HERE IS MY DIRTY 50!!!!
THIS IS THE 2ND PART OF THE COUNTDOWN!!!
Mang oh Mang, did I really mail this in.
I have to tell you, this is not very well thought out, nor is it researched particularly well. As you’ll see in the formatting and presentation, I put about a 5th of the effort into this as I used to. Hey, so goes life.
As you'll hopefully remember, I do not include players that have already made a Major League debut on my list even if they do have ROY eligibility. So, no Graceffo, McGreevy, Saggese etc.
The first thing that you’ll notice is that I tier this like one of those awful Prospect1500 articles or whatever. While I hate myself for doing this, it is absolutely essential in order to understand the current standing of the prospects in the organization. Without tiers, I don’t think that I can appropriately quantify the disparity of talent within the organization. I’d encourage you to READ THE PRIMER that I wrote prior to this by following this link within these words.
I've thrown some very generic notes into this post, but I’d recommend that you go to Brian Walton's terrific THE CARDINAL NATION and subscribe to the only place following what's going on at the backfields in spring. It's more than worth the cost of subscription.
I would also like to direct you towards our good friend Kareem’s new beautiful site, CARDINALSPROSPECTS.COM. He’s giving way more in-depth information than I ever could, and in details that I’m not remotely smart enough to understand.
If you’d like additional links to the Cardinals Top Prospects list, you can follow these links:
I’ll link to The Athletic, but that’s definitely more of a waste of time as compared to the others.
Here’s prospects1500, whatever the hell this is. As you'll notice, I obviously admire how little work goes into this.
This is the 2nd part of a two-part post. The other half-ish of the list can be found HERE.
HERE ARE MY TOP PROSPECTS, SLUTS.
TIER ONE
1. LHP - Quinn Mathews – Age 24 – A, A+, AA, AAA
After much deliberation, film watching, and drinking, I've decide to rank Mathews ahead of Wetherholt, although it's seriously splitting hairs. What it comes down to, for me, is that Mathews is a ready-made starter at the ML level. Sure, his 3 above average pitch mix (since he's all but ditched his curve) probably limits him to a mid-rotation arm, but the competitive spirit that fuels his drive to be the best pitcher than he can be will feed his future ML success. Sooner rather than later, at that. I don't think it's completely out of the question that this very savvy, driven, competitive, and talented young man takes steps towards being the Zac Gallen that we've always wanted as he seasons himself at AAA and eventually the majors.
2. IF - Jonathan “JJ” Wetherholt – Age 22 – Big 12, A
With Wetherholt, we are talking about another prospect in the organization that doesn't have a dedicated position and who also has some serious pull-side power questions, even though his oppo-power is one of his more heralded traits (I've seen people describe it as "underrated" and "less talked about", but I always thought that was his calling card at the plate from a type of contact perspective. What do I know?) Maybe somewhere along the lines he finds his pull side power and he ends up with four or more straight 20+ homer seasons, topping out with 36 ala Matt Carpenter. However, as we saw with Marp, there is a give and take to changing yourself so much. Wetherholt has athleticism that is on a different planet as compared to Marp, mind you, which means that his power should stick if he decides to commit to it. JJ is also going to be more-than fine at whatever position he eventually settles in at. However, the concerns I have about the ability to be a plus defender and a power option make me rank him 2nd. Which, frankly, means jackshit because this guy is going to be a very good Major Leaguer for many, many years. His swing decisions and type of contact are too good for him to be anything else. Here's to hoping that the Cardinals don't assume he's capable of doing what Jackson Merrill did as he transitioned to center with very little in-game seasoning, because that would be a mistake. Wetherholt is going to need time at a position to settle into it.
TIER TWO
3. LHP - Cooper Hjerpe – Age 24 – A+, AA
The former first round pick is the monster in the closet of the organization. He's undervalued nationally because he doesn't throw the ball in the mid-90's frequently enough, and because he comes from an angle and release point that's just too easy to write off as a long-term bullpen option. In reality, Hjerpe has unique and above average offerings across the board, even though stuff+ models haven't quite learned how to quantify such a unique pitcher. I do worry that his slide piece is too slow as compared to the rest of his arsenal, which includes a heater, cutter, and changeup, but I'm not that worried because it's still a devastating offering to lefties. Where Hjerpe's going to have to refine is how he pitches inside to righties. That's the key for him. Too often he's too far inside, especially with his heater. He's going to have to learn how to better and more consistently cut that plate from his angle. We saw him do it as he ramped up during the 2024 season, and that's why no one could hit him. If he can't do that, or if the Cardinals commit to a heavy usage of his arsenal on the outside to righties, then this will be a letdown of talent.
