All posts by Brian Walton

Brian Walton runs The Cardinal Nation, covering the St. Louis Cardinals and minor league system.

Cardinals Minor League Notebook – August 24, 2024

photo: Quinn Mathews (Springfield Cardinals)

The St. Louis Cardinals system was 4-0 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day Quinn Mathews pitched a perfect game for six innings and went 7 2/3 innings with one run, one hit, one walk and 12 strikeouts for Springfield. Other standouts include Bryan Torres, Michael McGreevy, Matt Koperniak, Brody Moore and Chen-Wei Lin.

Results for games played Friday, August 23.

Memphis 4, Charlotte 1

The Triple-A Redbirds defeated the Knights by the score of 4-1 at AutoZone Park on Friday. Michael McGreevy was on the bump for Memphis. The right hander pitched six scoreless innings, allowed four hits, fanned seven and walked two to earn his sixth win.

Michael McGreevy

Connor Thomas relieved McGreevy and surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. Chris Roycroft hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Ryan Loutos tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 14th save.

Memphis took the lead in the first inning on a solo home run by Matt Koperniak. In the fifth, the Redbirds made it 3-0. Thomas Saggese was hit by a pitch. Nick Dunn singled. Koperniak singled to score Saggese. Dunn came home on a fielding error.

Matt Koperniak

Charlotte scored their only run in the seventh. The Redbirds added a fourth run in the eighth on a solo home run by Nolan Gorman.

Memphis scored four runs on six hits. Koperniak was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Gorman was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Iván Herrera made a throwing error.

Memphis is 62-62 on the season, 24-25 in the second half. They are in sixth place in the International League West.

Saturday’s game:  vs. Charlotte, TBD (MEM) vs. Nick Nastrini RHP (2-9, 5.47) 6:35 CT.

Springfield 3, Tulsa 2

The Double-A Cardinals beat the Drillers on Friday at Hammons Field in their second walk off this week. Lefty Quinn Mathews was brilliant, taking a perfect game into the seventh inning. The Cardinal Nation’s no. 2 prospect and MiLB’s 2024 strikeout leader pitched 7 2/3 innings, gave up one run on two hits, fanned 12 and walked one.

Quinn Mathews

Jack Ralston relieved Mathews and surrendered one unearned run in 1 1/3 innings and received the win.

Springfield went up 1-0 in the third inning. Dakota Harris singled and scored on a double by Bryan Torres. The Cardinals made it 2-0 in the fifth. Jeremy Rivas singled and advanced to second on a balk. Torres drove Rivas home on a single.

Tulsa scored their first run in the seventh inning against Mathews. They tied the game in the top of the ninth.

The Cardinals won the game in the bottom of the ninth on a solo home run by Torres, the Texas League batting average leader at .326.

Bryan Torres

Springfield scored three runs on 10 hits. Torres was 3-for-4 with all three RBI. Rivas and Noah Mendlinger were both 2-for-4.

Rivas stole his 24th base. Ralston made an error on a pickoff.

Springfield is 69-49 on the season, 32-17 in the second half. They remain in first place in the Texas League North.

Saturday’s game:  vs. Tulsa, Max Rajcic RHP (9-9, 4.54) vs. Chris Campos RHP (1-1, 3.19) 6:35 CT.

Peoria 6, Fort Wayne 4

The Chiefs won their sixth straight, taking the TinCaps by the score of 6-4 on Friday at Dozer Park. Pete Hansen started for Peoria. The left hander pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up three runs on nine hits, fanned eight and walked one.

Roy Garcia relieved Hansen and surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings and earned the win. Tanner Jacobson tossed the final two scoreless innings with no hits, a walk and four strikeouts for his fifth save.

Tanner Jacobson

Fort Wayne scored first with one run in the second inning. Peoria tied the game in the third on consecutive doubles by Brayden Jobert and Brody Moore.

The Chiefs took the lead 2-1 in the fifth. Michael Curialle doubled and later scored on another double by Moore.

Brody Moore

Fort Wayne came back with two runs in the sixth and one in the top of the seventh to lead 4-2. Peoria rallied in the home seventh for four runs to retake the lead 6-4. Jobert singled. Graysen Tarlow walked. Moore singled. Chase Davis reached on an error and Jobert scored. Leonardo Bernal plated Tarlow and Moore on a single. Davis came home on a sac fly by Darlin Moquete.

Peoria scored six runs on eight hits. Moore was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Jobert was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Bernal had two RBI.

Moore stole his 21st base of the season. Davis had an outfield assist at second base. Hansen picked a runner off second base.

Peoria is 54-63 on the season, 28-24 in the second half. They are tied with Quad Cities for second place/first playoff berth in the Midwest League West.

Saturday’s game:  vs. Fort Wayne, Ixan Henderson LHP (1-0, 3.38) vs. Braden Nett RHP (3-2, 4.96) 7:05 CT.

Palm Beach 5 at St. Lucie 0

The Low-A Cardinals blanked the Mets by a 5-0 score at Port St. Lucie on Friday. Chen-Wei Lin took the mound for Palm Beach. The right hander pitched six scoreless innings with four hits allowed, with seven strikeouts and two walks to earn his ninth win.

Chen-Wei Lin

Henry Gomez tossed the final three innings to protect the shutout and earned his 12th save.

The Beach Birds scored three runs in the second inning to take the lead. Sammy Hernandez singled. Jon Jon Gazdar doubled. Christian Martin drove in Hernandez on a ground out. Gazdar scored on a single by Anyelo Encarnacion. Joshua Baez reached on an error. Encarnacion stole third base and came home on a throwing error.

