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Top 20 St. Louis Cardinals Prospects for Dynasty Leagues

Fantasy BaseballDynasty Fantasy BaseballMLB Prospects
Trevor Hooth
Author: Trevor Hooth
10 min.read
J.J. Wetherholt St. Louis Cardinals Prospects

The St. Louis Cardinals have a history winning, but it’s been a tough couple years for them. That continued in 2024, as they secured the fifth overall pick in the 2025 draft. There is some talent on the roster that they hope will perform better than in years past. They didn’t add any significant pieces this offseason, showing the front office believes in the players they have.

Their farm system got a really nice injection of talent with seventh overall pick JJ Wetherholt, but overall it’s a system dominated by pitchers. There are a few interesting hitters, but the Cardinals may see a big influx of homegrown arms over the next few years. There are some breakout candidates, but for the most part it seems like St. Louis has a lot of prospects that have a higher floor than ceiling.

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Top 20 St. Louis Cardinals Prospects for Dynasty Leagues

1. SS JJ Wetherholt, Age: 22

At one point JJ Wetherholt was talked about as the potential top pick in the 2024 Draft, but an injury made him available to the Cardinals at seventh overall. He responded by slashing .295/.405/.400 with a pair of home runs in his 126 plate appearances after signing. Wetherholt can hit and hit with some power down the line. His offensive potential makes him a very intriguing fantasy prospect, even if he doesn’t remain at shortstop long-term. It’s likely he’s a top FYPD pick, and he is a borderline top-20 fantasy prospect entering the season.

2. RHP Tink Hence, Age: 22

Armed with one of the best names in baseball, Tink Hence has proven to be a high-level pitching prospect. The righty is on the 40-man roster, so he should have a chance to debut as early as this year. Hence can get whiffs with his changeup and slider that play off a fastball that can top out in the mid-90s. In Double-A last season he threw 79.2 innings with a 2.71 ERA and a 34.1 percent strikeout rate. If he can stay healthy, he has all the tools to be a high-level pitcher in fantasy formats.

3. LHP Quinn Matthews, Age: 24

It was a very productive season for Quinn Matthews in 2024, who made it all the way to Triple-A after starting the year in Single-A. Between all four levels, he threw 143.1 innings with a 2.76 ERA and a 12.68 K/9. He can top out at 98 MPH with a big changeup and slider combination to generate whiffs. Matthews should start the year in Triple-A but could be up in St. Louis before long where his strike-throwing ability and big stuff will hopefully continue to translate to whiffs.

4. 2B Thomas Saggese, Age: 22

Since being traded to the Cardinals Thomas Saggese has proven he can hit the baseball. In Triple-A last year he hit .253 with 20 home runs and nine stolen bases. He also made his MLB debut, slashing .204/.250/.306. The hope is that his success hitting in the minor leagues will translate, but he’ll have to find a role. If Nolan Arenado had been traded, this might’ve been different. However, Saggese may wind up spending the early part of the year in Triple-A.

5. C Jimmy Crooks, Age: 23

The Cardinals generally have solid catching prospects and Jimmy Crooks is the latest in that line. He spent all of 2024 in Double-A, slashing .321/.410/.498 with 11 home runs. Crooks has the defensive skills to stay at catcher. If he can keep his place discipline numbers up and continue to hit then he will become a very interesting prospect at a premium position. It is worth noting St. Louis has a couple of options already at the big league level in Iván Herrera and Pedro Pagés.

6. OF Chase Davis, Age: 23

After being taken in the first round back in 2023, Chase Davis played at three levels, making it up to Double-A last season for a small 31-plate-appearance sample. Altogether, he slashed .252/.349/.417 with 12 home runs. His power and patience give him some fantasy upside. He has some swing-and-miss concerns, but he still only struck out 23.8 percent of the time last year. Davis will have to find more power next season, but the potential for a power-over-hit outfielder is there.

7. RHP Michael McGreevy, Age: 24

The Cardinals took Michael McGreevy 18th overall in 2021 and he was able to make his debut last season, posting a 1.96 ERA in 23 innings. Entering his age 24 season, McGreevy should be back in the majors at some point. Although that may not be immediate. For fantasy purposes his proximity and opportunity add some value, but he’ll need to show he can miss bats more consistently.

8. SS Yairo Padilla, Age: 17

A favorite among pundits to break out in 2025 is Yairo Padilla. He will be making his stateside debut next season after hitting .287 and stealing 22 bases in the DSL last year. Padilla is a switch hitter with speed and hitting ability. For fantasy baseball managers, his value will take a step forward if he can develop some more power.

There is limited video of Padilla. Here is a clip from Aldo Ramirez on Youtube.

