Chaim Bloom was hired after the 2024 season to replace John Mozeliak, beginning a year‑long transition that effectively handed him the keys to the organization. Once Bloom’s influence took hold, the Cardinals started to look like a very different operation. Many players took significant steps forward, with Josh Baez, JJ Wetherholt and Quinn Mathews making the loudest noise at the Major League level — but everyone should be getting excited about Raniel Rodriguez. What he accomplished as a teenage catcher in 2026 was flat‑out impressive. He hit, hit for power, and looks nearly ready to contribute in St. Louis.
Not only have the Cardinals drafted and developed well over the past two years, they also made excellent deadline deals, landing Jurrangelo Cijntje and Taj Peete from the Mariners, and Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale from the Brewers — four athletic players with a real chance to help the team.
It’s a great system, and I’m excited for you to dig in.
Prospect Snapshot
- Top Prospect: Rainiel Rodriguez
- Biggest Mover: Jesus Baez
- Biggest Disappointment: Liam Doyle and Tink Hence
- Emerging Prospect: Sebastian Dos Santos
1. Rainiel Rodriguez (C/1B)
- Highest Level: Double-A ETA: 2027 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 10 Catcher/1B
- Last Updated: 10/23/2026
- Tools Summary: Explosive slugger with star‑level upside and true middle‑order potential.
Rainiel Rodriguez’s nickname is “The Hulk,” and if you’ve ever seen him in a T‑shirt, you know why. He produces some of the best hard‑hit rates we’ve seen from a teenager since Samuel Basallo was moving through the Orioles system — elite bat speed paired with real, functional strength.
He opened 2026 in High‑A and made quick work of the level, slashing .311/.430/.519 in 28 games. The jump to Double‑A was initially difficult, but after about a month he began picking up spin better and elevating when needed. He was a bit more aggressive at the plate, but considering he played the entire season as a 19‑year‑old, it’s understandable. Overall, it was a remarkable season. In 115 games, he posted a .324/.413/.574 slash line with 27 home runs.
Fantasy managers should view Rodriguez as a 25‑plus home run bat with the potential to hit for average and post a high OBP. He doesn’t have Basallo’s size, but the offensive output could be similar. I’m not convinced he stays behind the plate; the bat is so advanced that the Cardinals may eventually push him to first base to accelerate his path.
2. Joshua Baez (OF)
- Highest Level: Majors ETA: 2025 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 50 OF
- Last Updated: 10/23/2026
- Tools Summary: Huge power upside, but approach questions add some fantasy volatility.
Josh Baez made history when he hit three home runs in his Major League debut on August 15 against lefty Matthew Boyd. Baez destroys lefties — particularly soft‑tossers — and the Cubs and Boyd found out. After that historic day, he settled in and posted a .230/.278/.510 slash line with seven home runs. Most importantly, by the Cardinals capping his at-bats at 100, he retained rookie eligibility for 2027.
He spent most of the season in Triple‑A, hitting home runs with an average exit velocity of 92 mph and a 20‑degree launch angle. It’s a swing built to hit long home runs. The approach is extremely aggressive with a ton of chase, and that’s likely to mute his batting average and make it difficult for him to post an acceptable OBP. Even in his breakout Triple‑A season, he managed only a .328 OBP.
There are platoon splits, but it’s more that he crushes left‑handed pitching. He did post a .517 SLG in Triple‑A against RHP, but he clearly doesn’t pick up the ball as well.
Even with all the hair on Baez’s profile, the ceiling remains that of a potential impact player. Early in his career, he could offer power‑speed production before eventually settling into a 30‑plus‑home‑run corner‑outfield profile. There will likely always be swing‑and‑miss in his game, making batting‑average projections tricky. Expect wide year‑to‑year variance — something in the .240 range on the low end, with BABIP‑driven seasons pushing him closer to .270. His OBP could become problematic, as teams generally aren’t eager to pay for 30 home runs paired with a .300 OBP. Those players are readily available in the minor leagues.
3. Jurrangelo Cijntje (BHP)
- Highest Level: Triple-A ETA: 2027 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 40 SP with upside
- Last Updated: 10/23/2026
- Tools Summary: Right‑handed arsenal shows mid‑rotation upside with strikeout potential and growth ahead.
The experiment of Jurrangelo Cijntje pitching with both hands has mostly ended, as he now throws roughly 90% of his pitches right‑handed. It’s clearly his better side: the fastball sits 96 mph (touching 98) with high spin and 16 inches of induced vertical break. Both his slider and changeup look plus, with the slider grading out as a true 70. I’m not exactly sure when or why he switches to left‑handed pitching, but it’s reasonable to assume it happens when the data shows a hitter has meaningful splits against right‑handed pitching.
