2026 Florida Complex League Cardinals Relief Pitcher of the YearBefore his promotion to Palm Beach and season-ending injury, then 20-year-old right-hander Xavier Cruz, a native of the Dominican Republic, earned The Cardinal Nation’s selection as the top relief pitcher on the 2026 Florida Complex League Cardinals.
2026 Dominican Summer League Cardinals Relief Pitcher of the Year19-year-old right-hander Beiker Rodriguez, a native of Venezuela, is The Cardinal Nation’s selection as the top relief pitcher on the 2026 Dominican Summer League Cardinals.
The St. Louis Cardinals’ full system view by position and level is updated to reflect rosters and transactions for the 2026-2027 off-season.
This newest Roster Matrix covers the St. Louis Cardinals and the entire minor league system, including the MLB club and their four full-season affiliates plus two rookie level teams – during the 2026-2027 off-season.
As a reminder, the previous matrix outlined all organizational transactions during the 2026 regular season. That is especially important to see the players who ended 2026 on the various injured lists.
A refresher
If you are new to The Cardinal Nation and not familiar with the Cardinals organization roster matrix, here is a quick summary:
As the 2026 regular season ended, the St. Louis Cardinals had 238 players under contract from top to bottom, including 39 on the 40-man roster. The 40-man will be full when Max Rajcic is required to be removed from the 60-day injured list. 40-man members are called out in bold.
The matrix places each of the 238 at his assigned level in the system as well as by position.
The matrix is updated whenever transactions occur.
Nowhere else will you find this current and comprehensive single-page view of the entire Cardinals organization plus a decade of history.
(Do not be concerned about the order of the players’ names within position. It has no relative significance.)
Looking ahead and back
Now that you’ve found this page once, remember one of three ways to get back here. Bookmark the page, type “Roster Matrix” in the dark blue search box at the upper right (click on the magnifying glass icon) or use the menu at the left of the page: “ROSTERS/PLAYERS/MOVES” > “TRANSACTIONS/ROSTER MATRIX”.
While you are using that menu, note TCN’s full rosters and player pages for every level and every player in the Cardinals system. These rosters remain in sync with the Roster Matrix and carry biographical information on all players.
St. Louis Cardinals
Memphis Redbirds
Ozarks Springbirds
Peoria Chiefs
Palm Beach Cardinals
Florida Complex League Cardinals
Dominican Summer League Cardinals
For details behind prior years’ rosters and transactions (back to 2009), check out the earlier versions of the Cardinals organization Roster Matrix, via the following link.
Transactions
10/8: New organization total: 238 players. 39 on the 40-man roster.
10/8: DSL restricted list RHP Briam Reyes removed from Roster Matrix. New organization total: 237 players.
The St. Louis Cardinals Organization Roster Matrix (effective 10/8/26)
| St. Louis (32+1) | 40-man (39+1) | ||||||
| SP | RP | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| Liberatore | Bruihl (L) | I Herrera | Burleson | Wetherholt | Winn | Jordan | Walker |
| McGreevy | Soriano | Pages | Fermin | Prieto | Gorman | Church | |
| Pallante | Mautz (L) | Bernal | Torres | Pereira | |||
| Leahy | Gastelum | Saggese | Jo Baez | ||||
| Dobbins | Stanek | Scott | |||||
| Mathews (L) | Winquest | ||||||
| O’Brien | |||||||
| Rajcic (60 IL) | |||||||
| Graceffo | |||||||
| Rincon | |||||||
| Memphis (32) | |||||||
| SP | RP | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| Hansen (L) | Fleming (L) | Yerzy | Madris | Harris | R Mendoza | C Davis | |
| B Thompson | Z Thompson (L) | Crooks | Moore | Levenson | |||
| Fitts | Murphy | Tarlow | Paige | Mendlinger | |||
| Molina (L) | Cornwell (L) | Ledbetter | |||||
| Henderson (L) | Svanson | ||||||
| Roby | Love | ||||||
| Robberse | Hjerpe (L) | ||||||
| Cijntje (L/R) | Hales | ||||||
| Santana (L) | |||||||
| Schultz | |||||||
| Ry Fernandez | |||||||
| Olsen | |||||||
| Ozarks (36) | |||||||
| SP | RP | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| Fajardo | Davila | Campos | Gurevitch | Richardson | Jesus Baez | Ortiz | Cho |
| B Davis (L) | Sparks | Heath | Gazdar | McGee | Peete | ||
| Aita | Watson (L) | Ra Rodriguez | Ragsdale | ||||
| Eagen | Findlay (L) | Honeyman | |||||
| Doyle (L) | Saladin | Pino | |||||
| Franklin | Clemente | Petrutz | |||||
| Hampton | Worley | ||||||
| Curley | Bradt | ||||||
| Burns | |||||||
| Picone | |||||||
| King | |||||||
| Dohm | |||||||
| Lin | |||||||
| Peoria (30) | |||||||
| SP | RP | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| Elissalt | G Salas | S Hernandez | A Encarnacion | Weingartner | Dattalo | J Suarez | |
| Sequera | Pooser | Kross | Padilla | Flores | B Smith | ||
| Crossland (L) | Best | Birge | Bissetta | ||||
| Van Dyke | Ynfante | Y Pena | |||||
| Odle | Galle | Ferraro | |||||
| B Holiday | Menes | Williamson | |||||
| Jack Martinez | Wood | ||||||
| Driessen | |||||||
| B Lopez | |||||||
| Palm Beach (40) | |||||||
| SP | RP | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| Young | Galvez | Lobliner | Haskins | Mi Hernandez | Lebron | Mitchell | |
| K Ramirez | JE Cabrera | JP Cabrera | Dos Santos | Miura | |||
| Zulueta | J Moran | Caraballo | Kennedy | Frias | |||
| Graham | Militello | Henne | Camacho | ||||
| Dutkanych | Y Batista | Condon | |||||
| Franco | Chinchilla | Hunter | |||||
| Knowles | |||||||
| Shelagowski | |||||||
| Echeman | |||||||
| J Garcia | |||||||
| X Cruz | |||||||
| Shinn (L) | |||||||
| Breckheimer | |||||||
| Haley | |||||||
| Alba | |||||||
| Garmon | |||||||
| D Moran | |||||||
| A Reyes | |||||||
| Fordham | |||||||
| FL Complex Lg (36) | |||||||
| P | P | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| G Vargas | R Lopez | Rujano | Guribe | Portolatin | Carrion | D Rojas | Strop |
| Cana (L) | Paulino | C Lopez | J Mejia | Maniscalco | Johnson | Lucena | |
| Hence | A Bolivar | Asprilla | B Taveras | Velasquez | |||
| Clarke (L) | Ja Baez | S Rojas | J Perez | Luna | |||
| Kuhns | Randall | Lemm | Thomas | ||||
| Baynes | Horn | ||||||
| Montesa | Harrison (L) | ||||||
| Schaefer | Watts | ||||||
| Bonn | |||||||
| DSL (30) | |||||||
| P (first year 2024) | P | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| Amoroso | |||||||
| P (first year 2025) | P (first year 2025) | (first year 2025) | (first year 2025) | (first year 2025) | (first year 2025) | (first year 2025) | (first year 2025) |
| Alvarez | B Rodriguez | Chaparro | Cordero | Takahashi | |||
| D Gomez | K Peralta | H Cabrera | |||||
| JC Garcia | Ri Fernandez | ||||||
| R Reyes | D Mejia | ||||||
| P (first year 2026) | P (first year 2026) | (first year 2026) | (first year 2026) | (first year 2026) | (first year 2026) | ||
| Santillan (L) | Figuereo | Mirabal | Castillo | Consecion | Estrella | ||
| Beltran | Moronta | Franganten | |||||
| Jav Martinez | Jimenez (L) | Sanchez | |||||
| De Leon | Garrido (L) | C Vargas | |||||
| Vega | Jhon Cabrera | ||||||
Codes
(Dev List): development list
(DFA): designated for assignment
(TI): temporarily inactive list
(PL): paternity leave
(RL): restricted list
(L): left-handed pitcher
bold: on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster
(#+#): for teams, the number of active players on the roster plus number of inactive/not under contract (IL+TI+PL+RL+Dev List) players
Closeout at 20% off – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book copy today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
Not yet a member?
Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
© 2026 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
photo: Miguel Hernandez (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
At .404 (21-31), the rookie-level Cardinals Florida Complex League club posted their seventh consecutive losing season. On the young roster, the hitters struggled more than the pitchers compared to the league. Infield prospect Miguel Hernandez received FCL All-Star honors.
The Florida Complex League Cardinals concluded 2026 at 21-31 (.404), in fourth place in the five-team East Division and fourth-worst mark in the 15-team rookie league. It is the seventh consecutive season they posted a losing record and seventh consecutive non-playoff outcome. It was a minor backslide from their 2025 results, which included a .436 record and the same fourth-place division finish.
The rookie-level Cards ended the 2026 season 20 1/2 games behind first place Houston, compared to “just” 14 games behind the same division winner in 2025.
This summer’s Cards finished just above .500 on the road (15-14, .517) but far below .500 while at home (9-17 .346). As one might expect, they experienced a more difficult time facing opponents with winning records, with a subpar 10-18 (.357) record.
The FCL Cards were a dismal 0-7 in their extra-inning contests in 2026 and were not much better in one-run games at 4-10 (.400). They especially struggled against right-handed pitching, going just 19-28 (.404) in those starts, and were 2-3 versus lefty starters.
The planned 56-game schedule opened on May 2 and concluded on July 23, with four cancelations. The Cards began the season with five losses in their first eight despite what would be their season-high three-game winning streak in the first week.
Over the first month, they stumbled to a 6-14 mark, including their season long six-game losing skid. July was only slightly better as they went 7-11 including a five-game losing streak. The Cardinals finished relatively better, going 8-6 in July.
On the surface, hitting and pitching appeared to be relatively balanced, as evidenced by their run differential of -1 for the season (276 scored vs. 277 allowed). However, that is misleading. As you will see below, the offense performed comparatively better than the pitching.
Willi Martin was the new manager for 2026, assisted by Gary Kendall (bench), Dernier Orozco (pitching), Erick Almonte and Jordan Hara (hitting) and Luis Cruz (assistant). The roster was made up primarily of recent graduates of the Cardinals Dominican academy.
Offense
The Cards tied Boston for the fourth-youngest offense in the FCL at an average age of 19.0 years. In comparison, the league offenses ranged from 18.7 to 20.4 years old with the average age of 19.4.
Statistically, the performance of the 2026 Cardinals offense was considerably below league average.
The Cardinals were 11th of 15 FCL offenses in runs scored (278). They were a distant 14th in batting average (.227) and on-base percentage (.350). They were 10th in slugging at .373 (third) and 13th in OPS (.829).
The FCL Cards were eighth with 73 doubles and tied for ninth with 35 home runs.
They were laggards on the bases. The Cardinals placed 13th with 93 steals. The league leading Red Sox swiped 238! Cardinal baserunners were caught 25 times for a decent success rate of 78.8%.
Strikeouts were a major plus for Cards hitters as they were punched out 392 times, tied for second fewest in the league. They were quite a bit below average at taking walks, however. Their total of 240 was third fewest in the league.
Pitching
At an average of 20.7 years of age, Cardinals pitching was tied for the seventh youngest staff in the FCL. In other words, it was right in the middle. The league ranged from the low of 20.1 to the high of 23.1 and averaged 21.1.
As a group, the Cardinals’ staff was as average as average could be. Their collective 5.75 ERA, ranked ninth, was right on top of the league average ERA of 5.76.
Cardinals hurlers were 13th in strikeouts (415) but more positively, they tied with another staff for the fifth fewest walks issued (262). Their strikeout to walk ratio of 1.58 is ninth.
One problem was hits against them, starting with big ones. With 47 long balls allowed, Cardinals pitching tied for fifth most balls leaving the park.
Furthering the point, their batting average against of .265 was second highest in the FCL.
The starters were seventh with an ERA of 5.27, but were 10th in WHIP, at 1.57. They tied for the 10th lowest batting average against at .259. Because they don’t often go five innings (averaging under three innings per start), FCL Cardinals starters won just one game all season (against 14 losses).
The bullpen was worse than the rotation. The relievers’ aggregate ERA of 6.04 was 10th in the league. Their WHIP was ninth at 1.78, though they issued the fifth fewest free passes (179). A greater contributor to the traffic on the bases was that the bullpen yielded a batting average against of .268, second highest in the 15-team league.
Defense
The 2026 Cardinals defense was above league average – at least in terms of errors (58, T-third fewest) and with a collective .963 fielding percentage (third highest).
On another positive note, the catchers tied for fourth highest in the FCL with a 22% caught stealing rate (29 of 134).
Large but relative static roster
With a roster that was usually approaching its 35-player maximum, Martin had to be challenged by getting everyone regular action. At least, the roster was quite static. Just 14 different position players took the field for the 2026 FCL Cardinals, plus 11 rehabbers from higher levels, who took anywhere from four to 18 plate appearances each.
The pitching side was far busier with 33 individuals logging mound time in 2026. Fourteen of the 33 threw 5 1/3 or fewer innings as rehabbers from above, leaving 19 as regulars with the FCL Cards.
Transactions
Only two players appeared on the 60-day injured list and both were activated during the season. First on July 10 was Jefferson Moran, followed by Alan Reyes coming off the IL eight days later. Reiner Lopez spent 2026 on the full-season injured list.