Palm Beach put up two more runs in the seventh to lead 5-0. Jose Suarez and Josh Kross singled. Hernandez was plunked. Suarez was thrown out at home on a force out by Lizandro Espinoza. Gazdar plated Kross on a singled and Hernandez came home on the throw.

Jon Jon Gazdar

The Cardinals scored five runs on eight hits. Gazdar was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Kross was 2-for-4.

Encarnacion, Baez, Jose Cordoba, Espinoza, and Martin each stole a base.

Lin made an error on a pickoff.

Palm Beach is 73-43 on the season, 36-14 in the second half. They remain in first place in the FSL East.

Saturday’s game:  at St. Lucie, RH Gerardo Salas (6-5, 2.93) vs. TBD  5:10 CT.

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Memphis Redbirds Notebook – 2024 Week 21

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Thomas Saggese and José Dávila Named Cardinals Top July Minor Leaguers

photo: Jose Davila (Palm Beach Cardinals)

St. Louis Cardinals release

The St. Louis Cardinals today (Tuesday, July 6) announced their selections for Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for July, with Memphis Redbirds (AAA) infielder Thomas Saggese (pronounced soo-JAY-see) and Palm Beach Cardinals (A) right-handed starting pitcher José Dávila taking home the honors.

Thomas Saggese

Saggese, 22, slashed .349/.400/.590 and ranked among the organizational leaders in hits (29, 1st), games played (22, T1st), extra-base hits (11, 2nd), total bases (49, 2nd), doubles (6, 2nd), home runs (4, T2nd), OPS (.990, 3rd), RBI (14, T3rd), and runs scored (13, T5th).  The right-handed batter tallied nine multi-hit efforts in his 21 starts, including a season-high four-hit game on July 2 vs. Nashville that included the first professional walk-off home run of his career.  It is Saggese’s second career Cardinals Minor League Player of the Month award selection, having previously won in his first month with the organization (August 2023) after being acquired at the MLB trade deadline from Texas.

Last season, the Carlsbad, California native was named the Texas League (AA) Most Valuable Player and lead all of Minor League Baseball in hits (170) and total bases (294), while finishing T2nd in RBI (111) and T5th in extra-base hits (60).  He is currently rated as the 5th best prospect in the Cardinals organization by Baseball America, and was the 10th-youngest player to begin the season at the Triple-A level.  He is hitting .249 with 13 HR, 34 XBH, 50 RBI, 55 runs scored and a .727 OPS in 96 games this year.

José Dávila

Dávila, 21, posted a 1-0 record with a 0.72 ERA (2 ER/25.0 IP), 0.84 WHIP, with 33 strikeouts and just 13 hits allowed across four July starts.  He made three consecutive quality starts to begin the month, including back-to-back seven inning appearances, and had a 19.0 inning scoreless inning streak.  He also tallied two double-digit strikeout performances and matched his career-high with 12 punchouts on July 12 vs. Clearwater.  The 6’5”, Venezuelan has not allowed a home run in his last 105.0 innings pitched dating back to last season.

Signed by the Cardinals as an international free-agent in July 2019, Dávila is the third different Palm Beach pitcher to take home Pitcher of the Month honors this season, joining Quinn Mathews and Darlin Saladin.  Overall this season, he is 3-5 across 17 starts (all with Palm Beach) with a 4.07 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 84.0 innings pitched.

Brian Walton’s take

When one considers the results from the top hitters and pitchers in the system, it is clear that Saggese and Davila are the best July performers in full-season ball. Congratulations to them!

However, our process at The Cardinal Nation does not exclude rookie ball players, leading to two different winners in our view. Compare the July numbers from all the top competitors in these two articles from late last week.

The Cardinal Nation July 2024 Player of the Month – Rainiel Rodriguez

The Cardinal Nation’s July 2024 Pitcher of the Month – Keiverson Ramirez

Related articles for members of The Cardinal Nation

Analyzing July Hitting Results Across the Cardinals System

Analyzing July Pitching Results Across the Cardinals System

Now available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of new scouting reports and much more.

Order TCN’s 2024 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide

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Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com or for fastest turnaround, pose your questions on The Cardinal Nation’s members-only forum. Follow Brian on Twitter.

© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Cardinal Nation’s July 2024 Pitcher of the Month – Keiverson Ramirez

For the second consecutive month, DSL right-hander Keiverson Ramirez posted the top overall pitching performance in the St. Louis Cardinals system. The 18-year-old’s July results are compared to seven other finalists with ERAs under 2.50 plus Top 10 prospects.

This article details the selection process for The Cardinal Nation’s Pitcher of the Month for July 2024. Pitchers across all levels of the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system, including the two rookie-level Complex League teams, are eligible.

As a reminder, this is NOT the “Pitcher of the Month Among Top Prospects”. Every player in the system has an equal chance, with only their performance during the month against their league peers used to differentiate the best of the best. Age and level, which are key prospect considerations, are not factors here.

Guidelines

To qualify, a pitcher must have thrown at least the minor league minimum of 0.8 innings per team game. At the top end, Memphis played 23 games in July. At the rookie ball end, the Dominican Summer League played 18 and the Florida Complex League finished the season with 13 July contests.

So, we will use the following bars for pitchers – 18 1/3 innings for the full-season teams, 14 1/3 for the DSL and 10 1/3 for the FSL.

Across the system, only 24 pitchers made the innings-pitched cut. Oddly, Memphis had just three pitchers who reached the minimum, tied with the DSL for fewest in July. A factor is the number of callups of hurlers to St. Louis during the month, which ultimately is why the minor leagues exist.

To reach the short list of eight finalists, an ERA below 2.50 was required. That bar is much higher than in many months, necessary to get a good finalist pool.

