam Doyle (Previous ranking: NR)

The fifth overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, Liam Doyle has such an exciting profile on the mound and boasts the kind of stuff that Cardinals fans have been dreaming of having in the organization for quite some time.

Doyle's plus-plus fastball that hits over 100 MPH when he is on is easily his go-to pitch, something that will carry him to the big leagues and give him a future as a starter or reliever, surely. But Doyle's plus slider and improving cutter are what will determine whether or not Doyle can reach the heights of a front-line starter.

At the University of Tennessee this year, Doyle posted a 3.20 REA with 15.43 K/9 in his 95.2 innings of work, and the Cardinals are betting on the upside with Doyle after making him their first top-five selection since the 1998 MLB Draft. Doyle did not get to throw much this year at the minor league level, but he did strike out six of the 15 batters he faced, allowing just three hits, one earned run on a home run, and two walks to the tune of a 2.45 ERA.

This winter will be an excellent opportunity for Doyle and the Cardinals' new player development staff to work on optimizing his arsenal and preparing for his first professional season. Best-case scenario, Doyle is incredible next year and makes it all the way to St. Louis after beginning the season in Double-A. That shouldn't be the expectation on his shoulders, but with his talent, it is within the range of outcomes for sure.

Doyle is the best of the Cardinals' pitching prospects right now, and with the club looking toward the future for contention, they are going to be patient with Doyle in order to get the most out of him. The Cardinals saw a ton of their pitching prospects take steps forward this year, with injuries being really the only major negative that happened this year as a whole. As long as Doyle is healthy in 2026 and taking steps forward as a starter, everyone should be happy.

#6 - Alec Burleson (Previous ranking: Honorable mention)

When it comes to the 2025 runway season, Alec Burleson may have been the player who took the most advantage of the opportunities given to him.

Burleson entered this year, like he has the last two seasons, on the outside looking in when it came to an everyday role on the team, and he once again outplayed his peers to take a spot in the starting lineup. Burleson rewarded the Cardinals big time for that, as he has slashed .289/.342/.466 with 18 home runs and 66 RBI in his 517 plate appearances this season. Among qualified hitters this year, Burleson's 126 wRC+ ranks tied for 27th in all of baseball.

During the summer of 2024, Burleson caught fire and produced in a major way, but he saw his numbers tail off significantly as the year wrapped up. Burleson has avoided that kind of drop-off this season, instead settling in as a steady, middle-of-the-order bat for St. Louis down the stretch.

Burleson has also taken steps forward defensively this year. While he'll never be a plus defender in the outfield, he is now serviceable out there, and managed to play a really solid first base this year as well. The defensive improvements really do help his value out as he looks to find a spot with the club long-term.

Burleson, 26, is arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason and will not hit free agency until 2029, meaning the Cardinals still have quite a bit of team control ahead of them with Burleson. He doesn't strike me as a guy who has a ton more room left to grow at the plate, but if he can settle in as a bat who produces 20%-30% above league average each year at the plate, that's a really nice player to have in the fold long-term.

Perhaps Bloom will want to capitalize on Burleson's career year by flipping him for future value, but if not, he's written in pen for the Cardinals' lineup in 2026. Cardinals fans should give Burleson more props for his year, as he's really taken advantage of every opportunity given to him and earned the trust of the organization.

#5 - Brendan Donovan (Previous ranking: #3)

If you look at Brendan Donovan's numbers on the season, they look pretty much in line with how he's played throughout his young career. But I do think they do a poor job of capturing just how great Donovan was this year, outside of when he was playing through a crippling toe injury.

If the season ended today, Donovan slashed .283/.351/.410 with 10 home runs and a 115 wRC+ in 501 plate appearances, but prior to the toe injury he suffered on June 11th, he was a 132 wRC+ bat with a .310/.379/.440 slash line during those 64 games. During the two months that Donovan played through his toe injury rather than going on the injured list, he slashed .234/.305/.349, which amounted to a terrible 84 wRC+ in 46 games.