No players were placed on the regular seven-day IL all season long, a common situation in the FCL.
The day after the season concluded, on July 24, right-handed pitcher Alejandro Loaiza, lefty Yordy Herrera and outfielder Andru Arthur were released.
There were two in-season promotions of DSL players upward to the Florida Complex League. On July 8, left-handed starting pitcher Hendrick Caña and infielder Yeferson Portolatin shifted to Jupiter. Caña then pitched in three FCL games and concluded with a long relief outing with Palm Beach. Portolatin impressed in his 10 FCL contests, with a .992 OPS.
As the schedule concluded, infielder/outfielder Jesus Perez and catcher Sebastian Rojas were also promoted to the FCL in preparation for 2027. A month later, 2026 top international signing Emanuel Luna and shortstop Carlos Carrion followed them.
By my rough count, at least 16 FCL Cardinals players were promoted to Low-A Palm Beach during the season. They include prospects Payton Graham (May 18), Xavier Cruz (June 2), Sebastian Dos Santos (June 16), Miguel Hernandez and Cristofer Lebron (July 29) and Kenly Hunter (September 4).
Others from higher levels briefly rehabbed in the FCL, including Tai Peete, Yairo Padilla, Michael Dattalo, Ian Petrutz, Chase Davis and Deniel Ortiz.
Former top pitching prospect Tink Hence was sent down to the FCL from Memphis on April 30 but did not pitch in game action. He returned to Triple-A on June 2, but after struggling again, he was removed from the Cardinals 40-man roster on August 6 and returned to the FCL. At that point, his season was over.
Most of the Cardinals’ signed draft picks and four non-drafted free agents were initially assigned to the FCL, though they didn’t play there. First rounder Trent Condon spent a month on the FCL roster but did not appear in games (since the season was over), before moving up to Palm Beach on August 18. The outfielder made his professional debut with the Beach Birds.
While promotions are what minor league ball is about, there seems no doubt that the 2026 FCL Cardinals club lost more talent during the season than was brought in.
FCL All-Star
Though Miguel Hernandez was promoted upward at the end of July, the infielder remained long enough to receive Florida Complex League All-Star honors after the season ended.
What is next?
Much more detail on the FCL Cardinals’ top hitters, relievers and starting pitchers is coming as we select the best of the best in upcoming articles in this series.
Check out The Cardinal Nation’s annual article series highlighting team results and top hitters and pitchers across the entire St. Louis Cardinals system. The Palm Beach Cardinals Team Review is next up.
Thank you for your support!
Closeout at 20% off – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
The final copies of the 2026 printed book are being closed out at 20% off.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
Not yet a member?
Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
© 2026 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
photo: 2026 Dominican Summer League Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals)
At .509 (28-27), the rookie-level Cardinals Dominican Summer League club posted their second consecutive winning season. On the young roster, the hitters performed better than the pitchers compared to the league.
The Dominican Summer League Cardinals concluded 2026 at 28-27 (.509), in fourth place in the six-team Southeast Division and 27th-best mark in the league. They missed the playoffs in the 51-team circuit for the seventh consecutive season.
It was a minor backslide from their 2025 results, which included a .536 record and a third-place division finish. The rookie-level Cards ended the 2026 season 8 1/2 games out of first place, compared to four games behind in 2025.
This summer’s Cardinals finished just above .500 at home (15-13, .536) and just below .500 while away (13-14 .481). They experienced a more difficult time facing opponents with winning records, with a subpar 12-17 (.414) mark against them.
The DSL Cards won both of their extra-inning contests in 2026 but were 7-7 in one-run games. They especially struggled against left-handed pitching, going just 2-8 in those starts.
The planned 56-game schedule opened on June 1 and concluded on August 18, with one cancelation. The Cards began the season strongly as they won five of their first six. The remainder of the first month, they roughly played .500 ball, ending June at 13-9. July was more difficult as they went just 7-12 to dip below .500 at 20-21 overall. The Cardinals finished relatively better, going 8-6 in August.
While no team hinges on just one player, it is worth noting that the organization’s biggest money 2026 signing, outfielder Emanuel Luna, appeared in just three games after June 11. In Luna’s nine games played this season, the Cardinals went 6-3.
Though pitching had customarily been the strength of the DSL Cardinals, that was not the case in 2026. On the surface, hitting and pitching appeared to be relatively balanced, as evidenced by their run differential of +1 for the season (384 scored vs. 383 allowed). However, that is misleading. As you will see below, the offense performed comparatively better than the pitching.
Fray Peniche has managed the club since 2011. Prior to the season, he was honored with the organization’s 2025 George Kissell Award for player development excellence.
Offense
The Cards tied with eight other teams for the 11th-youngest offense in the 51-team DSL at an average age of 17.4 years. In comparison, the league offenses ranged from 17.0 to 19.3 years old with the average age of 17.5.
Statistically, the performance of the 2026 Cardinals offense, coached by Luis Reynoso and Wesslye Cuas, was significantly above average.
The Cardinals were 15th of 51 in runs scored (384). They were 15th in batting average (.268) but just 26th in on-base percentage (.404). Where they really stood out was in slugging at .425 (third) and they tied for eighth in OPS (.829).
Behind that strong slugging percentage, the DSL Cards were third with 107 doubles and tied for ninth with 39 home runs.
However, they were laggards on the bases. The Cardinals placed a distant last at only 39 steals, with the next two closest teams at 55 and 66, respectively. The league leader swiped 212! Cardinal baserunners were caught 14 times for an ok success rate of 73.5%.
Strikeouts were a major problem for Cards hitters as they were punched out 470 times, fifth most in the league. They were a bit better than average at taking walks with 336, ranked 22nd most in the DSL.
Pitching
At an average of 17.9 years of age, Cardinals pitching was tied with three other teams as the seventh youngest staff in the DSL. The league ranged from the low of 17.4 to a high of 19.6 and averaged 18.5.
As a group, the Cardinals’ hurlers were considerably less successful than their hitting teammates. Their collective 7.31 ERA ranked 38th, over a run higher than the league average ERA of 6.25.
It was not all dismal, however. Led by long-time pitching coaches Bill Villanueva and Wilman Madera, Cardinals pitchers tied for 13th in strikeouts (411) and tied with two other staffs for 15th fewest walks issued (296).
The problem was big hits against them. With 39 long balls allowed, the Cardinals tied for ninth most with two other teams.
Their batting average against of .268 was 15th highest in the DSL, but their opponents slugged .425 against them, third highest in the league. The team OPS of .828 was 10th highest among DSL pitching staffs.
Disappointingly, the starters were below average – 32nd with an ERA of 5.99, but better in WHIP, 19th at 1.56. They tied for the 22nd highest batting average against at .259. Because they don’t often go five innings (averaging just over 3 1/3 innings per start), DSL Cardinals starters won just three games all season (against 16 losses).