4. RHP - Markevian “Tink” Hence – Age 22 – AA
I've been told by multiple people that we need to show patience with Tink as the Cardinals work to rebuild him for more sustained health. I get this, and I appreciate this, but so far the early spring returns are concerning. Not statistically mind you, but what the new arm angle and extension numbers have done to marginalized his heater. When healthy in 2024, we saw Hence really refine an intriguing slider to pair with his curve and deceptively good change, and that was huge for him. I really love and pull for this kid, so here's to a healthy season for the righty, to go along with what will hopefully be the rediscovery of a workable fastball while he finds comfort in his new motion.
5. RHP - Tekoah “TK” Roby – Age 23 – AA, A Rehab
Speaking of early spring training returns, bravo to Roby for turning heads early in camp. His 2024 was a complete waste, but it gave him a chance to do some soul searching. The results have included the rediscovery of his velocity to go along with a heater that has been reworked out of necessity. I still have questions about it's ability to get advanced right-handed bats out at the AAA level and thus in general to righties at the ML level, but I do know that his curve is one of the best pitches in the organization, and that his changeup has flashed "plus" when he's commanding it. Especially as he works with an interesting slider that should help keep the righties off of his heater. I'll be anxious to see how aggressive the Cardinals end up being with this righty, especially if he can stay healthy. They seemed to have fallen back in love with him this spring. Toying with that little sinker of his certainly won't hurt him, either.
TIER THREE
Before I get into this, I just want to point out that the three prospects in this tier specifically could be in any order, as far as I'm concerned. The case to be made for each that they are better than the other two is easy to make. If I'm trying not to be objective, I'm ranking them Bernal, Davis, then Crooks, but that's because I'm a moron. This could be said specifically about any of the prospects within their tiers, but it's even more true with this grouping.
6. C – Jimmy Crooks – Age 23 – AA
I love how much everyone loves Jimmy Crooks. He's an incredibly likeable and relatable guy. Pitchers that throw to him trust him fully, and he's a team leader in a very unique and appealing way. A solid framer, game caller, and blocker with a really solid arm, the technical side of the tools of ignorance are ever present for Crooks. While there is reason to be worried that his ability to hit lefties and their breaking pitches as a left-handed bat might not last at the highest level, I'm forever encouraged by Crooks' ability to lower the bat head and line something over the heads of the infield when needed. Regardless, I have no doubt that Crooks will continue to both hit righties and do damage against them as he moves up the ladder. Crooks was one of the few bats that took a sizeable step forward during the 2024 season, and that's more than deserving of a mention. It's a way too easy comparison or generalization to make, this is a player with the floor of 2024 Pedro Pages.
7. C – Leonardo Bernal – Age 21 – A+, AA
I love watching Leo Bernal catch. His framing is below the level of someone like Crooks or Ryan Campos, but what this stout young man lacks in some framing qualities (which is showing signs of improving), he more than makes up with his hand cannon. Still only 21 years old, Bernal continues to show improvement and growth in every aspect behind the plate. At the plate, the switch-hitting Bernal is still a work in progress. Bernal got off to a terrible start for Peoria to start the 2024 season, but he quickly rebounded and more than earned his promotion to Springfield. I know what the data says about Bernal's acumen from each side of the plate, but I personally think he's going to be just fine swinging from either side. Leo is more aggressive and powerful from the right side, more selective from the left side, but I think he'll be able to successful coexist at some level of success as he moves up in the organization. The Catching position is always the longest and toughest to develop to ML capabilities, and it's easy to forget just how young Bernal and how far along he is, specifically as compared to his same-aged peers.
8. OF – Chase Davis – Age 23 – A, A+, AA
Speaking of things I love, I LOVE that Chase Davis really struggled in affiliated ball to end the 2023 season, and then again to start the 2024 season. I love that he dealt with it and worked through it. It feels like it's been a really long time since a top hitting prospect with real power has gone through this in the organization and managed to work through it. That Davis was able to rebound so well with a mechanical adjustment at the plate gives me hope that he'll be able to adjust accordingly in AA and higher. Yes, I would absolutely like to see his power numbers increase from where they were in 2024, and I'm anxious to see if that happens and at what expense to his walk and strikeout rates. In the field, Davis is athletic enough for center but I think the prevailing thought is that he'll be in a corner. Either way, he has an absolute missile for an arm that is also pretty accurate. Good for Chase for working hard to work through early season struggles in 2024. The level of success that he'll have at the plate in the future will solely lie in how and when he decides to swing at what he can do damage too, and how quickly he find his level of confidence and aggressiveness.