The finalists represent just two of four full-season levels of the organization plus both the rookie level Florida Complex League and Dominican Summer League. Double-A Springfield (for the second straight month) and Triple-A Memphis were shut out despite having eight pitchers between them who made the innings cutoff.

Low-A Palm Beach leads the pack with three finalists, with the two rookie-levels supplying two finalists each. The other finalist calls High-A Peoria home. All eight are starters.

Counting Stats

In the following table, the finalists are listed in ascending ERA order.

July Pitcher Tm W L ERA G GS SV IP H R ER HR BB SO
Keiverson Ramirez DSL 3 1 0.45 4 4 0 20 11 2 1 0 1 19
Jose Davila PB 1 0 0.72 4 4 0 25 13 2 2 0 8 33
Jason Savacool PB 2 0 0.75 5 4 0 24 14 3 2 0 6 15
Ixan Henderson PB 2 0 0.86 4 4 0 21 11 3 2 1 6 15
Andrew Bolivar DSL 0 0 1.45 5 4 0 18.2 11 3 3 0 4 29
Yordy Herrera FCL 2 1 2.25 4 0 0 12 9 4 3 0 7 21
Pete Hansen Peo 3 0 2.35 5 5 0 30.2 25 8 8 5 5 37
Ronny Oliver FCL 1 1 2.45 3 3 0 14.2 7 6 4 0 7 11

Four of the finalists compiled an exceptional ERA of under 1.00, with just one other in the wide range from 0.86 to 2.25. The final three land between 2.25 and 2.48 but are realistically too far behind the others to win.

Just as was the case with our July Player of the Month, we are faced with the dilemma of whether to consider rookie pitchers alongside the others. Our view is that all players are competing to the best of their ability against their peers and as such, good results deserve to be recognized, regardless of the level.

Making matters even more interesting is that our June Pitcher of the Month, DSL right-hander Keiverson Ramirez, is once again atop the ERA leaderboard in July.

José Dávila

The Palm Beach rotation trio of Jose Davila, Jason Savacool and Ixan Henderson each have a case to be made. The former’s total of 33 strikeouts is eye-catching, while the lines of the latter two being so close that it would be difficult to choose between them.

Advanced stats

Here are additional statistics from the finalists in the same ascending ERA sequence.

July Pitcher IP K/9 BB/9 K/BB BAA BABIP WHIP ERA
Keiverson Ramirez 20 8.6 0.5 19.0 0.153 0.208 0.60 0.45
Jose Davila 25 11.9 2.9 4.1 0.157 0.260 0.84 0.72
Jason Savacool 24 5.6 2.3 2.5 0.171 0.209 0.83 0.75
Ixan Henderson 21 6.4 2.6 2.5 0.149 0.172 0.81 0.86
Andrew Bolivar 18.2 14.0 1.9 7.3 0.164 0.289 0.80 1.45
Yordy Herrera 12 15.8 5.3 3.0 0.209 0.409 1.33 2.25
Pete Hansen 30.2 10.9 1.5 7.4 0.216 0.270 0.98 2.35
Ronny Oliver 14.2 6.8 4.3 1.6 0.140 0.179 0.95 2.45

The strikeout rates of rookie-ball pitchers Yordy Herrera (FCL) and Andrew Bolivar (DSL) are very impressive at 15.8 and 14.0 per nine innings, respectively. Also fanning hitters at a rate greater than one per inning are Davila and Peoria’s Pete Hansen.

Yordy Herrera

At the other end of the list, Savacool, Henderson and Oliver all had strikeout rates under seven per nine.

Herrera also led in walk rate, at 5.3 per nine, but this is a stat that pitchers want to minimize. His FCL teammate Ronny Oliver has the same challenge at 4.9.

At the other end of the free pass spectrum is Ramirez, who issued just one all month for a minuscule rate of 0.5 per nine. Exceptional control is even more unusual for a rookie ball hurler.

Put the two together and Ramirez’ strikeout to walk ratio of 19 is unheard of. Also very worthy of mention are the 2022 third-rounder Hansen at 7.4 and Bolivar at 7.3. Oliver at just 1.6 pulled up the rear.

Ronny Oliver

However, Oliver led the finalists in batting average against at a stingy .140, with Henderson (.149), Ramirez (.153) and Davila (.157) right behind. Even the “worst” of the finalists, Hansen at .216, was very good.

In BABIP (batting average on balls in play), Herrera’s .409 really stands out. How could he put together the kind of results he did is amazing to me.

The sub-.180 BABIPs of Henderson and Oliver suggest a high level of good fortune on batted balls. To a slightly lesser extent, the same could be said for Ramirez (.208) and Savacool (.209).

Among the top tier of finalists, Davila’s .260 is closest to being reasonable.

Driven by his low, low walk rate, Ramirez’ WHIP of 0.60 is the best of the group by far, with Bolivar next at 0.80. All finalists were good, coming in under 1.00, except for Herrera at 1.33.

While the rate of baserunners allowed alone (with WHIP as a surrogate) is not a deciding factor, Ramirez’ dominance in this category suggests that his ERA leadership is not a fluke.

If I was trying to share the wealth, I would give the award to Davila. And he might win the organization’s corresponding honors. But his numbers in any category other than strikeout rate simply aren’t the best in the system.

For the second consecutive month, Ramirez’ name was mentioned from the very start and was repeated often. Others also have their high points, but Ramirez has no real weakness (other than BABIP, perhaps) and no other finalist was able to overcome his lowest ERA, WHIP, walk rate and highest strikeout to walk ratio.