The bullpen was a disaster area. The relievers’ aggregate ERA of 8.41 (not a typo) was “only” eighth highest in the league. Their WHIP was 16th highest at 1.96, due in part to the 32nd most free passes issued (196). An even greater contributor to all the traffic on the bases was that the bullpen yielded a batting average against of .277, tied for 10th highest in the DSL.
Defense
The 2026 Cardinals defense was below league average – at least in terms of errors (88, T-18th most) and with a collective .948 fielding percentage (36th highest).
On an even less positive note, the catchers tied for seventh worst in the DSL with a meager 18% caught stealing rate (32 of 143). That clearly did not help the pitching numbers.
Large but static roster
With a roster that was usually approaching its 35-player maximum, Peniche had to be challenged by getting everyone regular action. At least, the roster was very static. Just 39 different individuals took the field for the 2026 DSL Cardinals – 22 pitchers and 17 position players.
Another measure of the inexperience of the Cardinals is that of the 39, 17 were signed in 2026 – 10 hitters and seven pitchers.
Transactions
With the active roster so tight, the Cardinals made use of the 60-day injured list. Right-hander Leonil DeLeon was placed there on July 13, and fellow righty Sal Figueroa joined him three days later. Pitcher Briam Reyes spent all of 2026 on the Restricted List.
However, no players were placed on the regular seven-day IL all season long, even though Luna missed two separate 30-day periods, for example.
With the season winding down, on August 14, right-handed pitcher Ryan Rodriguez and first baseman Christian Saez were released.
There were two in-season promotions of DSL players upward to the Florida Complex League. On July 8, left-handed starting pitcher Hendrick Caña and infielder Yeferson Portolatin shifted to Jupiter.
As the schedule concluded, infielder/outfielder Jesus Perez and catcher Sebastian Rojas were also promoted to the FCL in preparation for 2027.
A month later, Luna and shortstop Carlos Carrion followed them. Like Luna, Carrion missed most of this first professional season, answering the bell for just 10 games. Not surprisingly, the two were the two highest bonused Cardinals signings in 2026 at $2.3 million and $1.1 million, respectively.
Others from among the best performing 2026 DSL Cardinals will head to the US in the spring to eventually play for the 2027 Florida Complex League Cards.
All-Star duo
First-year catcher Sebastian Rojas was named a 2026 DSL All-Star. He was joined on the National League squad for the mid-season game by pitcher Daniel Gómez, a 2025 signing. Neither played in the mid-season game.
The Cardinals had no DSL post-season All-Stars, either pitchers or hitters, in 2026.
What is next?
Much more detail on the DSL Cardinals’ top hitters, relievers and starting pitchers is coming as we select the best of the best in upcoming articles in this series.
Check out The Cardinal Nation’s annual article series highlighting team results and top hitters and pitchers across the entire St. Louis Cardinals system. The Florida Complex League Cardinals Team Review is next up.
Thank you for your support!
Closeout at 20% off – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
The final copies of the 2026 printed book are being closed out at 20% off.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
Not yet a member?
Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
© 2026 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
2026 Cardinals Minor League Leaders – Pitching Rate StatsBrian Walton identifies leaders in pitching rate stats across the St. Louis Cardinals system in 2026. Prospect Jacob Odle led the organization in ERA and strikeout rate. Yhoiker Fajardo was tops in FIP and strikeout minus walk percentage.
Cardinals Complete Nootbaar TradeThe St. Louis Cardinals acquired their third Double-A pitcher from the Arizona Diamondbacks to complete the Lars Nootbaar trade, right-hander Brian Curley.
2026 Cardinals Minor League Leaders – Pitching Counting StatsBrian Walton identifies the top starting and relief pitchers by the numbers across the St. Louis Cardinals system in 2026. Traditional win and save counts continue to be less indicative. In fact, Mason Molina had the lowest win total of any Cards system-wide leader since at least 1963. And the organization saves leader had fewer than the leader in wins.
2026 Cardinals Minor League Leaders – Speed StatsBrian Walton outlines the top St. Louis Cardinals minor league players on the bases in 2026. Ryan Mitchell made the most attempts and stole the most bases. Tre Richardson edged out one of his catching teammates as the system’s most efficient base stealer.
2026 Cardinals Minor League Leaders – Hitting Rate StatsBrian Walton looks at the top hitters, on-base artists, sluggers and more across the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system in 2026. 19-year-old Rainiel Rodriguez topped three of nine top five lists (batting average, OPS and wRC+) and placed among the top five on three others.
Cardinals Claim Pitcher Chase Hampton off WaiversOn the first day of their 2026-2027 offseason on Monday, September 28, the St. Louis Cardinals claimed right-handed pitcher Chase Hampton off waivers from the Washington Nationals.
2026 Cardinals Minor League Leaders – Hitting Counting StatsBrian Walton identifies the leaders across the St. Louis Cardinals organization in 2026 in counting stats, including hits, doubles, triples, home runs and more. Two players logged system-high totals last reached in 1989 and 2011, respectively.
photo: Brandon Clarke (Peoria Chiefs)
On Wednesday, September 15, the Arizona Fall League announced its rosters for the 2026 season. They include eight players from the St. Louis Cardinals system assigned to the Peoria Javelinas, headlined by TCN Top 20 prospects Tai Peete, Brandon Clarke and Tekoah Roby.
The Cardinals are also represented on the Javelinas by Springfield trainer Kiomy Martinez-Ortiz.
This is a more experienced group of players assigned to the AFL than the Cardinals sent in 2025. Last year, there were no Triple-A players with the four most experienced of the eight having had limited time at Double-A.
Further, just two members of The Cardinal Nation’s Top 50 prospects were invited last fall, neither of whom were among the Top 25 (pitcher Chen-Wei Lin and outfielder Travis Honeyman, both of whom did not progress as well as hoped in 2026).
For 2026, not only are four invitees ranked, three are in the current Top 20. Lefty Brandon Clarke is no. 8, Righty Tekoah Roby is no. 16, outfielder Tai Peete is 19th and Sammy Hernandez (listed as an infielder rather than a catcher) is 30th in our August rankings.
Clarke, 23, is coming back from an injury that kept him from making his rehab debut until July and his official debut until early August. The left-hander had four rehab starts in Florida before making five starts with Peoria and one with Springfield to date as he rebuilds his arm strength. Clarke fanned 44 and walked 17 in 29 2/3 innings while holding opposing hitters to a collective .140 average.
Pitching in the AFL should allow that progression to continue and for him to make up some of the innings missed earlier and position him to open 2027 in the Springfield rotation. I expect Clarke will be St. Louis’ designated starting pitcher on the Javelinas.
Right-hander Tekoah Roby is an AFL returnee, having first played in the desert in 2023. Since then, the 25-year-old (his official birthday is this Friday) alternated strong results with spending time on the shelf, initially shoulder-related.