Cijntje has become famous because of his ambidexterity, but as a right‑handed pitcher alone, he already profiles as at least a No. 3 starter. With better control, he could be much more. He doesn’t always throw strikes, but he’s a gifted athlete, and my base case is that he eventually gets to at least average command.
Fantasy managers should expect Cijntje to reach St. Louis at some point in 2027. It might take 50 starts before we see the fully polished version, but the upside is a high‑strikeout arm with a mid‑to‑high‑3s ERA.
4. Alexander Frias (OF)
- Highest Level: Low-A ETA: 2029 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 50 OF with upside
- Last Updated: 10/23/2026
- Tools Summary: Explosive 18‑year‑old with 20‑20 upside and solid contact skills.
Alexander Frias was originally signed by the Brewers in 2025 before being included in the trade for Dustin May at the 2026 deadline. He was one of the breakout players in the minor leagues, showing speed, power, and a feel to hit.
He’s athletic, owns plus bat speed, and is already beginning to grow into in‑game power. As he fills out, 20 home runs — if not more — should be attainable. He’s also a present 60 runner and should maintain that speed early in his career, giving him a legitimate chance at a 20–20 future if everything clicks.
He’s showing a real knack for making contact, and even as a teenager in Low‑A, he’s producing excellent swing decisions (20% strikeout rate). As his approach continues to sharpen, there’s a reasonable chance he hits enough to fully access his power.
Add it all up, and Frias has the upside of a potential 20–20 player who can hit. He’s still only 18, so the volatility is high — but now is the time to grab him if he’s still sitting on your waiver wire.
5. Liam Doyle (LHP)
- Highest Level: Double-A ETA: 2027 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 30 SP or Closer
- Last Updated: 10/23/2026
- Tools Summary: Electric lefty with big stuff, shaky command, and buy‑low upside.
Liam Doyle checked every “Stuff Guy” box in his draft year at Tennessee: an upper‑90s fastball with big spin, a splitter that simply vanishes, and the athleticism you dream on in a lefty. The mound theatrics were noticeable, but easy to chalk up to youth. What didn’t show up as clearly until pro ball was just how inconsistent his pitch location really was — and even elite stuff gets hit when it’s not going where it’s supposed to.
To be fair, Doyle has been uneven to start his pro career. When everything syncs up, he can carve through a lineup with ease. But the delivery has effort, he doesn’t repeat it well, and the misses can be dramatic. It’s not just spotty control; too many fastballs are leaking back over the heart of the plate. Even at 97–98 mph, right‑handed hitters are getting clean looks, and the results reflect it.
Fantasy managers are understandably uneasy. Still, you don’t walk away from a lefty with this level of stuff and athleticism. You just don’t. The raw ingredients are good enough for a top‑of‑the‑rotation ceiling, even if the command ultimately pushes him toward a high‑leverage bullpen role. If he were on my roster, I’d avoid staring at the stat line and let the development play out. And if he’s on someone else’s roster, I’d quietly check in and see if there’s a buy‑low window.
6. Tanner Franklin (RHP)
- Highest Level: Double-A ETA: 2028 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 30 SP or Closer
- Last Updated: 10/23/2026
- Tools Summary: Top‑rotation stuff with closer upside if control stalls.
Tanner Franklin was the 74th overall pick in the 2025 Draft after a three‑year college career as a reliever — first at Kennesaw State and then at Tennessee. Most assumed he would slide into the Cardinals’ bullpen, but they moved him into the rotation, and it’s worked.
He’s showing an impressive three‑pitch mix led by a fastball that sits 96–97 mph (touching 99), a nasty slider, and a changeup that has improved significantly since college. Across 25 High‑A and Double‑A starts in 2026, he struck out more than 11 per nine, and after battling control issues in the first half, he began throwing more strikes and posted a respectable 3.9 BB/9. With his athleticism, there’s reason to believe he can continue refining his control and reach at least average command. If not, the Cardinals can always shift him back to the bullpen.
There’s a lot here for fantasy managers. If Franklin can improve his control — and it will need to be meaningful — the stuff is good enough to pitch at the top of a rotation. If not, he has lockdown‑closer upside. It’s a genuine win‑win profile. He should open 2027 back in Double‑A.
7. Yairo Padilla (SS)
- Highest Level: High-A ETA: 2028-29 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 15 SS
- Last Updated: 10/23/2026
- Tools Summary: Explosive 70‑speed athlete with growing strength and emerging impact potential.