Guess what? Now that Donovan has been back from the injured list, he's been excellent, posting a .348/.400/.565 slash line in that small sample size. Donovan was an All-Star for a reason this year, and it's a shame that playing through a significant injury dropped his numbers as much as it did. Had he gone on the injured list earlier, I have no doubt his numbers today look far better than they do now.

With two years of club control remaining, Donovan is the leader in the Cardinals clubhouse, ranks 72nd out of 297 qualified hitters since the beginning of 2022 in wRC+, and has incredible defensive versatility to go with his bat. The Cardinals need to try to extend him this offseason, or else it probably does make sense to shop him on the trade market to maximize his trade value.

Donovan has all of the makings of a future Cardinals' red jacket member and is the perfect personality to lead the club into the future. With young talent on the way, Donovan can help lead this next generation of Cardinals in the rebuilding years and then still be a contributor for the team when they are finally ready to contend again. Donovan is an excellent player to have on your team, and the Cardinals better make that happen before it's too late.

#4 - Rainiel Rodriguez (Previous ranking: NR)

Yes, I fully acknowledge that this is an aggressive ranking. Rodriguez has not played above the High-A level yet and is just 18 years old. I am by no means guaranteeing that he will become a star or even a good major league player.

But with that being said, there are only two or three players in this organization currently that I would value higher than Rodriguez. If an opposing team would want to get their hands on Rodriguez, it's going to cost them.

In 368 plate appearances this year between the complex league, Low-A, and High-A, Rodriguez has slashed .276/.399/.555 (.954 OPS) with 20 home runs and 69 RBI, walking 14.7% of the time while striking out just 17.7% of the time. At an extremely young age, Rodriguez already knows how to attack the baseball with power, the right angles to maximize that power, and make great swing decisions.

Rodriguez's 162 wRC+ in his age-18 season can only be matched by an incredible group of names. Adam Akbani found this great tidbit the other day - since 2006, only nine 18-year-olds have posted a 150 wRC+ or higher in a season with at least 250 plate appearances: Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Giancarlo Stanton, Wander Franco, Jackson Chourio, Samuel Basallo, Fernando Tatis Jr., Freddie Freeman, and Rodriguez.

Whenever a player, at age 18, is doing something that only players who compete for MVP awards have done, we should take notice.

Again, does that mean Rodriguez is going to become one of the best players in baseball or even hold a candle to the production of those guys? No. But to me, it makes him an extremely valuable piece in your organization, and someone that you can't help but be excited about. The Cardinals lack top-end talent right now, so anyone who really shows those kinds of signs has to be valued highly. 2026 will be a major test for Rodriguez, and if he continues to produce, he'll be one of the top prospects in the sport.

Some prospect evaluators are already aggressively ranking Rodriguez. Every major outlet now has him as a top 100 prospect, and some prospect evaluators are already putting him in their top 50, 20, or even top 10 prospects in the sport.

#3 - Masyn Winn (Previous ranking: #2)

Dropping by one spot on my list, Masyn Winn still had a really good 2025 season, and if it wasn't for some regression with his bat down the stretch, he likely would have maintained his earlier ranking.

Before being placed on the injured list so he could have season-ending knee surgery, Winn slashed .253/.310/.363 with 10 home runs and 27 doubles, and swiping nine bases. His 91 wRC+ was a big drop off from the year prior, but like Donovan, it is hard to know how much playing through his knee issues contributed to his decline at the plate.

Even with that knee injury, Winn still posted 22 outs above average, which now ranks second in baseball among all defenders, but was first before his season ended. He's the runaway favorite for the Gold Glove award at shortstop and could even win the Platinum Gold Glove as well. His defense alone makes him a great player, ranking 41st in baseball in fWAR (3.5) this year.

Manager Oliver Marmol talks a lot about how he thinks Winn has a ton of potential at the plate, and I agree. He has power that should be able to play into the 15-20 home runs a year range, and his speed and gap power can get him into the 35-40 doubles club as well. He's also shown the ability to collect hits at a high level when he's on.

Now, it would obviously be one of the top outcomes of his career for him to do all of those things, but even if he can just tap a bit more into his batting average and power, he would increase his value quite a bit. I think he has the ability to be 10%-15% above league average at the plate, but even just being slightly above league average makes him a really, really good shortstop.