In 2025, Roby rejoined the Springfield rotation and pitched well, earning a promotion to Memphis on June 9. A month later, he underwent Tommy John surgery and has not returned to official game action since.
For this AFL season, it is reasonable to assume that Roby will throw an inning at a time out of the Peoria bullpen on his way to rejoining the Memphis rotation in 2027.
Like Clarke, Peete joined the Cardinals organization via a trade before the 2026 season, coming from Seattle in part of the Brendan Donovan trade. Between High-A and Double-A this season, the center fielder and leadoff man slashed .296/.359/.549/.908. In 312 plate appearances over 66 games, Peete hit 13 home runs, drove in 56 and stole 16 bases in 24 attempts.
The 22-year-old catcher also has experience playing first base, with the latter his designation on the Javelinas. With High-A Peoria the entire 2026 campaign, Hernandez slashed .279/.411/.529/.940 in 253 plate appearances over 65 Midwest League games. He hit 11 home runs, plated 35 and went a sneaky good 21-for-26 in stolen base attempts.
Other Cardinals
Like Roby, Frank Elissalt missed the entire 2026 regular season on Peoria’s injured list. Nate Dohm split his season between starting and relieving at Peoria then Springfield with mixed results. Michael Watson had a down year out of the Springfield bullpen compared to his 2025.
An infielder prior to 2026, Cade McGee added catching to his repertoire but is listed as an infielder with the Javelinas. Like Peete and others, he began the season in High-A and finished in Double-A.
Related article
What is next
Once play is underway on October 3, The Cardinal Nation will post free daily recaps of all Desert Dogs AFL games including box score links, as we do annually. That way, you can easily follow Cardinals prospects’ results in the desert.
As has been the case for two decades, I will be present for a week of the AFL with interviews, photos and eyewitness reports exclusively for paid members of The Cardinal Nation. Join today!
Closeout at 20% off – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
The final copies of the printed book are on sale for 20% off!
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
Not yet a member?
Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
© 2026 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
photo: Cade Winquest (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
With the lowest ERA, FIP, WHIP, batting average against and highest strikeout rate, Cade Winquest compiled the top overall pitching performance in the St. Louis Cardinals system in August.
It is time to select The Cardinal Nation’s August Pitcher of the Month. This article covers hurlers in all roles across every level of the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system.
As a reminder, this is NOT the “Pitcher of the Month Among Top Prospects”. Every player in the system has an equal chance, with their performance during the month used to differentiate the best of the best. Age and level, which are key prospect considerations, are not the major factors here.
Guidelines
To qualify, a pitcher must have thrown at least 10 innings during August. Fifty-two of 106 active pitchers made the first cut. To reach the list of seven finalists, an ERA below 3.00 was required.
This group consists of four starters and three relievers. Though it is not a factor here, five of the seven are among the top 36 prospects in the system per The Cardinal Nation.
Three finalists, two relievers and a starter, allowed two or fewer earned runs all month, resulting in ERAs under 1.00. The pitcher with the most wins (tied) in the system in August also logged a most impressive 1.31 ERA.
The finalists represent three of the four full-season levels in the system. Triple-A Memphis led the way with three and Springfield and Peoria contributed two each. Palm Beach was barely represented by one August mound appearance by one of the finalists.
The oldest finalist is Memphis’ Jared Shuster at 27 years of age, followed by then-teammate Cade Winquest, who is 26. The youngest by three years is 19-year-old Yhoiker Fajardo from Peoria.
Two of the finalists are repeaters from July, reliever Christian Worley and starter Liam Doyle.
Counting Stats
In this first table, the finalists are listed in ascending ERA order.
| August pitchers | Tm | ERA | G | GS | W | L | SV | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | WHIP |
| Cade Winquest | Memphis | 0.00 | 8 | 0 | 10.1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 0 | 0.77 | |||
| Christian Worley | Peoria | 0.87 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10.1 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 1 | 0.97 | |
| Cooper Hjerpe | Memphis | 0.95 | 5 | 5 | 19.0 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 27 | 0 | 1.42 | |||
| Liam Doyle | Springfield | 1.31 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 20.2 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 29 | 0 | 0.92 | ||
| Jared Shuster | Memphis | 2.40 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15.0 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 16 | 2 | 1.07 | |
| Yhoiker Fajardo | Springfield | 2.53 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 21.1 | 23 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 1.41 | |
| Cade Crossland | PB/Peoria | 2.74 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 23.0 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 31 | 0 | 1.22 |
Working in relief for Memphis, Winquest did not allow a run all month, earned or unearned. That contributed to his end of month promotion to St. Louis.
Down at Peoria, Worley yielded two runs, one earned, during August, his second consecutive month with an ERA under 1.00. Given that, it should be no surprise that as September began, Worley was also promoted, in his case, to Springfield.
The third sub-1.00 ERA pitcher was newly promoted himself. Memphis lefty Cooper Hjerpe logged a cool 0.95 ERA in his four Triple-A starts.
Doyle also posted a strong ERA of 1.31 in his four starts with Springfield. From there is a major gap to the final three finalists – Memphis reliever Jared Shuster at 2.40, Fajardo at 2.53 and lefty Cade Crossland, who spent most of the month at Peoria, with a 2.74 ERA.
Three of the finalists logged July WHIPs under 1.00, led by Winquest at 0.77. Next was Doyle at 0.92 with Worley at 0.97.
Also in WHIP, Hjerpe jumped all the way up to 1.42, highest among finalists, due to 17 walks in 19 innings. Right behind was fellow prospect Fajardo at 1.41.
Advanced stats
Here are additional statistics from the finalists in the ascending FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) sequence.
| August pitchers | Age | IP | K/BB | K% | BB% | K-BB% | BAA | BABIP | WHIP | ERA | FIP |
| Cade Winquest | 26 | 10.1 | 3.4 | 44.7% | 13.2% | 31.6% | 0.094 | 0.200 | 0.77 | 0.00 | 1.96 |
| Liam Doyle | 22 | 20.2 | 3.2 | 37.2% | 11.5% | 25.6% | 0.147 | 0.256 | 0.92 | 1.31 | 2.31 |
| Yhoiker Fajardo | 19 | 21.1 | 3.0 | 23.1% | 7.7% | 15.4% | 0.274 | 0.365 | 1.41 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| Christian Worley | 24 | 10.1 | 6.0 | 43.9% | 7.3% | 36.6% | 0.189 | 0.333 | 0.97 | 0.87 | 2.76 |
| Cade Crossland | 22 | 23.0 | 2.4 | 32.3% | 13.5% | 18.8% | 0.190 | 0.313 | 1.22 | 2.74 | 3.34 |
| Cooper Hjerpe | 25 | 19.0 | 1.6 | 34.2% | 21.5% | 12.7% | 0.161 | 0.294 | 1.42 | 0.95 | 3.35 |
| Jared Shuster | 27 | 15.0 | 2.7 | 27.6% | 10.0% | 16.7% | 0.185 | 0.222 | 1.07 | 2.40 | 4.31 |
At 44.7%, Winquest had a truly exceptional August strikeout rate, but Worley also excelled at 43.9%. Three others were in the solid 32% to 37% range. At the low end of the strikeout spectrum are Fajardo (23.1%) and Shuster (27.6%).