When considering all the results, Ramirez is The Cardinal Nation’s July Pitcher of the Month, a rare, but deserving repeater.

About the winner

Keiverson Ramirez

Ramirez, 18, is a second-year DSL starter, after being a January 15 signing for $75,000 from Venezuela in 2023.  Last season, the right-hander logged a 4.31 ERA in 39 2/3 innings.

Returning to the DSL in 2024, Ramirez began with two four-inning starts and followed with a pair of five-inning appearances. He allowed three runs, two earned, in his second start with the other three outings scoreless.

This season, the tall and slender Ramirez (6-foot-1, 170 pounds, up from 155 at signing) has been very strong against right-handed batters (.171 BAA) as well as versus lefties (.214) and has yet to give up a home run this season (in 38 innings pitched).

Baseball America praised Ramirez’ simple, low-effort delivery that leads to his plus control. Pre-signing, his fastball touched 90 mph with projection for more velocity, and he also throws a slider and changeup.

One could argue that if he was assigned to a US-based team, Ramirez would have been promoted by now. However, not only would it be a much greater logistical challenge to come from the Dominican to the States in-season, but the season of the FCL (the next step up) has already concluded.

If Ramirez isn’t invited to US spring training in 2025, however, something would be very wrong.

Top 10 prospects in July

Here is how Top 10 organizational pitching prospects per The Cardinal Nation fared in July. None of the five was a finalist for our Pitcher of the Month honors, but then again, only one of them was healthy.

#2 Tink Hence (Springfield) – The right-hander threw just three innings in June and only 1 2/3 frames at the very tail end of July. The 20-year-old has a lot of catching up to do.

#3 Tekoah Roby (Springfield IL) – Roby has reportedly has not thrown since being placed on the injured list on May 27.

#4 Quinn Mathews (Springfield) – The lefty finished his first full month at Double-A with a 5.06 ERA in four starts. In the process, the fast riser experienced his first career difficulty, including a six-run start on July 12.

#5 Cooper Hjerpe (Springfield IL) – Twice the Texas League Pitcher of the Week in June, the lefty threw just two innings in July before going on the injured list.

#10 Sem Robberse (Memphis IL) – The right-hander did not pitch all month.

June’s winners in July

There is nothing more to say about The Cardinal Nation’s June winner, since Ramirez repeated.

Instead, the Cardinals organization selected Mathews as their June Pitcher of the Month. Since his July results are documented above, this section is complete.

What is next?

Next, The Cardinal Nation will share some observations about July results by other pitchers not mentioned here. The Cardinals organization should name their own selections of Player and Pitcher of the Month in the upcoming days, as well.

Related article

The Cardinal Nation July 2024 Player of the Month – Rainiel Rodriguez

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Analyzing July Hitting Results Across the Cardinals System

Now available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of new scouting reports and much more.

Order TCN’s 2024 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide

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 or for fastest turnaround, pose your questions on The Cardinal Nation’s members-only forum. Follow Brian on Twitter.

© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Cardinal Nation July 2024 Player of the Month – Rainiel Rodriguez

photo: 2024 DSL All-Stars Rainiel Rodriguez and Yairo Padilla (St. Louis Cardinals)

This article details the selection of The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Month. Considered were offensive results during July across the entire St. Louis Cardinals system. The winner as well as a group of nine runners up are highlighted.

With the MiLB qualifying rule of 2.7 plate appearances per team game played, we used 62 PAs as the line this month for the four full-season teams. For rookie ballers, the Florida Complex League played just 13 games, for a minimum PA line of 35 and the Dominican Summer League came in at 18 and 49, respectively.

As a result, a total of 49 hitters in the system qualified. Ten of them separated themselves with an OPS above .850. All six levels of the system are represented, from Triple-A Memphis all the way down to the Dominican Summer League.

They are bunched in groups – four with an OPS in the .800’s, two in the .900’s, three in the 1.000s and one that is in another solar system entirely.

I have been writing these monthly award articles for years and there has never been a situation in which the four top hitters in OPS are all in rookie ball.

While these standouts may prove beneficial to the Cardinals down the road, they present an immediate dilemma for me. I understand the point of view of those who diminish the importance of stats from leagues in which unproven teenage pitchers are facing unproven teenage hitters. Yet, they are professionals.

So, we must either include or exclude these younger players from consideration. Our decision is to always be inclusive.

When we get into his exceptional numbers, it will be clear why DSL catcher Rainiel Rodriguez is our July winner. I am not yet suggesting the 17-year-old is a future star with St. Louis, but his July results against his peers stand out like no other.

And that is why we are here.

Demographics

In a major surprise, the rookie-level Dominican Summer League Cards lead the way with four finalists. Next is Springfield with two. The other four teams, Memphis, Peoria, Palm Beach and the Florida Complex League, have one each.

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 counting stats, followed by rate stats. Names are listed in the same sequence in both tables, in descending OPS order.

Counting stats

July hitter Tm G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS OPS
Rainiel Rodriguez DSL 14 62 50 16 21 5 0 8 19 10 5 0 0 1.500
Facundo Velasquez DSL 17 73 60 12 20 5 0 4 13 9 22 3 1 1.042
Luis Pino FCL 13 48 40 4 15 4 0 1 10 4 12 0 1 1.008
Andru Arthur DSL 15 50 34 12 10 1 0 2 8 10 10 4 1 1.000
Thomas Saggese Mem 22 90 83 13 29 6 1 4 14 7 22 2 0 0.990
Jimmy Crooks Spr 18 68 62 8 19 3 0 4 14 6 17 0 0 0.916
Bracewell Taveras DSL 12 51 49 7 17 1 1 2 10 1 8 0 0 0.884
Brayden Jobert PB 17 69 50 10 13 1 0 2 9 11 16 4 1 0.856
Matt Lloyd Spr 20 79 64 12 17 8 0 2 9 9 17 2 2 0.851
Leonardo Bernal Peo 18 75 65 11 20 2 0 3 13 8 17 1 1 0.850

I am almost completely sure that never in the past were the top four hitters in OPS in any given month all from rookie ball. Further, all four were at 1.000 or higher! Along with Rodriguez are his DSL teammates center fielder Facundo Velasquez and left fielder Andru Arthur plus FCL corner outfielder Luis Piño.

