Central STL News

Picking in the top 10 of the MLB Draft for two consecutive years, the St. Louis Cardinals have added two notable prospects to their Minor League system. Infielder JJ Wetherholt and left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle, both selected with high draft picks in 2024 and 2025 respectively, now lead the organization's prospect rankings.

Wetherholt was chosen seventh overall in 2024 after a strong collegiate career at West Virginia, where he won the NCAA batting title in 2023. Since his promotion from Double-A Springfield to Triple-A Memphis on July 7, Wetherholt has posted a .295 batting average with six home runs and 13 RBIs over 21 games. He has also demonstrated plate discipline, walking nearly as often as he has struck out.

Doyle, drafted fifth overall this past July and previously leading the Southeastern Conference in strikeouts-per-nine innings during the 2025 season, is currently training at the Cardinals’ Spring Training facility in Jupiter, Florida. According to a team source, he will soon join a Minor League club and is expected to pitch before the end of this season.

MLB Pipeline ranks Wetherholt and Doyle as the top two prospects within the Cardinals organization.

The updated Top 30 prospect list by MLB Pipeline includes several new additions from both recent drafts and trades: Ryan Mitchell (No. 10), Nate Dohm (No. 17 via trade with Mets), Blaze Jordan (No. 18 via trade with Red Sox), Tanner Franklin (No. 19), Jack Gurevitch (No. 20), and Mason Molina (No. 27 via trade with Rangers).

Joshua Baez made one of the biggest jumps on this list after improving his performance across High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield in his fifth professional season. Baez hit .281 with thirteen home runs while stealing forty-four bases over ninety-two games—twenty-four of those steals came at Double-A Springfield.

Conversely, Chase Davis experienced a significant drop after being selected twenty-first overall in the 2023 draft; his offensive production declined while playing at three different levels during this season.

Player tools were also evaluated using scouting grades: Wetherholt received a top hitting grade of sixty-five; Nathan Church led running ability at seventy; Liam Doyle’s fastball was graded seventy-five; Andre Granillo’s slider earned a seventy; Luis Gastelum’s changeup scored seventy; Nate Dohm received fifty-five for control.

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