Worley and Fajardo were the stingiest finalists in issuing walks, at 7.3% and 7.7%, respectively. Four others were in the 10% to 13% range, with Hjerpe’s 21.5% walk rate a concern.
Not surprisingly, Worley and Winquest also posted the leading strikeout minus walk percentage of 36.6% and 31.6%, respectively. Doyle was next at a good 25.6%. This month, bringing up the K-BB percentage rear is the highest walk rate finalist, Hjerpe.
In strikeout to walk ratio, Worley was well on top at 6.0 to 1 and Hjerpe at the bottom at 1.6.
Winquest held opposing hitters to the lowest collective batting average, a microscopic .097. All finalists came in well under .200 except Fajardo at .274.
However, in his defense, Fajardo also had a very high BABIP (batting average on balls in play), at .365. It was the highest among finalists. At the other end, no finalists had unsustainable low BABIPs below .200, but Winquest (.200) was right on the line, followed by Shuster (.222).
FIP, or Fielding Independent Pitching, puts these August results into focus. Five of the seven finalists had a FIP more than one run per nine innings higher than their ERA and several are two or more runs higher.
The two with the smallest ERA-FIP gap are Fajardo (2.53 to 2.68) and Crossland (2.74 to 3.34).
However, the lowest FIP (1.96) is from the finalist who also had the lowest ERA. That is Winquest.
Considering everything, Cade Winquest is The Cardinal Nation’s August Pitcher of the Month.
Winquest logged the lowest ERA, FIP, WHIP and batting average against, highest strikeout percentage and second highest strikeout to walk ratio from among the August finalists.
About the winner
Winquest was slated to be The Cardinal Nation’s 20th ranked prospect coming into 2026. However, the right-hander was left unprotected in the December Rule 5 Draft and was selected by the New York Yankees.
He made the Yankees’ 26-man roster coming out of spring training. Once the regular season began, Winquest was asked to warm up several times in the bullpen, but he was never called upon to pitch for New York. Winquest went unclaimed off waivers and was returned to the Cardinals on April 13.
Overall, with Memphis in 2026, the 26-year-old went 3-1 with a 4.54 ERA in 33 games, striking out 57 over 39 2/3 innings. His team-leading 12.93 SO/9 and 35.7 K% are both single-season career highs.
Just as did July’s winner, Quinn Mathews, Winquest made his MLB debut to close his big month. On August 29, Cade threw two scoreless innings against Pittsburgh at Busch Stadium.
How July’s winners fared in August
The St. Louis Cardinals selected Tanner Franklin as their July Pitcher of the Month across the system, whereas our choice was Mathews, as noted. Both went on to spend at least part of August at a new level. Franklin made five starts, four with Springfield, while Mathews made four starts for St. Louis along with two starts back with Memphis.
During the month, Franklin had a 3.51 ERA in 25 2/3 innings. He fanned 32 and walked eight.
Mathews made one start for the Cardinals to open the month and came back later for three more as a full member of the rotation. With St. Louis in August, the lefty had a 5.08 ERA to go with 20 strikeouts and eight walks in 19 2/3 innings.
What is next?
The Cardinals organization should name their selections as August Player and Pitcher of the Month in the upcoming days.
Related article
The Cardinal Nation August 2026 Player of the Month – Rainiel Rodriguez
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book copy today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
Not yet a member?
Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
© 2026 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
St. Louis Needs Drive Numerous Downstream Roster ChangesBetween backfilling numerous recent injuries with the major league squad and the September 1 MLB roster expansion, Triple-A Memphis was down to 22 active players. So, the organization executed eight corresponding moves on Tuesday.
photo: Rainiel Rodriguez (P.J. Maigi/Springfield Cardinals)
The Cardinal Nation’s choice as the top hitter in the St. Louis Cardinals system during August is Rainiel Rodriguez, who topped seven other finalists. The Springfield catcher led in hits, doubles, home runs (tied), batting average, slugging, OPS, lowest strikeout rate, isolated power and wRC+.
This article details the selection of The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Month, our final one for 2026. Considered were offensive results during August across the entire St. Louis Cardinals system. The winner as well as a group of seven runners-up are highlighted.
Starting with the usual 60 plate appearances requirement, a total of 41 hitters in the system qualified. Eight are separated with an OPS above .900, including four over 1.000, but only one over 1.200.
Our clear August winner is Springfield catcher Rainiel Rodriguez, who doubles the system’s top prospect.
Demographics
All four full-season levels in the system are represented this month. Double-A Springfield dominated the finalist list with four while Triple-A Memphis had two. Peoria and Palm Beach placed one each.
The finalist position mix is made up of four infielders, two outfielders and two catchers.
Ages range from a 26-year-old (Nolan Gorman) to two teens, one 18 (Sebastian Dos Santos) and one 19 (Rodriguez).
Returning finalists from July are Colton Ledbetter, Jesus Baez and Rodriguez. In a true measure of all-summer consistency, the latter two were also finalists in June.
Reminder
Please remember, this is NOT the “Player of the Month Among Top Prospects”. Every player in the system has an equal chance, with only their performance during the month used to differentiate the best of the best. Age and level, which are key prospect considerations, are not factors here, either.
We will take two views of the data. The first look will be basic stats, followed by rate stats. Names are listed in the first table in descending OPS order and in the second, by wRC+, Weighted Runs Created Plus.
Basic stats
| August hitter | Tm | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| Rainiel Rodriguez | Springfield | 21 | 100 | 89 | 21 | 35 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 22 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0.393 | 0.440 | 0.809 | 1.249 |
| Jesús Báez | Springfield | 21 | 96 | 86 | 19 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 27 | 5 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0.337 | 0.375 | 0.698 | 1.073 |
| Tai Peete | Peoria/Sgf | 20 | 95 | 87 | 25 | 31 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 8 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 0.356 | 0.411 | 0.598 | 1.008 |
| Sammy Hernandez | Peoria | 20 | 84 | 66 | 14 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 0.288 | 0.429 | 0.576 | 1.004 |
| Sebastian Dos Santos | Palm Beach | 19 | 80 | 58 | 15 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0.276 | 0.450 | 0.534 | 0.984 |
| Colton Ledbetter | Memphis | 21 | 86 | 76 | 18 | 25 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 8 | 1 | 0.329 | 0.395 | 0.566 | 0.961 |
| Tre Richardson III | Springfield | 20 | 81 | 68 | 18 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0.309 | 0.420 | 0.515 | 0.934 |
| Nolan Gorman | Memphis | 17 | 75 | 63 | 11 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 11 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0.222 | 0.347 | 0.556 | 0.902 |
In the primary sort of OPS, at 1.249, Rodriguez is a whopping 176 points above the next closest finalist. We could stop right here, but we need to recognize other strong performances last month, too.