From among the full-season clubs, Memphis infielder Thomas Saggese (.990) stood tallest, followed by Springfield catcher Jimmy Crooks with a .916 OPS.

Thomas Saggese

If the rookie leagues did not exist, Saggese would be the July choice. As he is the reigning Texas League MVP, expectations were high coming into 2024. It took until July for the 22-year-old to elevate his play to the level of the Triple-A International League and now it appears he has. Saggese is the highest-ranked prospect among the finalists, currently at no. 6 on The Cardinal Nation’s Top 50 Prospect List.

Jimmy Crooks

Do not sleep on Crooks, either. The former Oklahoma star has been consistently strong all season long. For 2024 to date, the 23-year-old leads the Double-A Texas League in OBP (.401), is second in batting average (.303) and fourth in slugging percentage (.470). That is a nice package, especially for a catcher. Crooks is The Cardinal Nation’s ninth-ranked prospect.

But there Rodriguez’ numbers are – up in the stratosphere. The DSL catcher not only had twice as many home runs (eight) as any other finalist, he hit double the number of homers of any batter in the entire Cardinals system in July!

Also, Rodriguez led the system with his 19 RBI, compiled in just 14 games. The next closest player in the organization had 15 runs batted in last month.

Rodriguez walked twice as often as he struck out, the only finalist to have a positive ratio, though Arthur receives a tip of the cap for an equal number of BBs and Ks.

Andru Arthur

The clincher is Rodriguez’ gaudy 1.500 OPS, with the next closest being Velasquez, distant in the rearview mirror at “only” 1.042.

Rate stats

July hitter Tm PA BB% K% BABIP ISO BA OBP SLG OPS
Rainiel Rodriguez DSL 62 16.1% 8.1% 0.333 0.580 0.420 0.500 1.000 1.500
Facundo Velasquez DSL 73 12.3% 30.1% 0.444 0.283 0.333 0.425 0.617 1.042
Luis Pino FCL 48 8.3% 25.0% 0.500 0.175 0.294 0.500 0.500 1.008
Andru Arthur DSL 50 20.0% 20.0% 0.348 0.206 0.347 0.353 0.531 1.000
Thomas Saggese Mem 90 10.9% 23.9% 0.263 0.137 0.375 0.458 0.550 0.990
Jimmy Crooks Spr 68 8.8% 25.0% 0.366 0.242 0.260 0.456 0.400 0.916
Bracewell Taveras DSL 51 2.0% 15.7% 0.375 0.184 0.308 0.373 0.477 0.884
Brayden Jobert PB 69 15.9% 23.2% 0.344 0.140 0.306 0.368 0.548 0.856
Matt Lloyd Spr 79 11.4% 21.5% 0.313 0.219 0.266 0.367 0.484 0.851
Leonardo Bernal Peo 75 10.7% 22.7% 0.362 0.169 0.349 0.400 0.590 0.850

As we get into the rate stats, we see that Rodriguez has the lowest strikeout rate by a huge margin and second-highest walk rate, with Arthur leading in the latter category.

Brayden Jobert

Palm Beach infielder Brayden Jobert also deserves a mention for his stellar 15.9% BB rate. Switch-hitting DSL second baseman Bracewell Taveras at 15.7% is the only finalist other than Rodriguez with a strikeout rate under 20%. At the high end, Velasquez is the only finalist to (barely) reach a 30% K rate.

In my view, if there was any reason to diminish the rookie players’ results, BABIP would be it. Some of the highest BABIPs among finalists came from the rookie players, with the lone exception Rodriguez, whose .333 mark is not exceptionally high. In fact, it is the third lowest among finalists.

Elevated BABIPs include .366 for Crooks and .362 for 20-year-old switch-hitting Peoria backstop Leonardo Bernal. A plus for Saggese is his .263 BABIP, making his significant July accomplishments stand a bit taller.

Putting aside Rodriguez’ ridiculous .580 isolated power (ISO) and that of several other rookies, Crooks at .242 and his Springfield teammate Matt Lloyd at .219 are notable power performances.

Matt Lloyd

Again, were it not for Rodriguez’ .420 July batting average, we would be celebrating Saggese’s exceptional .375 mark. Also of note are Bernal at .349 and Arthur at .347.

The story is similar in slugging. Rodriguez dominates at 1.000, with Velasquez next at .617. Also, with a very strong SLG over .500 are Bernal, Saggese, Jobert and Arthur.

In OBP, Piño tied Rodriguez at an even .500, with Saggese and Crooks not far behind at .458 and .456, respectively.

The numbers speak for themselves. Rarely, if ever, does a player dominate in so many statistical categories as did Rodriguez in July, cementing his selection as The Cardinal Nation’s July Player of the Month.

To summarize, Rodriguez led finalists in runs scored, home runs, RBI, lowest strikeout rate, batting average, on-base percentage (tied), slugging, OPS and ISO. The DSL catcher also posted the second highest walk rate while registering a reasonable BABIP.

