Format = Place Participant | Age on 4/1/2025 | Highest Stage Performed | Estimated Time of Arrival
1. SS JJ Wetherholt | 22 | A | 2026
The seventh total pick of West Virginia, Wetherholt was within the working to be the primary decide however misplaced time to a hamstring damage and will have slipped a bit as a result of relative weak point of the Large 12 Convention. A left-handed hitter at 5’10” 190 lbs, he options double-plus contact expertise together with plus energy and velocity. The Cubs fan in me was disenchanted to see Wetherholt land in St. Louis as a result of I believe he was a steal on the seven spot. Positive, the convention creates a query or two, however Wetherholt has been good in different settings: Staff USA, the Cape Cod League and professional ball now after slashing .295/.405/.400 in 29 Low-A video games.
2. RHP Tink Therefore | 22 | AA | 2025
Therefore recorded 109 strikeouts together with a 2.71 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 79.2 Double-A innings. Outcomes aren’t all the time an important factor, nevertheless it was good to see him succeed after struggling by way of a 1.51 WHIP and 5.47 ERA in 54.1 innings on the stage final season. On the mound, Therefore employs glorious steadiness in a 6’1” 195 lb body that permits him to maximise the deception on his double-plus changeup. He additionally throws a plus fastball and strong slider. Ought to open the season in Triple-A with an opportunity for an early promotion. May even break camp with the group in a perfect-storm situation.
3. LHP Quinn Mathews | 24 | AAA | 2025
A fourth-round decide in 2023, Mathews’ journey in 2024 coated 4 stops, from 30.2 innings with a 1.47 ERA in Low-A to a 2.68 in Excessive-A to a 2.41 in Double-A after which lastly a stumble in 4 Triple-A begins to shut the season, leaving him with a 6.48 ERA in 16.2 innings on the doorstep to the majors. At 6’5” 188 lbs, Mathews deploys a plus changeup he can spot all around the zone to arrange his strong trio of fastball, curveball, and slider. The most important determinant of his future will most likely be the stickiness of the speed bump he loved in 2024, when he pushed his low-90s heater as much as 97 at occasions. There’s fairly massive upside right here if he can hold including mph, which appears possible given the room remaining on his body.
4. 1B Luken Baker | 28 | MLB | 2023
By the cut-offs I exploit (not Daisy Dukes, I’m sorry to say), Baker stays 4 at bats shy of commencement at 126. A hulking 6’4” 285 lbs, Baker calls Luke Voit to thoughts in his plus endurance and energy. This rating relies upon upon him lastly getting a full-time look this season, and possibly that may make a idiot of me by spring coaching, however the Voit-like, short-burst upside is all right here. Baker hit 32 homers in 108 Triple-A video games this 12 months and 33 in simply 84 Triple-A video games final 12 months. Let’s set up him at DH and see what occurs, no?
5. 2B Thomas Saggese | 22 | MLB | 2024
Simply at this time I noticed a blurb that the Cardinals instructed 3B Nolan Arenado they’ll attempt to commerce him this winter, which might create some daylight for Saggese on a crowded roster. I think about the group would set up Nolan Gorman on the third to construct the daisy chain of males named Nolan. This would go away second base open for Brendan Donovan and possibly Cesar Prieto or Saggese, contemplating that Donovan can play outfield. Saggese is a 5’11” 185 lb right-handed hitter who’s not significantly jaw-dropping in any part of the sport however places in high quality at bats and makes a number of onerous contact.
6. C Rainiel Rodriguez | 18 | DSL | 2029
In 41 Dominican Summer season League video games, Rodriguez slashed .345/.462/.683 with ten house runs and a steal. He additionally struck out simply 25 occasions (13.6%) towards 30 walks (16.3%). At 5’10” 197 lbs, he’s extra bodily developed than his opponents at that stage, however I’m not dinging him too dangerous for that right here. You possibly can solely play towards the fellows you’re enjoying towards.
7. LHP Cooper Hjerpe | 24 | AA | 2025
A sequence of Kind-1 elbow accidents have slowed Hjerpe’s unfold by way of the minors, however he’s been good each time he’s pitched. A change-up/slider sort with plus command and deception, he might settle into a protracted profession as a reliever if the fastball and command doesn’t turn into that of a six-inning man. At 6’3” 200 lbs with a supply he repeats effectively, he’s received a very good probability so as to add command and/or velocity if his well being cooperates lengthy sufficient, however he might need to commerce some deception to take action.
8. C Jimmy Crooks | 23 | AAA | 2025
A thick lefty bat at 6’0” 230 lbs, Crooks has plus energy and strong plate expertise. In 90 video games with Double-A Springfield, he slashed .321/.420/.498 with 11 homers and 4 stolen bases. Behind the plate, he’s trying like a simple plus who can body, block and throw like a giant leaguer, which ought to earn him a protracted profession.
9. RHP Tekoah Roby | 23 | AA | 2025
Roby came visiting (together with Saggese) from Texas within the Jordan Montgomery commerce and instantly started working successful over his new group, posting a 0.75 WHIP with 19 strikeouts in 12 innings for St. Louis after carrying a 1.32 WHIP for 46.1 innings with Texas. At 6’1” 210 lbs, Roby generates intriguing spin on his plus fastball and double-plus curveball and demonstrates an inherent ability for mixing speeds with a strong changeup and slider. The outcomes weren’t on his facet in 2024 as he battled shoulder points.
10. 2B Cesar Prieto | 25 | AAA | 2025
There’s a bit little bit of Luis Arraez in Prieto’s recreation, which is partly why the group wished him from Baltimore within the Jack Flaherty commerce of 2023. Not like Arraez, Prieto is merely human, and he tends to swing just about each time, on a regular basis, one hundred pc of the time, which complicates the true worth of his plus contact expertise. In 129 video games with Triple-A Memphis final season, he slashed .279/.318/.445 with 14 house runs and 5 steals. He’d be a extra priceless fantasy participant than a real-life participant, I believe, contemplating how he’d cushion the batting common with at bats and add some RBI as a result of lack of walks.
Thanks for studying!
