The 3 best Cardinals performers in the Arizona Fall League

RHP Trent Baker

The Cardinals drafted Trent Baker out of Angelo State University in the ninth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. Baker, who will turn 26 on December 28th, reached Double-A Springfield in 2024 for the first time. He split time as both a starter and a reliever with the Cardinals last year. Baker made history with the Springfield Cardinals when he struck out the batter that gave the club its single-season record.

Baker features a fastball that touches 93 MPH at times, a slider that sits in the low-80s, and a changeup that floats near 85 MPH. The most innings Baker threw all year came on June 1st against the Wichita Wind Surge when he threw 6.1 innings of two-run ball. It was his best outing all year.

Baker finished 2024 with a 4-6 record in 22 games, 14 starts. He had a 4.89 ERA and a 1.457 WHIP. Baker's 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings were pedestrian, and he walked 4.8 batters per nine innings. Walks, not allowing hits, was his primary downfall last year.

In Arizona, Baker pitched only seven innings across three total games, two relief appearances and one start. He struck out only two batters, and he walked four. What made Baker's appearances strong was his ability to not allow runs; he had a 2.57 ERA, third among the Glendale Desert Dogs. Batters hit only .091 against him.

If Trent Baker can learn to limit his walks, he has the chance to become a reliable reliever with low strikeout potential.

OF Nathan Church

Nathan Church was drafted by the Cardinals in the eleventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of California, Irvine. Church, 24, also made it to Double-A Springfield in 2024.

While with the Cardinals in 2024, Church slashed .268/.332/.373 for a .705 OPS. He hit nine home runs, 22 doubles, and one triple, and he struck out 60 times while walking 43 times. The left-handed hitter's speed is above average, as he stole 24 bases last year while being thrown out only four times.

Defensively, Church has found his niche in the corner outfield. He played 629.2 innings in right field last year, and he had a .988 fielding percentage with only two errors. The Cardinals tried him in center field occasionally last year, but he had a .975 fielding percentage there with two errors in 265 innings. Left field appears to be Church's preference, as he had a .984 fielding percentage there in 2023 and a 1.000 fielding percentage there in 2024.

Church's offense jumped to another level while in Arizona. In 58 plate appearances, Church slashed .364/.397/.418 for an .815 OPS. He had two extra-base hits, one double and a triple; he drove in six base runners, too. While he wasn't able to hit for much power, Church's ability to hit for a high average was noteworthy given his offensive struggles in the past.

At the moment, Nathan Church is organizational depth, but his ability to play multiple outfield spots handily is a nice trait. If his offense can take off as a result of his performance in Arizona, Church may prove to be a worthy bench player in the future.