About the winner

Rainiel Rodriguez

Given all the new names mentioned in this article, at this point, you may be channeling Robert Redford and Paul Newman, who repeatedly asked one another the same question during the classic film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” –

“Who are those guys?”

Our focus is on one of the rookie-level standouts, Rodriguez.

I must admit that I know little about the catcher, either. Unlike our June selection, outfielder Chase Davis, Rodriguez is not a former first-round draft pick. He wasn’t even a mega-bonused January 15 international signing.

Rodriguez is truly a rookie, as he has been a Cardinal for just four months, having signed with no fanfare on April 1 of this year. His reported bonus of $300,000 is only the sixth highest given the 14 international players who have been inked to contracts by the Cardinals organization during this signing period.

One thing is clear, however; the 17-year-old native of Pimentel, DR is off to a eye-popping start as a professional. In fact, Rodriguez was one of two Cardinals selected to participate in the 2024 DSL All-Star Game, held on July 22.

While Rodriguez’ season results are not a factor in this award, they serve as another very relevant indicator that he truly stands above others at this very early stage of his career.

The Dominican Summer League has 51 teams, with over two-thirds of MLB organizations fielding two squads. From those 51 rosters carrying up to 20 hitters each, 301 offensive players have taken enough plate appearances to qualify among the DSL leaders this season.

From among those 301 qualifying DSL hitters in 2024, Rodriguez is first in slugging percentage (.741) and OPS (1.184), is third in batting average (.370) and home runs (nine), and fourth with 34 RBI.

So, while the 5-foot-10, 197-pound right-handed hitter is relatively small in stature, he is big in power and production.

Top 10 hitters in the system during July

Here is how the top 10 hitters in the Cardinals organization per The Cardinal Nation’s prospect rankings fared last month.

#1 J.J. Wetherholt (Palm Beach) – The seventh overall selection in the 2024 draft was activated in time to play in two Low-A games to close July. In six plate appearances, the shortstop singled, walked, was hit by a pitch and struck out one time each.

#6 Thomas Saggese (Memphis) – see results above

#7 Victor Scott (Memphis) – Known for his stolen bases, Scott took only six bags for the second consecutive month. Unexpectedly, the center fielder was second in the system with 15 RBI but barely hit over the Mendoza Line at .208 in July. While his .711 OPS marks his best month since joining Triple-A, Scott is hardly banging on the door for a return to St. Louis.

#8 Leonardo Bernal (Peoria) – see results above

#9 Jimmy Crooks (Springfield) – see results above

June’s winner in July

The good news for our June Player of the Month, Chase Davis, is that the 2023 first rounder was finally promoted to High-A Peoria as the month of July ended.

Chase Davis

Yet, the outfielder hardly rode out of Florida on a high. As Davis completed his first calendar year at Low-A, he slashed .238/.310/.365/.675 over 71 July plate appearances for Palm Beach. His final month strikeout rate was 26.8% versus a walk rate of just 8.5%.

Perhaps the move to the Midwest League will allow The Cardinal Nation’s 12th-ranked prospect to work back toward his June level of performance.

What is next?

The Cardinal Nation’s July Pitcher of the Month award is coming next. In addition, the Cardinals organization should name their own selections of June Player and Pitcher of the Month in the upcoming days.

Coming new this month for members of The Cardinal Nation, I will dig deeper into the July stats for more players in the system, both hitters and pitchers, than are covered here.

In mid-August, we will roll out our last major in-season prospect re-rankings, again exclusively for members. Join TCN today!

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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2024 Week 17

Now available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide

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Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com or for fastest turnaround, pose your questions on The Cardinal Nation’s members-only forum. Follow Brian on Twitter.

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Cardinals Add McGreevy for Wednesday Start, Lynn Injured

photo: Michael McGreevy (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Two days after they increased their rotation depth via trade, the St. Louis Cardinals need it as Lance Lynn goes on the injured list and Michael McGreevy makes what appears to be a spot start on Wednesday.

St. Louis Cardinals release

The St. Louis Cardinals announced a series of roster moves this morning (Wednesday, July 31) that follow:

  • RHP Michael McGreevy (#36) selected from the Memphis (AAA) roster;
  • RHP Lance Lynn (right knee inflammation) placed on the 15-day Injured List;
  • RHP Ryan Loutos (#68) recalled from Memphis (AAA);
  • RHP Chris Roycroft optioned to Memphis (AAA);
  • Memphis RHP Jacob Bosiokovic designated for assignment.

McGreevy, 24, the Cardinals 1st round draft selection (18th player overall) in 2021 out of UC-Santa Barbara, will be making his Major League debut this afternoon in a start against the Texas Rangers.  The 6-5, 220-pound McGreevy will become the 8th player (6th pitcher) to make their Major League debut for St. Louis this season.

Michael McGreevy

McGreevy, who was high school teammates with current Cardinals pitcher Andre Pallante, has compiled a 5-7 mark with a 4.45 ERA in 20 starts for Memphis (AAA) this season.

Rated as having the “Best Control” in the Cardinals organization by Baseball America in each of the past two seasons, McGreevy has logged four scoreless starts of 6.0 innings or more this year, including his most recent start on July 24 at Columbus when he blanked the Clippers on just two hits over 6.0 IP.

Ryan Loutos

Loutos, 25, a product of Washington University (St. Louis, MO), has appeared in two games (1.1 IP) for the Cardinals this season, including his MLB debut on June 1.   The 6-5, 240-pound Loutos (pronounced loo-tus), has saved a team-leading 10 games and recorded a 1.98 ERA in his 31 games pitched for Memphis this season, producing a 1.27 WHIP in 36.1 IP.