TIER FOUR
…. Probably no one. I mean, there’s a chance that a couple of handfuls of guys could fit in this tier with solid developmental and healthy 2025 seasons, but we’ll see. I had to do this to illustrate just how... maybe "unbalanced" is the word that I'm looking for... the talent currently is in the system.
TIER FIVE
9. OF – Travis Honeyman – Age 23 – CPX, A
What I know about Travis Honeyman is that this kid is crazy athletic and that he just doesn't know how to stay on the field as of yet. This dates back to years ago, as well. What I also know is that the kid is an absolute GAMER when he is on the diamond. Honeyman was only healthy for like two weeks of non-complex action during the 2024 season, but he was electric on the basepaths and in the box in limited action. I've always had my doubts about his long-term power potential since the day he was drafted, but it doesn't take a lot of watching him swing to understand how he'd be able to club 20 homers per season. I'd like to tell you what kind of fielder he is, but that is a waste of time. There hasn't been a long enough stretch of health in his recent history where I feel like anyone can give an accurate assessment. Plus he didn't take the field during the 2024 season when he was healthy.
10. RHP – Brian Holiday – Age 22 – Big 12
The Cardinals 3rd round pick in 2024 is a polarizing prospect. Honestly, I'm not even sure if I think he's good or not. I know that I hate his pronounced leg kick with my entire being. I know that I worry that his high effort delivery will only spell long-term health issues. I am extremely glad that we have reached the age in baseball where a pitcher's height means less and less as the metrics tell us more and more about release angle and how stuff works off of it. The question with Holiday is just how much his stuff will play up if he continues to show some of the velocity spike that we saw towards the end of the Big 12 season. If the Cardinals can get him above the 92-ish mph average velocity by a couple of ticks then there is no reason to think that he can't be the breakout pitcher in the organization in 2025, especially because he can use the heater in all quadrants. I also believe in the gains and sustainability of his slider, even if his curve is going to need work. I'm anxious to see if a little tweaking to his changeup will be enough to make it usable to righties. With well above average command and a bulldog mentality on the mound, I'll take his combo of pitchability and present stuff over any of the other arms that haven't been named on the list.
11. C – Rainiel Rodriguez – Age 18 – DSL
I don't have a lot to say about Rainiel other than that I loooooooooooooooove the power numbers, I love the swing from what I've seen, and he almost certainly will not be able to stick at catcher. There is a lot of stat line scouting going on here, but it's also based on a lot of positives that we are hearing from people that matter. I've been told that he is bigger than his listed 5'10", and that's really only worth mentioning because his athleticism will probably limit him to first base as he moves up the ladder. With stateside connections already, I'm most excited to watch him of all of the teenage prospects in the organization.
12. RHP – Andrew Dutkanych IV – Age 21 – 2023 SEC
I have Dutkanych here based solely on potential, aided only by the current hole in the organization's prospect pool. Dutkanych hasn't pitched much since his heralded high school days because of injuries of various types (hammy and arm), but this Vandy product is as talented of an arm as the organization possesses outside of those top couple of tiers. When healthy, Dutkanych throws an electric heater/slider combo that is complemented by a less well defined curve and change, both slower by nature. He'll probably have to bang the loopy curve and find himself something with some sweeping action along the way, but I also don't know a goddamn thing. It'd just be nice to see something to work off of his cutter-ish slider. This former top 50 draft prospect back when he was a prep arm is just too damn intriguing of an arm in this relatively thin group of prospects to not get aggressive with. Sure, I'm definitely concerned about the torque on the arm, but I just do not care about it at all right now. Famous last words, as I will surely be bitching and casting him into shadows if he gets hurt again.
13.OF – Matt Koperniak – Age 27 – AAA
The bottom line with the former undrafted free agent from the 2020 draft class is that if he were 2 years younger then we would be asking to see as much of him as possible in the majors. With the help of the strength and conditioning coaches, along with the hitting development group, Koperniak has added some substantial bat speed over the last couple of years and it's allowed him to get to more power while also making his potential success against lefties something that seems awfully likely at the ML level. Koperniak's arm in the outfield can be strong, but it's often wonky and I've never been able to understand it. Otherwise, he's a perfectly decent outfielder at all three positions, even if he isn't particularly above average at any of them. We will certainly see him in the Majors in 2025, and I think the Cardinals would do well to give him a real chance somewhere along the lines.
