Who the Cardinals should draft with the 13th overall pick

The 2026 MLB draft lottery has commenced with many St. Louis Cardinals fans displeased. The Cardinals had the eighth-best odds for the first overall pick, which led fans to think they had a strong chance to land within the top 5. Instead, the Cardinals somehow fell out of the top 10 and landed near the middle of the pack at 13th overall. Being in the moment, worry can begin to take over emotions, and irrational thinking starts to doom the consciousness of the fan base. But the reality is, no one really knows if the players projected within the top 10 will even pan out. Good news for Cardinals fans, there is a player who is under everyone's radar and the Cardinals will have full control to take him in next year's draft. With the 13th pick of the 2026 MLB Draft, the St. Louis Cardinals should take Caden Bogenpohl.

Many fans reading this are now asking: Who is Caden Bogenpohl? He is the sleeper pick of the 2026 draft that the Cardinals need to recognize early. The Jackson, MO product is entering his junior season at Missouri State University. So now fans are thinking: Missouri player connection, how original. Well, for the fans that do not know, Missouri State shares Hammons Field with the Springfield Cardinals. So all season long, the Cardinals organization has a top prospect literally in their facilities on a daily basis. It would be hard to believe that Cardinals scouts do not already have an eye on Bogenpohl and have been scouting him for a while at this point. But enough about convenience for scouting, let's talk about the player.

Bogenpohl is the next great power hitter for the league. He stands at 6'6 and weighs 245 pounds at only 20 years old. He has become one of the great center fielders within College Baseball and was looked to be a major transfer portal candidate this past off-season. His teammate Zack Stewart took the opportunity and transferred to the Arkansas Razorbacks, looking to pursue the College World Series. But Bogenphl was adamant on staying at Missouri State, as he wants to become the next campus legend following the likes of Ryan Howard, Jake Burger, Drake Baldwin, Luke Voit, and Shaun Marcum. After only 2 seasons at Missouri State, Bogenpohl is on track to reach this legacy.

The Bears' star center fielder has already accomplished much in his career. He was voted NCBWA Freshman All-American Second Team in 2024, Honorable Mention All-MVC in 2024, MSU Danny Cook Rookie of the Year in 2024, All-MVC Second Team in 2025, and MVC All-Tournament in 2025. In 2024, Bogenpohl posted a slash line of .293/.446/.639 (1.085 OPS) with 60 H, nine doubles, 20 HR, 45 RBI, and 131 TB across 205 AB. For 2025, he posted .296/.449/.558 (1.007) with 61 H, 15 2B, 13 HR, 44 RBI, and 115 TB across 206 AB. Very comparable seasons, which makes it all the more impressive given how young he is. With one more season left at Missouri State, he is expected to take the next step in his game and show the country just how strong his potential really is.

MLB.com has Bogenpohl as the 40th-best draft prospect for 2026. This seems extremely low given all the hype I just created within this article. But that is not the only source that projects prospects, as this reliable source has been in the game for a very long time. Baseball America (subscription required) released its 2026 draft prospects rankings back in August and has a different angle on Bogenpohl. They have him listed as the eighth-ranked prospect in their mock draft after his Cape Cod league performance. Current projections on many sites agree he is near the 40th-best prospect available. But not too long ago, he was projected right where the Cardinals are drafting. Seems like the logical move, while other organizations will overlook him.