Brian Walton’s take

McGreevy becomes the 10th pitcher to start a game for St. Louis this year. With the first start of newly-acquired Erick Fedde this coming weekend, it suggests that McGreevy may be a one-and-done starter – this time around.

However, it is hardly a wasted move. This fall, McGreevy would have been required to be added to the 40-man roster for Rule 5 protection, anyway. As McGreevy seemed to plateau at Triple-A, he slid from eighth on The Cardinal Nation’s Top 50 Prospect List in the off-season to 18th currently.

The 40-man roster casualty to make room for McGreevy is his Memphis teammate Bosiokovic.

Jacob Bosiokovic

The 30-year-old returned to the organization prior to the season as a minor league free agent. Bosiokovic was added to the 40-man and called up to St. Louis from June 30-July 5 but did not make his MLB mound debut.

With Memphis this season, the right-hander has a 3.95 ERA in 33 appearances. He has 52 strikeouts with 25 walks in 41 Triple-A innings.

The Cardinals have seven days for Bosiokovic to clear waivers, trade him or release him.

Lance Lynn

Lynn, 36, was signed during the offseason and has been one of the more inconsistent members of the rotation. Still, the right-hander has a 4.06 ERA in 21 starts while averaging just over five innings per outing. He picked up his sixth win of the season against the Rangers on Tuesday evening after allowing one run in five innings but struggled with right knee inflammation during his outing. The injury is not believed to be serious.

Pallante may remain in the rotation to cover Lynn’s spot.

Chris Roycroft

This season, Roycroft, 27, has been a regular on the I-55 Shuttle between Memphis and St. Louis. The right-hander was most recently called up on July 5. That was his fifth stint with the Cardinals in 2024, though two of them do not count against the maximum of five as they were for one day only as the 27th man for a doubleheader.

With St. Louis this year, his first as a major leaguer, Roycroft has a 4.15 ERA in 24 appearances out of the bullpen.

For transaction and roster information

To see all players in the system by level and position plus every transaction all year ‘round, check out the always free Roster Matrix here at The Cardinal Nation, refreshed today.

Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than five dozen of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.

Special half-price off deal for paid subscribers. Order your PDF or printed book copy today.

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It’s a “Two Dozen Tuesday” for Cardinals Minors Player Moves

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© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cardinals Acquire Reliever Shawn Armstrong for Dylan Carlson

photo: Shawn Armstrong (Mike Watters/USA TODAY Sports)

On deadline day, the St. Louis Cardinals traded former first-rounder Dylan Carlson for Tampa Bay reliever Shawn Armstrong.

St. Louis Cardinals release

The St. Louis Cardinals announced this afternoon (Tuesday, July 30) that they have completed a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, acquiring right-handed pitcher Shawn Armstrong in exchange for outfielder Dylan Carlson.

Armstrong, 33, has appeared in 38 games for the Rays this season, including seven starts, posting a 2-2 mark with a 5.40 ERA.

Shawn Armstrong

The 6-2, 225-pound Armstrong has pitched for Cleveland, Seattle, Baltimore, Miami and Tampa Bay over his 10-year major league career, compiling a 10-7 mark with a 4.18 ERA over 280 games (327.1 IP) with 344 strikeouts.

Last season, Armstrong fanned 54 batters in 52.0 IP for the Rays, and fashioned a 1.38 ERA, allowing just two home runs and 11 walks to go along with a 0.90 WHIP.

Armstrong has had postseason experience with the Rays the past two seasons, appearing in Wild Card round games in both 2022 and 2023.

Brian Walton’s take

After three years of declining performance hampered by injury, Carlson had been relegated to a bench role. It seemed a change of scenery would be best for the former first-rounder.

With Monday’s acquisition of veteran outfielder Tommy Pham, it appeared the odds of Carlson being traded increased.

Dylan Carlson

The Cardinals had a stated need for more relief depth, so this trade accomplished two objectives for the team, currently two games out of the third wild card spot and just two games over .500 for the season.

However, Armstrong is a rental, set to become a free agent following the season. Carlson has two more years of team control in 2025 and 2026.

For transaction and roster information

To see all players in the system by level and position plus every transaction all year ‘round, check out the always free Roster Matrix here at The Cardinal Nation, refreshed today.

Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than five dozen of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.

Special half-price off deal for paid subscribers. Order your PDF or printed book copy today.

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Palm Beach Cardinals Notebook – 2024 Week 17

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Cardinals Acquire Fedde and Pham from White Sox, Send Edman to Dodgers

photo: Erick Fedde (Matt Marton/USA TODAY Sports)

The St. Louis Cardinals addressed two needs in one trade, acquiring starting pitcher Erick Fedde and right-handed hitting outfielder Tommy Pham from the Chicago White Sox. Tommy Edman is now a Los Angeles Dodger.

St. Louis Cardinals press release

The St. Louis Cardinals announced today (Monday, July 29) that they have completed a three-team trade with the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers by acquiring top-rated American League starting pitcher Erick Fedde and former Cardinals outfielder Tommy Pham from the White Sox, while utility player Tommy Edman and minor league right-handed pitcher Oliver Gonzalez were sent to the Dodgers.

The Cardinals will also receive a player to be named later from the Dodgers and cash considerations from the White Sox.

Erick Fedde

Fedde, 31, currently ranks 2nd in the majors in bWAR among pitchers (4.6) to the Detroit Tigers Tarik Skubal (5.3) and ranks among AL leaders in winning pct. (.636), ERA (3.11), and groundball pct. (44.4).

The 6-4, 205-pound Fedde, who is under contract thru 2025, pitched for the Washington Nationals from 2017-2022 and owns a career mark of 28-37 with a 4.92 ERA in 123 games (109 starts) in the majors.