14. RHP – Darlin Saladin – Age 22 – A, A+
Our guy Kareem has been all over Saladin since nearly day one. You see, Kareem is a "smart", and he was able to identify the unique approach angle that Saladin throws from that allows his heater to play "up", as he pounds all parts of the zone with it. Saladin gets plenty of swing and miss, as well as plenty of weak contact as well. I personally really like the way his slider plays off of the heater, and while his changeup lacks command, I also love the way that it plays off of his entire arsenal. I definitely think that there's a starters profile here, as well as an argument to be made that he should be where Holiday is on the list. At the very least, even if his velocity stays low-mid 90's, I think there's enough here to be a really solid bullpen arm if that's how it ends up going.
15. RHP – Luis Gastelum – Age 23 – A
Luis Gastelum is more than just a changeup. But, hey, that changeup is beyond special. It's probably the best singular pitch on the farm. It's undoubtedly in the conversation, at least. I am not one to call any tool or pitch an "80" because I think that's the kind of grade that should only be used for legendary tools and grades, but it's as close to an 80 as I feel like I could possibly give out. I also really like his heater, and the two pitches are obviously a tandem that work extremely well together. The only crappy thing with Gastelum is that the 23-year-old still hasn't made it above Palm Beach even though he's dominated it. Hell, there really isn't a reason that they shouldn't start him at AAA if they're going to keep him in a relief role. I personally would send him to AA to start, but I'm a boob. Maybe it's because I just watched him pitch in a spring training game, but I don't see why Gastelum couldn't be Chris Devenski, at the very least. I know that it was a ton of fun to watch him make a fool of Dylan Crews in this at-bat in spring.
16. RHP – Ixan Henderson – Age 23 – A, A+
I wanted to make a point to rank Henderson ahead of Lin because a) they're both basically the same age, b) I love a soft tossing lefty, and c) pitchability is incredibly important. Sure, EEEEESHAWN changes his release point to throw one of his breaking pitches. And, yeah, the fastball isn't anything spectacular exactly. But this is an accomplished pitcher who has done more with less than most, and he's introduced a cutter to the equation to boast! There is a lot of deception in that motion of his, and that helps his low 90's fastball play up, and his changeup play off of it really well. I also really like his slider and how it works within his repertoire. He's struggled against lefties, and hopefully the cutter can fill in the gaps and lead towards more success for him in that regard. His command got kind of sketchy towards the end of the season and into the AFL, so I'm hopeful the offseason got him some rest. We'll surely see some statistical regression at AA and then AAA, but I'm not sure it'll be as much as you'd expect.
17. RHP – Chen-Wei Lin – Age 23 – A
Before I get into this, let the record show that I was one of the people on Lin before a lot of others were. So please keep that in mind as I continue on.
Don't let the stat line fool you, Lin is a flawed prospect. If we've learned anything from Edwin Nunez, it's that throwing hard isn't enough. I love that Lin can touch triple digits with his fastball, and his strikeout rates are fine, but this is not a pitch that gets swing and miss. And when you are talking about a heater with that much velocity that doesn't get swing and miss at that level then you are asking for statistical regression as he moves up the system. It's made even worse because he just throws it down the middle of the plate because he doesn't command any of his arsenal particularly well. His changeup is an interesting pitch, but he doesn't command it well or have a feel for it. His slider can be biting, but he doesn't command it particularly well while being inconsistent with the delivery of both of these offspeed offerings. We absolutely want to see more of the splitter, but we'll see how that goes. There is a lot to build on with Lin. Maybe even the most to build upon of the arms in the organization, it's just that where he is currently at in his development and skill is overblown because of his statistical success, size, and projectability.
18. RHP – Zack Showalter – Age 21 – A
Showalter displayed absolutely trash command of anything other than his fastball in 2024, but he has a handle for his heater and that's really delightful. It's a good thing, too, because that fastball has the chance to be a special pitch. It is such a good pitch that he didn't even need it to reach 90 mph to get a ton of swing and miss because of his release and approach angle. The good news on top of that is that he did get it above the 90 mph threshold in 2024 and frequently, and backfield reports are saying he's in the mid-90's. If Showalter can find anything that resembles command of a really intriguing slider and/or his curve then we could really have something here. He's dabbled with a change, and here's to hoping that he finds a feel for that pitch, as well. It's a good thing that he's worked in a sinker to really compliment that heater in an effort to keep hitters off of it. I'll be really anxious to see how his arm responds to being really stretched out as he prepares for a healthy 2025 season.
