Seven Cardinals Prospects Whose Names You Need to Know

The St. Louis Cardinals are in an odd spot right now. This was supposed to be a transition year. Instead, they are vying for a playoff spot. The focus for the future President of Baseball Operations, Chaim Bloom, however, is still catching up in player development. 

“Catching up is important,” said Bloom in a 2024 press conference. “But we want to be able to set the tone, so we’re not just going to be looking at copying everyone else. We want to find our own way.”

The Cardinals are seeking to refine their development process, and it begins with some of the organization’s top prospects. With so many players at the big-league level slated to hit the open market in the next year or two, having the next wave of talent ready to go is going to be crucial for this organization.

If the team is not able to successfully replace the departing veterans with promising internal candidates, that places an insane amount of pressure on external additions to excel. Developing players already in your system is of the utmost importance, so let’s take a look at a handful of Cardinals prospects you should become familiar with.

Seven Cardinals Prospects to Know

JJ Wetherholt

Affiliate: Triple-A Memphis Redbirds

The Cardinals drafted Wetherholt as a shortstop in 2024 with the seventh overall pick, their highest pick since they had the fifth overall selection in 1998 when they took J.D. Drew (who would later be a part of the Adam Wainwright trade in 2003). Wetherholt was recently promoted to Triple-A. 

The 22-year-old played college ball in West Virginia. He has played very well in his first year at Double-A. Through 62 games, the sweet-swinging lefty is slashing .300/.425/.466 for a .892 OPS. He has also walked more times than he has struck out (44 to 40) and has 14 stolen bases in 16 attempts.

Masyn Winn is blocking the shortstop position in St. Louis for the foreseeable future and Brendan Donovan has second base locked down, so Wetherholt is seemingly stuck in Triple-A. However, he has soared through the farm system and could get the call for a cup of coffee in the big leagues this September. If the Cards move Nolan Gorman at the deadline, then Wetherholt could have a spot for the final stretch of the season. 

Quinn Mathews

Affiliate: Triple-A Memphis Redbirds

Mathews is the 52nd overall prospect on Just Baseball’s top 100 list. The Cardinals took him in the fourth round (122nd overall) in the 2023 draft. The southpaw pitched at Stanford and is most well known for his 156-pitch game against Texas in the Super Regionals. 

Mathews has had a rough year in Memphis. In 40.2 innings, he has a 4.65 ERA and 43 strikeouts to 39 walks. Having those walk numbers so close to the strikeout ones is more than a little bit concerning. Mathews has added velocity since his college days, though, as his four-seamer now sits around 93-96. His still-developing arsenal also features a changeup, slider and curveball. 

Mathews’ projected time of arrival in MLB is 2025, but realistically, the 24-year-old is at least a year away. Even though the Cardinals need help in the rotation, history shows they are unwilling to call up their top pitching prospects. Just ask Michael McGreevy, who has been up and down between St. Louis and Memphis all year. 

Michael McGreevy

Affiliate: Triple-A Memphis Redbirds

Speaking of McGreevy! The right-hander is more than likely going to be the next arm to join the Cardinals’ rotation. The Cards have used him sparingly, including as the 27th man for doubleheaders, all year and should join the Cardinals full-time at some point this season (although most fans want him up full-time now).

In Just Baseball’s most recent Cardinals prospect ranking list, the 25-year-old righty is ninth overall prospect in the system. Since he was first selected by St. Louis 18th overall in 2021, McGreevy’s arsenal has diversified during his professional career. At present, he features a sinker, four-seam fastball, slider (his best pitch), cutter, changeup, and curveball.

McGreevy has a 3.72 ERA and a 3.33 FIP through 75 innings in Memphis. He has made four appearances (three starts) this season with St. Louis. In those games, he has pitched 21.1 innings to the tune of a 4.22 ERA and a 3.36 FIP. 