Fedde starred in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) last season, going 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA and became the first foreign-born player, and fourth pitcher ever, to win the Triple Crown in pitching (league leader in wins, ERA and strikeouts) and was named the KBO’s Best Pitcher and MVP.

Tommy Pham

Pham, 36, who played for the Cardinals from 2014-2018, was batting .266 with 5 HR’s and 19 RBI in 70 games with the White Sox this season.  The right-handed hitting Pham is batting .366 with runners on base this season and has played all three outfield positions for the Pale Hose after getting a late start to his season.

Pham enjoyed a strong postseason showing for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, batting .429 in the World Series, and he owns a career .313 batting mark and .846 OPS in 31 career postseason games.

Pham has a career batting mark of .259 and .780 OPS with 135 HR’s and 450 RBI in 1,075 career games in the majors with St. Louis (2014-18), Tampa Bay (2018-19), San Diego (2020-21), Cincinnati (2022), Boston (2022), New York Mets (2023), Arizona (2023) and the White Sox (2024).

The Cardinals have designated Memphis (AAA) catcher Nick Raposo for assignment to make room on their 40-player Major League roster for the additions of Fedde and Pham.

Brian Walton’s take

Here is the rest of the trade.

The Dodgers traded 3B Miguel Vargas, SS Alexander Albertus, SS Jeral Perez and a player to be named later or cash considerations to the White Sox for RHP Michael Kopech.

The Cardinals addressed their need for a right-handed hitting outfielder and starting pitcher in one trade. In the process, they gave up a valuable player in Edman, though one who has been unavailable for the entire season to date.

Tommy Edman

In his eight rehab games with the Springfield Cardinals. Edman has yet to play in the field and batted just .207 with a 26.5% strikeout rate at Double-A.

It remains to be seen whose rotation spot Fedde will take, but it would seem to block lefty Steven Matz, who hopes to return from injury in August.

Oliver Gonzalez

Gonzalez, 17, is a native of Panama signed this February. In seven appearances including four starts for the Dominican Summer League Cardinals, the right-hander posted a 4.22 ERA. He struck out 26 and walked seven in 21 1/3 innings.

Though it probably won’t take that long, the Cardinals and Dodgers have six months to decide on the player to be named later.

Nick Raposo

As the fourth catcher on the 40-man roster, Raposo was needed with St. Louis briefly from June 22-24, but he did not get in a game. In the next week, the 26-year-old will either be traded, released, claimed off waivers, or most likely, cleared waivers and be outrighted to Memphis.

Roster considerations

In the interim, Raposo has lost his 40-man roster spot. Edman obviously has, as well, but he didn’t have one at the time of the trade, as he was on the 60-day injured list. The second 40-man opening needed came from Giovanny Gallegos having been outrighted on Sunday.

When Pham and Fedde report, the Cardinals will have to drop two players from the active 26-man roster.

Counting cash

Fedde for Edman is basically cash neutral in 2024, but the pitcher will be $2 million cheaper in 2025. Pham’s remaining salary for 2024 will be less than the roughly $2 million remaining salary for Gallegos, but that matters only if the Cardinals find a taker for the reliever.

Speaking of cash considerations, we do not know how much money the White Sox are sending to the Cardinals.

For transaction and roster information

To see all players in the system by level and position plus every transaction all year ‘round, check out the always free Roster Matrix here at The Cardinal Nation, refreshed today.

Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than five dozen of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.

Special half-price off deal for paid subscribers. Order your PDF or printed book copy today.

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Dominican Summer League Cardinals Notebook – 2024 Week 8

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© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

DSL Cardinals Right-Hander Kener Perez Suspended

St. Louis Cardinals minor league pitcher Kener Perez, a member of the Dominican Summer League Cardinals, has been suspended 56 games for a PED violation.

Major League Baseball press release

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that three Minor League players have been suspended.

Kener Perez

St. Louis Cardinals Minor League pitcher Kener Perez, who is currently on their Dominican Summer League roster, has received a 56-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Drug Prevention and Treatment Program for Minor League players assigned outside of the United States and Canada.

San Diego Padres Minor League pitcher Ibrahym Jimenez, who is currently on their Dominican Summer League roster, has received a 56-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Nandrolone, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Drug Prevention and Treatment Program for Minor League players assigned outside of the United States and Canada.

Free agent Minor League pitcher Yonathan Frias has received a 56-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Drug Prevention and Treatment Program for Minor League players assigned outside of the United States and Canada.

Brian Walton’s take

Perez, a 19-year-old native of Colombia, is in his second year as a relief pitcher in the DSL. After posting a 4.91 ERA in 13 games in 2023, his mark has slid to 8.31 in seven 2024 outings. In 13 innings this season, the right-hander has 12 strikeouts, but issued eight walks and hit seven batters. Perez last pitched on July 17.

The duration of the suspension means that Perez will miss the early stages of the 2025 season as well as it having ended his 2024.

According to my records, Perez is the 43rd Cardinals minor leaguer to be suspended for PED or drug-related matters, but only the second since 2019. In June 2023, current Springfield right-hander Leonardo Taveras was suspended 80 games while still in Class-A.

For transaction and roster information

To see all players in the system by level and position plus every transaction all year ‘round, check out the always free Roster Matrix here at The Cardinal Nation, refreshed today.

Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than five dozen of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.

Special half-price off deal for paid subscribers. Order your PDF or printed book copy today.

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TCN’s Monthly Cardinals Top 50 Prospect Rankings – July 2024

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Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com or for fastest turnaround, pose your questions on The Cardinal Nation’s members-only forum. Follow Brian on X/Twitter.

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