Next closest in OPS at a very strong 1.073 is Rodriguez’ Springfield teammate, infielder Jesus Baez. The two make quite a formidable power tandem for the Double-A club.
The next group, also above 1.000, is made up of another Double-A hitter, outfielder Tai Peete (1.008), who was promoted to Springfield on August 4, and his former teammate, Peoria catcher Sammy Hernandez (1.004).
Dos Santos, Ledbetter, Springfield infielder Tre Richardson III and then-Memphis third baseman Gorman round out the finalist list, all with OPSs between .900 and 1.000.
Rodriguez was not only the clear extra-base hit leader at 21, it doubled almost every other finalist except Baez (13) and Peete (11). Same with Rodriguez’ 10 doubles as no one else in the system had more than eight. Peete tied for the organization lead in three-base hits with two. Teammates Rodriguez and Baez each swatted a system-best nine long balls with Gorman at seven the only other farmhand with more than five.
Special recognition goes to catcher Hernandez, who led finalists with nine steals, but that was second in the system to Memphis’ Victor Scott’s 13.
In slugging, Rodriguez finished well in the lead at .809. To underline how exceptional that is, only one other hitter in the organization finished above .600 in SLG, Baez at .698.
Five of the eight finalists hit .300 or better for the month with Rodriguez standing highest at .393. Next was Peete at .357. Gorman batted just .222 in August, yet he was still promoted to St. Louis near the end of the month.
In his first full month in A-ball, Dos Santos edged Rodriguez for the OBP lead, .450 to .440. Not surprisingly, Gorman brought up the rear, though walks contributed heavily to his decent .347 OBP.
The .300/.400/.500 line was exceeded by only three – Rodriguez, Peete and the underrated Richardson.
One finalist had more walks than strikeouts, with Hernandez at 18 vs. 16. Dos Santos was also exceptional at 18 each.
Baez led in RBIs with 27. No one else in the entire system had more than 19 except Rodriguez with 22.
Advanced stats
The following table is oriented by wRC+, from high to low.
| August hitter | Tm | Age | PA | BB% | K% | BB/K | ISO | BABIP | wRC+ |
| Rainiel Rodriguez | Springfield | 19 | 100 | 6.0% | 12.0% | 0.50 | 0.416 | 0.371 | 204 |
| Sebastian Dos Santos | Palm Beach | 18 | 80 | 22.5% | 22.5% | 1.00 | 0.259 | 0.316 | 160 |
| Jesús Báez | Springfield | 21 | 96 | 5.2% | 13.5% | 0.38 | 0.360 | 0.299 | 159 |
| Tai Peete | Peoria/Sgf | 20 | 95 | 8.4% | 21.1% | 0.40 | 0.241 | 0.429 | 155 |
| Sammy Hernandez | Peoria | 22 | 84 | 19.0% | 16.7% | 1.14 | 0.288 | 0.292 | 153 |
| Colton Ledbetter | Memphis | 24 | 86 | 10.5% | 24.4% | 0.43 | 0.237 | 0.404 | 146 |
| Tre Richardson III | Springfield | 24 | 81 | 14.8% | 23.5% | 0.63 | 0.206 | 0.391 | 143 |
| Nolan Gorman | Memphis | 26 | 75 | 14.7% | 37.3% | 0.39 | 0.333 | 0.250 | 128 |
As we get into these additional stats, we see that good fortune in the guise of an exceptionally high BABIP (.400 or better) significantly benefited three of our finalists. Peete was at .429, followed by Ledbetter at .404. Next was Richardson at .391.
Standing out like a sore thumb at the other end was Gorman’s somewhat unlucky .250 August BABIP. This partially explains his terrible batting average. It didn’t hurt his slugging, though it is interesting to note that Gorman had no doubles during the month. Homers or bust!
The walk rates of Dos Santos (22.5%) and Hernandez (19.0%) were admirable. As such, it was not surprising that the two also stood tallest in walk-to-strikeout ratio at 1.14 and 1.10, respectively.
On the less positive side, three finalists posted walk rates of under 10%. Baez, Hernandez and Peete brought up the rear at 5.2%, 6.0% and 8.4%, respectively.
Then again, the toughest to strike out was Rodriguez at 12.0%, followed by Baez (13.5%).
At the high end of the K spectrum, Gorman was in his own world with a 37.3% K rate. That he still managed to place among the finalists is surprising. Next was his Memphis teammate Ledbetter at 24.4%.
Baez, Gorman and Peete brought up the rear in BB/K ratio, with all three in the .38 to .40 range. Ledbetter was close at .43.
In Isolated Power, ISO, the top three should not be surprising. Rodriguez was the highest by far at .416. Significantly behind but still very good are Baez (.360) and Gorman (.333).
In the all-encompassing weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) measure, Rodriguez stood alone on top (204) with a huge gap to Dos Santos (160) and Baez (159). Still, the latter two had good enough results to win in many months. Rodriguez was just that much better than everyone else.
About the winner
The meteoric success story of the Cardinals’ number one prospect and Top 30 prospect across MLB is already well-known.
In August, Rodriguez led in hits, doubles, home runs (tied), batting average, slugging, OPS, lowest strikeout rate, isolated power and wRC+. In some cases, the catcher’s lead over the second-best finalist was significant. Oh yes, Rodriguez was also second in the system in RBI and OBP.
During August, the catcher from the Dominican Republic was twice named the Texas League Player of the Month. For the season, Rodriguez leads the Double-A circuit in batting average and OPS at 19 years of age. He is the second youngest everyday player in the TL.
What more is there to say?
Springfield’s Rainiel Rodriguez deserves the honor of The Cardinal Nation’s August Player of the Month.
Ironically, the then-18-year-old received our same recognition in August 2025. In fact, this is Rodriguez’ fourth TCN Player of the Month selection in barely two years as a professional. The others were in May 2025 and June 2024 (his first month as a professional). All four were earned at different levels in the system, with the reminder that Rodriguez has excelled while always being younger than his peers.
Talk about consistent success!
How did July’s winners perform in August?
The Cardinal Nation’s choice as July Player of the Month was Springfield’s Jack Gurevitch. The Cardinals organization split their honor between Gurevitch and Memphis catcher Leonardo Bernal.
Though neither was an August finalist, they continued to perform well. After an early month slump, Gurevitch finished with a .759 OPS. Bernal came in right behind at .748, and most notably, received his first-ever promotion to the majors to open September.