19. RHP – Sem Robberse – Age 23 – AAA
Robberse got off to a great start during the 2024 season, but he started to level off when hitters realized they could just sit on his below average fastball. Then, when Sem transitioned away from the heater, hitters realized that they could rule that pitch out entirely and feast on an average cutter. It was such an interesting season for Sem. It's been great to see him add a sinker because the only pitchers of his repertoire and velocity that have had success in the majors did it with a sinker. Robberse has that fun thing where his heater and his changeup are basically the same velocity, but that monster changeup of his dives and tumbles in a way that'll make you smile as it mirrors the fastball before tumbling with depth. He also has a sweeper that is a ton of fun, and I think that if he were to commit to the sweeper and the change like 85% of the time then we'd see the most out of him.
20. IF – Yairo Padilla – Age 17 – DSL
I have a lot to say about Yairo Padillia, which is absolutely pointless for a player that I've never really seen play and for stats that don't really mean much. What we know about the 6'4" Padilla is that he is a lanky, twitchy, and athletic infielder who makes world class swing decisions and who flashes some plus bat-to-ball skills. He's one of the few ready made CoreFour players in the organization, and when you couple that with his athleticism, his natural feel, and his ability to potentially stick at short you start to see why so many view him as a potential top 5 prospect in the organization. I, however, have seen this song and dance before. Maybe not someone who has these skills on the level that Padilla appears to have it, but that doesn't change my level of pessimism. This is a 17-year-old kid that is stateside for the first time in this year's minor league spring training. A lot WILL change in this young man's life as the culture shock creeps in, as well as REAL pro-ball and seasoned pitchers start to take the mound against him. For years I've held the 20th spot on my prospect list for a promising yet far off prospect that is getting a lot of national helium. Here's to hoping that Padilla can succeed where so many of the others have stalled out, because right now the reports from the backfield as the Cardinals try to push him against better talent are that the kid is hilariously overmatched and that they are doing him a disservice by pushing him how they are. Hey, but at least JJ Cooper got Jackson Chourio right.
TIER SIX
21. RHP – Gerardo Salas – Age 22 – A
I really enjoyed watching Gerardo Salas pitch when Palm Beach played on MiLB TV. I've worked hard to convince myself that I didn't like him because I felt like I was overblowing his effectiveness on the mound. The reality is that Salas' arsenal is interesting, and his fastball/change/slider/curve combo is worth keeping an extra eye on. He's smart with how he pitches, too, maximizing his arsenal based on the handed matchups. I think his changeup is particularly good for use against lefties, and his curve is a strikeout pitch against righties specifically. Salas has tinkered with some stuff here and there, as well. If he were built a little bigger then I could make an argument that he's actually a better prospect than Lin is.
22. RHP – Ian Bedell – Age 25 – AA, AAA
At this point, I think we know that Bedell's best chance at carving out a role in the majors will be out of the pen, but the early spring data was decent enough that the potential for a starter's path still isn't out of the equation. Bedell really struggled to get his velocity and pitch specs up to par with the MLB ball that's used in AAA, so the gains that he has made in spring training with both velocity and movement are really important. Bedell has been known to lose command for innings at a time, and cutting this down will obviously be huge for him. The slider/cutter/change combo of secondary offerings all at varying levels of average are interesting, too. I'd kill for him to put himself into a position to make a debut in 2025.
23. LHP – Braden Davis – Age 22 (April) – BIG 12
This is another situation where I'm not sure if I actually think that Braden Davis is this good of a prospect. Rather, I'm buying into some of the things that I am hearing. Davis has flashed 95 in that past with his fastball, but it sounds like he is starting to get there more regularly now. Davis' best pitch is his changeup, which is a heavy tumbler, and that's a cool thing to type. By the end of the 2024 Oklahoma season, Davis saw his command really waiver, his first season pitching out of a collegiate rotation, mind you. Davis also throws a slider that is kind of a tweener from a gyro standpoint. If his velocity does tick up across the board and he rediscovers the command that he's displayed at times in the past then this will be you're pitching version of the ascent that Jimmy Crooks made in 2024. And not just because of the Oklahoma connection.