9. RHP Tekoah Roby, Age: 23

Tekoah Roby has some of the best stuff among the Cardinals’ pitching prospects. Besides being able to touch upper-90’s he has a huge curveball and can throw strikes. That leads to solid strikeout rates and low walk rates. The issue lies with his ability to stay on the field. Roby hasn’t surpassed 60 innings since 2022. Because of his health questions, he is a solid buy for fantasy baseball managers looking for high upside at a low cost. Just beware of the risk that will come with it.

10. LHP Cooper Hjerpe, Age: 23

When healthy, Cooper Hjerpe has been able to put up huge strikeout rates throwing from a sidearm slot. Last season between High-A and Double-A he posted a 13.07 K/9 with a 3.27 ERA. He also has a BB/9 near five. There’s little doubt that Hjerpe could be a starter long-term, but, like Roby, he has yet to prove he can sustain enough innings. If he can maintain his strikeout rates consistently, he could be an interesting fantasy reliever in some leagues, should he not stay in the rotation.

11. RHP Darlin Saladin, Age: 22

The Cardinals signed Darlin Saladin for $200,000 during the 2019 International Free Agency period. He spent 2024 in full-season ball, throwing 123 innings with a 2.71 ERA between Single-A and High-A. Saladin has a really good fastball that gets a lot of whiffs, but there is a need for a reliable secondary. The strength of his fastball is what makes him interesting, so long as he can keep getting swing and miss at a high rate.

12. C Leonardo Bernal, Age: 21

At just 20 years old Leonardo Bernal made it to Double-A for a short 14-game stint. He spent most of the season in High-A where he slashed .270/.343/.419 with 10 home runs and seven steals. His age-to-level success makes him very interesting, as he should head back to Double-A as a 21-year-old. Long term he is likely a hit-over-power switch-hitting backstop.

13. RHP Gordon Graceffo, Age: 24

There were varying waves of hype around Gordon Graceffo as he rose through the Cardinals farm system. He debuted in 2024, posting a 4.70 ERA through 7.2 innings. While he potentially has an immediate role in 2025, it is likely out of the bullpen. Graceffo will need to limit home runs and keep his ERA down. However, his limited strikeout ceiling will also limit his fantasy value. His immediate role adds to his potential value for fantasy rosters.

14. C Rainiel Rodriguez, Age: 18

Yet another potential catching option down the road for the Cardinals is Rainiel Rodriguez. He was signed by St. Louis during the 2024 IFA cycle. Rodriguez has a lot of power potential, which he showed by hitting .345 with 10 home runs as a 17-year-old in the DSL. If his hitting continues, he represents a potential power-hitting catcher.

15. RHP Chen-Wei Lin, Age: 23

One of the more interesting prospects that the Cardinals have is Chen-Wei Lin. He’s a 23-year-old who is listed at 6-foot-7. In 2024 he pitched in Single-A where he posted a 2.79 ERA with a 9.54 K/9 through 116 innings. Lin was old for the level, but he can still touch triple digits with his fastball. If he can climb a couple of levels over the course of 2025, his prospect status may take a fairly large step forward.

16. RHP Brian Holiday, Age: 21

The Cardinals selected Brian Holiday in the third round of the 2024 draft out of Oklahoma State. He has a solid pitch mix, but his fastball sits in the low-90’s. Holiday will debut professionally in 2025. Generally, a pitcher with his skillset may move quickly through the system, but his ceiling is likely limited to a back-end rotation arm. That translates to a potential streaming option down the road.

17. RHP Sem Robberse, Age: 23

As the rotation arms in St. Louis continue to get older, they might need to continue to look inward for replacements. Sem Robberse might be a pitcher who gets a chance at some point in 2025. He’s already on the 40-man roster and spent all of last season in Triple-A. He’s likely to return there after posting a 4.59 ERA through 84.1 innings with an 8.11 K/9. If he does get called up this year, he might be a solid streaming option.

18. OF Royelny Strop, Age: 16

The only IFA signing from the Cardinals to get six figures during the 2025 IFA period was Royelny Stop, son of former big league pitcher Pedro Strop. The younger Strop is credited as an offense-first outfielder who can hit well and should develop into some power. He should debut in the DSL in 2025.

19. 2B César Prieto, Age: 25

The Orioles traded César Prieto to St. Louis in 2023 as part of the Jack Flaherty trade. Prieto spent all of 2024 in Triple-A where he slashed .279/.318/.445 with 14 home runs. At this point, he represents infield depth for the Cardinals, but for him to debut they will still have to add him to the 40-man roster. He will return to Triple-A to start 2025 in hopes of making that final jump.

20. OF Nathan Church, Age: 24

Nathan Church was the Cardinals 11th round pick in 2022 out of the University of California Irvine. He hit .268 in 2024 with nine home runs and 24 stolen bases in Double-A. For fantasy managers, Church could be a speed threat that helps with stolen bases. His aggressive approach keeps strikeouts down, but it puts emphasis on his ability to hit enough for his legs to have a chance.

For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.

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Trevor Hooth
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