What is next?
Next up, look for The Cardinal Nation’s August Pitcher of the Month article, the companion to this one.
Also, the Cardinals organization should name their own selections of August Player and Pitcher of the Month in the upcoming days.
Now 20% off – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
The final copies of the printed book are on closeout for 20% off.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
Not yet a member?
Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
© 2026 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Cardinals Change Roster Expansion Approach in 2026Two first-time MLB players as the rumored additions to the St. Louis Cardinals’ roster on Tuesday, September 1 are very different from how roster expansion was handled in recent years.
This year, eight St. Louis Cardinals prospects will be a part of the Arizona Fall League’s Peoria Javelinas. Team assignments and schedules have been announced with player rosters to come.
The Arizona Fall League has released its 2026 schedule for each of its six teams as well as organizational assignments, some of which rotate annually. This year, St. Louis Cardinals prospects will be a part of the Peoria Javelinas.
Other organizations staffing the Peoria roster are the Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds. Home games are played at Peoria Sports Complex, the spring home of the Mariners and Padres.
Here are all the AFL team assignments:
Get to know the teams behind the logo. Here are your 2026 Arizona Fall League team assignments! pic.twitter.com/L2nienz2u2
— MLB's Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) August 24, 2026
League play begins on Saturday, October 3rd, as Peoria hosts Mesa, and the schedule runs through November 11. Most weeks, there will be no contests on Sundays with other scattered days off. There are three league games most other days, with one or two day games and two or one night games. All action will be streamed via the league website.
The Fall Stars Game, pitting National vs. American Leaguers, will be played on Sunday night November 8th. The Home Run Derby will be held the previous evening, on Saturday, November 7th. Both will be held at Salt River Fields.
The new playoff format introduced in 2025 continues. All six AFL teams participate. The top two seeds receive a first-round bye as the other four squads face off in two single-game elimination games on Thursday, November 12. The two Thursday winners will play the top two seeds in Friday’s Semifinals with the Championship Game on Saturday, November 14. The latter two contests will be held at Peoria Sports Complex. The finals will be viewable on MLB Network, MLB.com and the MLB App.
The Javelinas’ schedule is here:
Rosters for the clubs and coaching assignments for the AFL’s 34th season have not been released. No longer are rosters announced as early as Labor Day. In 2025, the players invited to the AFL were disclosed on September 10. So, it may be several weeks until we have those very important details.
The eight Cardinals who competed for the 2025 AFL Glendale Desert Dogs are pitchers Chen-Wei Lin, Tyler Bradt, Randel Clemente, D.J. Carpenter and Darlin Saladin, catcher Graysen Tarlow and outfielders Travis Honeyman and Miguel Ugueto.
What is next
In upcoming articles and podcasts, we will discuss candidates from both the pitching and position player populations who might be chosen to represent the Cardinals this fall.
Once play is underway in October, The Cardinal Nation will post free daily recaps of all Javelinas AFL games including box score links, as we do annually. That way, you can easily follow Cardinals prospects’ results in the desert.
As has been the case for two decades, I will be present for a week of the AFL with interviews, photos and eyewitness reports exclusively for paid members of The Cardinal Nation. Join today!
20% off – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
The final copies of the 2026 printed book are being closed out at 20% off.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide
Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
© 2026 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
How Do Cardinals Farm System Rankings Compare Over Time?How does MLB’s current no. 2 farm system stack up against the St. Louis Cardinals group that was no. 1 in 2013?
Cardinals Announce Dominican Summer League Internal Player AwardsLast week, prior to the conclusion of the 2026 Dominican Summer League Cardinals season, nine internal award winners were announced at a team meeting.
Lefty Prospect Ixan Henderson’s Season is OverOn Wednesday, August 19, St. Louis Cardinals player development announced 12 player transactions. The season ends for one prospect as a former Triple-A standout returns to the organization.
Cardinals Promote Two Top 20 ProspectsHeading into the new week of action across the system, St. Louis Cardinals player development announced six player transactions on Tuesday, August 18. Top 20 prospects Yairo Padilla and Trevor Condon are among those moving up.
Risers, Fallers and Differences of Opinion on Cardinals Prospects – August 2026Highlighting those who jumped up or fell eight or more spots on The Cardinal Nation’s Top 50 Prospect List for August, and the key differences between individual rankings from Kyle Reis and Brian Walton.
Joshua Baez Gets “The Call”Slugging outfield prospect Joshua Baez is being promoted to St. Louis for the first time on Saturday.
The Cardinal Nation Top 50 Prospect List – August 2026 DetailsBrian Walton and Kyle Reis detail which players in the St. Louis Cardinals are rising and falling in The Cardinal Nation’s Top 50 for August. Trade acquisitions, draft picks and incumbents alike are on the move!
photo: Tanner Franklin and Jason Isringhausen (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals player development’s choices as the top Pitcher and co-Players of the Month for July are right-hander Tanner Franklin plus infielder Jack Gurevitch and catcher Leo Bernal. The trio of winners were announced via social media on Thursday, August 13.
Our Minor League Pitcher of the Month is RHP Tanner Franklin!
Franklin, 22, posted a 2.95 ERA (6 ER/18.1 IP), 0.98 WHIP, and 24 SO while allowing only 13 H across four starts with Peoria.
The #STLCards No. 6 ranked prospect allowed one run or less in three of his four starts,… pic.twitter.com/cLTTiEi8pb
— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) August 13, 2026
Gurevitch becomes just the 4th #STLCards minor league to hit 10+ HR with at least 17 XBH, 25 RBI, and a .300 average in a single month since 2005, joining Josh Phelps (July 2008), Adolis García (July 2018) & Moisés Gómez (April 2022).
— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) August 13, 2026
Our co-Minor League Player of the Month is C Leo Bernal!
Bernal, 22, slashed .338/.389/.754 with 6 HR, 7 doubles, a triple and 24 RBI with a 1.143 OPS in July. He registered an extra-base hit in 12 of his 17 games played, with 8 multi-RBI games.
The switch-hitting, Panama… pic.twitter.com/N6AMNMG1I2
— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) August 13, 2026
Brian Walton’s take
This the second time this season that Gurevitch shared the organization’s Player of the Month honors (also in April when he was with Palm Beach).
On August 1 and 2, The Cardinal Nation selected Memphis lefty Quinn Mathews and now-Springfield infielder Gurevitch as our July honorees.
Compare stats for the month across the four winners and other finalists in these two articles.
The Cardinal Nation’s July 2026 Pitcher of the Month – Quinn Mathews
The Cardinal Nation July 2026 Player of the Month – Jack Gurevitch
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Cardinals Release Last Reminder of Tyler O’Neill TradeAmong the transactions announced by the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, August 11 is the release of a pitcher who came over from Boston in the 2023 trade for Tyler O’Neill.