His ERA is worse than it looks. He allowed nine runs combined on 15 hits to the Cubs and Dodgers, but only gave up one run on four hits to the Mets (this was not a start but he threw 5.2 innings) and White Sox. 

McGreevy is ready for big league action now. The Cardinals should call him up for good soon. 

Chase Davis

Affiliate: Double-A Springfield Cardinals

The Cardinals selected Davis 21st overall in the 2023 draft. He had a .742 SLG and a 1.231 OPS in his final two seasons with the University of Arizona.

His 2025 season has been underwhelming so far. In 73 games, he is slashing .211/.334/.333 for a .668 OPS. He spent most of last year in Low-A, where his OPS was .737. This was enough to get him promoted to High-A, where his OPS climbed to .839 in 30 games. The Cardinals rewarded him with another promotion, this time to Double-A. In just eight games, Davis slugged .429, and his OPS was .751. 

Davis has a lot of power and talent. Unfortunately, it just has not clicked yet. He could be a cornerstone in the outfield in St. Louis in a few years. 

Tink Hence

Affiliate: Double-A Springfield Cardinals 

St. Louis drafted Hence 63rd overall in the 2020 draft as a starter, but injury concerns may push him to the bullpen somewhere down the line. 

Hence is a 6-foot-1 right-hander who’s got a fastball that topped out at 98 in the Texas League, but his circle change is his most dominant pitch. This offering typically sits in the low-to-mid 80s. He also features a gyro slider and an upper-70s curve. 

He has never reached the 100-inning mark in a season. At just 22 years old, the Cardinals will not relegate him to the ‘pen yet, but it has to be an option. Durability concerns are only going to get more prominent as the years go by without 100 or more innings from Hence. 

The Memphis Redbirds placed Hence on the 60-day injured list on March 28. After four rehab assignments at various levels, he was assigned to Double-A Springfield. Injuries have limited him to just 21.1 innings this season. In 10.2 innings with Springfield, he has a 4.22 ERA. 

Hence, probably will not see MLB action for another year or two. St. Louis will have to wrap him in bubble wrap to avoid having another Alex Reyes situation on their hands.

Leonardo Bernal

Affiliate: Double-A Springfield Cardinals 

Bernal is No. 10 overall in the Cardinals system per Just Baseball’s ranking. He is a switch-hitting catcher who is not quick on his feet, but is good at blocking, framing and throwing runners out. 

In 64 games in Double-A this season, Bernal is slashing .278/.349/.469 with an .818 OPS. He has 13 doubles, 11 homers and 47 RBI. 

Jimmy Crooks, who we’ll touch on more in a little bit, is blocking Bernal from moving up, but the Cardinals have a lot of catching depth already (three notable catching prospects plus three on the big-league roster), so they could move one of them at the deadline. 

Bernal, whom the Cardinals signed as an international free agent back in 2021, is still just 21 years of age. He has hit pretty well at every stop in his minor league career, and even though St. Louis has lots of options behind the plate, Bernal could be a future starter.

Gordon Graceffo

Affiliate: Triple-A Memphis Redbirds

Graceffo didn’t quite make Just Baseball’s top 15 Cardinals prospects list, but he is nearly ready for a full-time spot in St. Louis.

A fifth-round pick by the Cardinals in the 2021 draft, Graceffo has received 14 big-league appearances dating back to last year, and he currently occupies a spot on the club’s 26-man roster. Originally drafted as a starter, he had transitioned to the ‘pen with Memphis this year and has made all 12 of his big-league outings as a reliever.

He could still find himself in the Cardinals’ rotation if a need arises, but the bullpen is not a bad option for him.

Graceffo features a low-to-mid 90s heater, slider, curveball and changeup. His walk rate has gone down in Triple-A, which is always encouraging to see from a prospect who’s nearing a consistent role at the MLB level. The Cardinals could use a back-end starter like Graceffo down the stretch, especially with Miles Mikolas and Erick Fedde essentially not producing recently.