Central STL News

The St. Louis Cardinals are closely monitoring the progress of several top prospects as they look ahead to the 2026 season. Among them is JJ Wetherholt, who was promoted from Double-A Springfield to Triple-A Memphis during the 2025 season. Despite speculation about a late-season call-up, new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom indicated that Wetherholt could make his Major League debut in spring.

“He’s impressive and he’s got a chance to be really good,” Bloom said regarding Wetherholt, who played multiple infield positions at both Springfield and Memphis. “We’re looking forward to seeing what he does in [Spring Training] camp, because he’s in a position where he can come in and make a really strong impression and start his big league career sooner rather than later. We’ll see how that shakes out, but he’s a really impressive player and he’s a really impressive, poised player.”

Wetherholt was selected seventh overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. He hit .300 over 62 games with Springfield before improving his numbers with Memphis, posting a .314 batting average along with notable power and speed statistics.

Other prospects have also gained attention within the organization. Rainiel Rodriguez, an 18-year-old catcher signed from the Dominican Republic for $300,000, has quickly risen through the ranks after showing advanced hitting skills across three minor league levels in 2025. His performance earned him recognition on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list.

Joshua Baez, drafted in the second round in 2021, had struggled previously but delivered a strong performance this year at Springfield with improved offensive output and base-stealing ability. Baez contributed significantly during Springfield's Texas League championship series.

Left-handed pitcher Ixan Henderson has provided depth for the Cardinals’ rotation after two solid professional seasons. In 2025 with Springfield, Henderson recorded nine wins and maintained an ERA under three while striking out more than one batter per inning.

Looking toward potential breakout players for next season, Brycen Mautz rebounded from early struggles to post improved results as a starter at Springfield. Catcher Leonardo Bernal may also compete for playing time if roster changes occur; Bernal showed defensive skill throwing out baserunners but also committed errors behind the plate.

A key question facing the Cardinals is whether left-hander Quinn Mathews can regain control after losing command during the past season. Mathews had been named Minor League Baseball’s Pitcher of the Year in 2024 but experienced difficulties with walks and consistency in 2025.

“For where expectations were going into the year, it was obviously a bumpy year,” Bloom said about Mathews' recent challenges. “But I don’t feel any differently about his upside than I did last year. I still think the future for Quinn is really bright.”