Yairo Padilla was one of the buzziest names entering the 2025 season. He was athletic, showed excellent bat‑to‑ball skill, and carried the kind of speed‑and‑emerging‑power profile that hinted at future impact. That all played out across 38 games in 2025, where he posted a .283/.396/.367 line with 24 stolen bases and an excellent strikeout‑to‑walk ratio. Unfortunately, a shoulder strain ended his season early, and lingering effects delayed his 2026 debut until July. Once healthy, he looked like the same player — only stronger, with noticeably more pop.
There’s a lot to like here, and as he continues to add strength and lift the ball more consistently, the home‑run totals should climb. He just turned 19 in June and was one of the youngest players in Low‑A before getting a brief look in High‑A to end the season. He’s not a finished product, but he’s well on his way to becoming an impact performer.
From a Dynasty perspective, the setup is outstanding. Padilla is a 70‑grade runner with excellent bat‑to‑ball skills and a frame (6‑foot, 180 pounds) that should support meaningful strength gains. The ingredients for fantasy impact are all present, and I’d be fully in.
8. Trevor Condon (OF, #13)
- Highest Level: Low-A ETA: 2029-30 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 50 OF
- Last Updated: 10/23/2026
- Tools Summary: Speed‑driven outfielder with strong contact skills and emerging power potential.
Trevor Condon was the Cardinals’ first-round pick in the 2026 draft (No. 13 Overall) and made quite a statement in his interview on the MLB Network after his selection – he was amped and ready to go. The Cardinals got him into a few games in the Florida State League before the season ended, where he went 9 for 28 with a home run and two stolen bases.
His carrying tools are his 70‑grade speed and strong bat‑to‑ball skills, giving him a clear path to becoming a high‑OBP player. At 5‑foot‑10, he doesn’t have the frame that suggests big future power, but he’s stronger than he looks and already posts top exit velocities in the 101–102 mph range. As he fills out and adds some leverage to his swing, 8–10 home runs feels attainable.
Condon’s speed and approach give him a high floor as at least a solid fourth outfielder at the highest level. If he can add even modest power, he has a chance to be much more than that.
9. Won-Bin Cho (OF)
- Highest Level: Double-A ETA: 2027 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 40 OF
- Last Updated: 10/23/2026
- Tools Summary: Swing changes unlocked power; trending toward 20‑20 upside with real momentum.
The Cardinals signed South Korean outfielder Won‑Bin Cho in 2022 for an impressive $500,000 bonus. He has always been toolsy, with plus speed and excellent exit velocities, but he struggled to access that raw power because he hit everything on the ground — and when he did elevate, he simply hit the ball “where it was pitched.” That’s what everyone was taught in Little League, and Derek Jeter famously made a career out of his inside‑out swing. But in the modern game, analytics show that hitters with real bat speed and EV need to turn on the ball and pull it to unlock power.
That’s exactly what the Cardinals asked Cho to do, and the results speak loudly: he nearly tripled his home‑run output from 2025 (20 vs. 7). Nothing comes free, of course — pulling the ball more often usually leads to more strikeouts. We haven’t seen that spike yet, but as he climbs the ladder and faces better pitching, he’ll need to find the right balance between pulling hittable pitches and going the over way with a 97 mph heater on the outer third. Development is always about calibration.
For fantasy managers, Cho should be on the radar in most formats. He projects to reach St. Louis in 2027 with a chance to deliver a 20‑20 season, a .260 average, and a .330–.340 OBP. There’s still work to do — he still hits too many balls on the ground, and we need to see the swing changes hold over a longer stretch — but his upward momentum is real and notable.
10. Quinn Mathews (RHP)
- Highest Level: Majors ETA: 2026 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 45 SP with control risk
- Last Updated: 10/23/2026
- Tools Summary: Improved control restores mid‑rotation upside to his already strong arsenal.
After Quinn Mathews’ breakout 2024 season, his control regressed in 2025 and hadn’t rebounded early in 2026. He continued to walk around five per nine, and the issues traced back to when he began compensating for back pain in 2025 and altered his delivery. But as the season progressed, he showed meaningful improvement, and even got six starts in St. Louis at the end of the season, posting a 3.83 ERA (3.84 xERA) in 49.1 innings of work.
The encouraging part is that the stuff has never wavered. His fastball averages 94.5 mph (touching 96.5) with high spin, his changeup remains a 70‑grade weapon with big whiff rates, and even his slider has taken a step forward.
I’ve gone back and forth on Mathews. The control has been a real concern, but he’s shown legitimate progress. Over his last 10 starts, he’s walking just 3.5 per nine — totally acceptable — and given his arsenal, that makes his mid‑rotation ceiling far more realistic than it looked in June.
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