24. RHRP – Andre Granillo – Age 25 (May) – AA, AAA
Granillo almost certainly has a major league debut in his future if he stays health, and that's because of how wonderful his breaking pitch is. We've talked about it before, but it would rock if the Cardinals and Granillo would throw that changeup more. That would really help him against lefties, for whom he has struggled greatly against. The heater/slider combo is good enough to log major league innings to various levels of success, especially in same-handed matchups.
25. RHP – Max Rajcic – Age 23 – AA
Rajcic's calling card is a curve that's been kinda weird in spring training, but he found a slider at the end of the 2024 season that helped a great deal and a changeup that I actually think is really good when it's used appropriately. His heater is the question, and it probably isn't enough for him to move up the rankings. Rajcic is a bulldog and a battler on the mound, and he gets every last little bit out of what he has. We knew he'd take a step back at AA once he got there, and the step backwards wasn't nearly as bad as I anticipated. If he can find a way to make his average command play up while getting to a little more velocity then he'll have a major league debut in him.
26. RHP – Nolan Sparks – Age 22 – A
WILD CARD ALERT. I just really love what Nolan Sparks does, and I really love how he got there. It's well documented that Sparks is a D3 darling that went to Tread and remade himself as a pitcher. He throws a lively and mid-90's heater, a splitter, a cutter, and a really interesting curveball. This is a fun pitcher who throws from a fun angle. You couldn't ask for anything more with a 13th round wild card than what Sparks provides. His command will be the issue, but I oddly trust that he'll find a way to maximize his ability to command the ball based on his prior work. I would be very disappointed if the Cardinals decided to maroon him into a reliever role.
27. IF – Cesar Prieto – Age 26 (May) – AAA
Prieto has come a long way as a defender at both 2nd and 3rd, and I've been incredibly impressed with his work at 3rd specifically. At the plate, Prieto is a well-documented free swinger that can make contact with more than he should be able to. Prieto has made clear gains with his bat speed since entering the organization, and he flashed more power than I thought that he would get to when he entered the organization because of that extra bat speed. A few years ago, the Cardinals had a utility infielder named Ramon Urias in their system. Urias eventually landed in Baltimore and has become a useful depth piece for them for a couple of years now. If Prieto can continue to work on his approach and swing decisions at the plate then I could very well see him carving out a similar role for himself.
28. OF – Won-Bin Cho – Age 21 – A+
2024 was an absolute TRASH season for Cho. On my pre-2024 rankings, I had Cho as my 6th best prospect in the organization. What I did not anticipate is that Cho would end up standing no chance against elevated heaters. The Midwest League caught on to this right away, and he was unable to make the adjustment. Oftentimes, frustration would get the best of him in the process. As we've seen with Nolan Gorman who is a completely different type of hitter, it's really tough to handle breaking pitches in front of the plate when you are on your heals and waiting for the high heat. This happened with Cho in 2024. Still, Cho is an immensely talented athlete and baseball player, and my hope is that he spent the offseason fixing what ails him. He also needs to continue to refine in the field where his plus speed doesn't do him the favors that it should, and the same goes with his arm.
29. IF – Jonathan Mejia – Age 20 – CPX, A
A year removed from being every evaluator's favorite prospect in the organization at least four levels away from the majors, Mejia saw his stock tumble after an awful couple of stretches in the Florida State League, even though he was relatively "as advertised" on the Complex. Mejia is still going to get reps at short, but he profiles best as a 2nd baseman, and if he can rediscover the track he was on prior to the 2024 season then he'll rediscover his high-standing as a prospect. For as much as I had to say about Padilla, I have absolutely nothing else to say about Mejia.
30. RHP – Cade Winquest – Age 25 (April) – A+
It sucks that 2024 was a somewhat wasted year for Winquest, because there's reason to believe that he could have been a bright spot for the arms in the organization had he maintained his health. Everyone seems to be really bullish on what's going on with him on the backfields, as well. That's good, because Winquest has displayed the ability to get into the triple digits with a nasty heater, as well as a changeup that works to both lefties and righties and a slider that is a bit loopy but will certainly get a righty to flinch a time or two. Winquest reallllllllllly gets on top of hitters with his extension, as well. There is a lot to like about the "arm talent' that is Cade Winquest.
31. RHRP – Joseph King – Age 24 – A+
Joseph King appears to be hurt again, but he was as effective of a relief pitcher as the organization had during the 2024 season when he was healthy. King throws a good slider that has made a ton of improvement and an underrated changeup to go along with a mid-90's fastball.
Thanks to FANGRAPHS for the world class stats that are graphics in this post.
Thanks to Cardinalsgifs for being the absolute best.
Thanks for reading!!