The Cardinals have to be very happy with what they have in Winn right now, and he's easily one of the three most valuable players in their organization right now. I am eager to see what he does in year three of his big league career next season.

#2 - Ivan Herrera (Previous ranking: #1)

While Alec Burleson once again played his way into an everyday role over other young Cardinals bats, Ivan Herrera was clearly the Cardinals' best bat this year, and he's continuing to put up incredible numbers so early into his career.

Though he missed significant time this year due to two separate injuries, Herrera still remained one of the best hitters in baseball, slashing .280/.367/.449 with 16 home runs and 58 RBI in just 418 plate appearances. His 132 wRC+ this year ranked tied for 26th in baseball among players with at least 400 plate appearances, a continuation of the success we saw the last few years when he was given the opportunity.

My friend and the always great Bernie Miklasz found this fun stat on Herrera last week: among hitters at the age of 25 or younger with at least 400 plate appearances this year, Herrera's wRC+ ranks fourth behind just Nick Kurtz, Geraldo Perdomo, and Corbin Carroll.

The Cardinals decided to move Herrera off the catcher position this summer to keep his bat in the lineup each day, but they just announced that they will be working with Herrera to get back behind the plate in 2026.

I don't have a strong opinion on his future as a catcher. If the Cardinals believe this is best for his long-term health and/or doubt he can handle the position defensively at a high enough level, his bat is clearly good enough to play at another position or DH long-term. But if he's able to play well behind the plate with that bat, he instantly becomes one of the best players in baseball.

The Cardinals' offense just does not have enough dudes right now. Herrera is the closest thing they have to one. Sure, Herrera producing like that as a catcher is even more valuable than as a DH or outfielder, but there are a lot of reasons to believe that is just not his long-term position. Plus, the Cardinals have other catchers on the way. We'll see how this goes! Herrera reestablishing himself as a catcher is definitely the best-case scenario.

Herrera's bat was a major bright spot this year, and I expect him to be in the middle of their order for years to come.

#1 - JJ Wetherholt (Previous ranking: #5)

If you could keep only one player in the Cardinals organization right now, it would have to be JJ Wetherholt.

Drafted with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Wetherholt has been as good or better than advertised, and his elite production at both Double-A and Triple-A this year has fans over the moon about the recently turned 23-year-old.

In 492 plate appearances between Springfield and Memphis this year, Wetherholt has slashed .304/.421/.502 with 16 home runs and 58 RBI while swiping 23 bags along the way. His 151 wRC+ is an eye-popping number, and as the season went on, he became even more of a power hitter, raising his .466 SLG at Double-A to a .547 SLG at Triple-A due to becoming more aggressive on pitches he knows he can hit.

Every scouting outlet has him as a top 10 prospect in the sport now, with most slotting him in their top 5 or even their top 3. Wetehrholt was one of the best pure hitters we've seen come out of college in quite some time, and did so with incredible pitch selection and power to all fields. Pair that with the ability to play shortstop, second base, or third base, and the Cardinals have a future star on their hands.

I fully expect Wetherholt to be on the Cardinals' Opening Day roster in 2026, and by the end of the year, he could be their lead-off hitter or hitting the middle of their order. He's a special hitting prospect that they truly haven't had since Oscar Taveras, and he's going to be a major part of this rebuild that Chaim Bloom is starting.

Luckily for Wetherholt, unlike others Cardinals prospects of the past, the club won't have to have him produce right away. With them finally embracing a rebuild, it gives Wetherholt the ability to fail, learn from his mistakes, and grow as a player without the pressure of needing to win every day. Yes, the Cardinals would love if Wetherholt can help them win sooner than we had thought, but he's not being relied on to make that happen right away.

But something tells me Wetherholt isn't phased by the pressure anyway. In fact, I'm guessing he would prefer those kinds of expectations. He's got the personality, drive, talent, and production thus far to be a star, and that's why he's the most valuable player in the Cardinals organization before even making his MLB debut.