photo: Springfield Cardinals 2025 Texas League Champions (Springfield Cardinals)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Double-A affiliate won both halves of the season with a record number of wins, then took the Texas League Championship. Among the many standouts were league MVP JJ Wetherholt and Pitcher of the Year Ixan Henderson.
The Double-A Springfield Cardinals had a season to remember, achieving historic milestones and winning the Texas League Championship. In both halves of the season, the Birds took first place in the North Division and improved despite frequent personnel changes. The Cardinals finished the season with a record of 88-50 (best in team history).
Early Season Struggles
Through the early part of the season, the Cardinals played as if they were going to be a .500 ball club. On May 16th, Springfield lost to the Amarillo Sod Poodles as they fell to a record of 17-20 behind a struggling offense with a team batting average of .229.
Springfield had to face the possibility of a losing season if they couldn’t turn things around.
Season Turning Point
After that early season adversity, Springfield really got things going at the plate and on the mound.
From that mid-May point, the Cardinals caught fire, going 26-6 to finish the first half of the season at a record of 43-26 (62%-win rate). They were six games ahead of second-place Wichita.
Springfield’s second half of the season was even better, with a 65%-win rate (45-24), five games better than Tulsa. Their full season run differential was a whopping +143.
Although the Cardinals had some struggles at the plate, from mid-May on, the offense added 20 points of batting average, finishing at .249. Springfield finished third in the league in runs scored.
Springfield’s pitching was outstanding throughout the season, with an ERA of 3.55 that led the Texas League.
The starters were also tops in the league at 3.42. Springfield’s bullpen was another key component in the team’s success as they had significant contributions from multiple different arms. Often a weak spot in prior years, the 2025 relief corps was third in the league with a 3.75 ERA and first in opponent batting average at .218.
2025 Texas League Champs
In the playoffs, Springfield did nothing but handle business. In the Division Series, Springfield swept the Tulsa Drillers and moved on to the Championship, eventually beating the South Division champion Midland RockHounds in three games.
In their 20-season history, the Cardinals now have two Texas League Championships under their belt, following the first in 2012.
As a team, the Cardinals batted an impressive .298 in the post-season and pitched to a team ERA of 1.88 which were major factors in their Championship run.
Team Season Stats (10-team Texas League)
Hitting
- 4th in BA (.249)
- 3rd in OBP (.338)
- 4th in SLG (.376)
- 4th in OPS (.714)
- 3rd in SB (181)
- 5th in BB (541)
- 3rd in runs scored (678)
Springfield’s offense had several up and down periods during the regular season, but a few bats led the way during the 2025 season.
A constant throughout, prospect catcher Leonardo Bernal hit 13 home runs and drove in a team-leading 70 RBI.
Joshua Baez, who was called up from Peoria at the end of May, was a difference maker. The outfielder finished his partial Double-A season with a team-high 16 homers, 55 RBIs and stole 34 bases.
Ramon Mendoza was also a huge part of the Cardinal offense as the infielder hit 14 home runs and drove in 62.
Pitching
- 1st in ERA (3.55)
- 1st in SO (1324)
- 1st in WHIP (1.28)
- 1st in AVG (.227)
- 6th in BB (522)
Springfield’s pitching staff was incredible in the 2025 season. At first, Tekoah Roby and Max Rajcic led the way before being promoted to Memphis. Then Ixan Henderson and Brycen Mautz finished strong on the mound, capping off a highly successful rotation for Springfield.
In-season Awards
Many individual Texas League honors were earned by Cardinals on a regular basis throughout the season.
Rajcic and Mautz were league Pitchers of the Week in April.
In May, Bernal was the league Player of the Week before teammate Nathan Church was selected as the Texas League May Player of the Month. Shortly after, the outfielder was promoted to Memphis and finished the season with St. Louis.
During the same week in mid-July, Baez and right-hander Tink Hence swept Player and Pitcher of the Week honors. For all of July, Mautz snagged league Pitcher of the Month honors.
In August, Mautz and Henderson were back-to-back TL Pitcher of the Week honorees.
Finally, in September, Mendoza earned Player of the Week honors.
The Cardinals organization also recognized a number of Springfield players during 2025.
Henderson was the system’s Pitcher of the Month for April.
Just before his promotion to Memphis, Tekoah Roby was the organization’s May Pitcher of the Month.
Hancel Rincon made it three in a row for Springfield as the right-hander received the June Pitcher of the Month award for his first few weeks at Double-A. Unfortunately for him, Rincon missed August and September due to injury.
In August, the Cardinals swept the organizational awards, with Baez receiving Player of the Month and reliever Luis Gastelum the system-wide Pitcher of the Month.
Post-season Awards
After the season, five Cardinals were selected as being among the best in the Texas League.
Shortstop JJ Wetherholt was promoted to Memphis in early July but was so impressive during his three months with Springfield that he became the fourth straight Cardinal to be named the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Lefty Ixan Henderson is the second consecutive Springfield hurler to win the league’s Pitcher of the Year award.
Wetherholt and Henderson are joined as Postseason All-Stars by outfielder Joshua Baez and LHP Brycen Mautz.
Springfield’s first-year manager Patrick Anderson is the Texas League Manager of the Year. 2025 is the second straight season a Cardinals’ skipper took the honors.
What’s Next
The Cardinal Nation’s 2025 season recap series will continue through the month of October as the Double-A Springfield Cardinals Reliever, Starter and Player of the Year will follow the team recaps.
The full schedule for The Cardinal Nation’s annual article series highlighting team results and top hitters and pitchers across the St. Louis Cardinals system can be found in the following article. After our free Team Recaps across affiliates, we will recognize individual player leaders through the current month and into November.
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