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

The Cardinal Nation’s May 2026 Pitcher of the Month – Jacob Odle

photo: Jacob Odle (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

With the lowest FIP, most strikeouts, second highest strikeout rate and fourth lowest ERA despite the second highest BABIP among finalists, Jacob Odle compiled the top overall pitching performance in the St. Louis Cardinals system in May.

It is time to select The Cardinal Nation’s May Pitcher of the Month. This article covers pitchers across all levels 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 May. 54 of 83 active pitchers made the first cut. To reach the list of 10 finalists, an ERA below 2.50 was required. The group consists of six starters and four relievers.

Two allowed just one earned run all month and had ERA’s below 0.88. Two others had strong ERAs between 1.20 and 1.25. In total, six generated ERAs under 1.55. But as always, there is more to our process than just selecting the pitcher with the lowest ERA.

The finalists represent all four full-season levels and the one short-season rookie level active during the month, from the Florida Complex League up through Triple-A Memphis. The first place Redbirds lead the pack with three finalists, with the other three full-season levels featuring two finalists each. The other finalist represents the FCL.

Counting Stats

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

May pitchers Tm W L ERA G GS SV IP H R ER HR BB SO WHIP
Jesús García PB/FCL 1 0 0.82 7 0 2 11 2 1 1 0 1 9 0.27
Dylan Driessen PB 1 1 0.87 7 0 0 10.1 7 2 1 1 2 16 0.87
Max Rajcic Mem 2 0 1.20 11 0 3 15 8 4 2 1 4 19 0.80
Jacob Odle Peo/PB 1 1 1.25 5 5 0 21.2 14 3 3 0 13 34 1.25
Jan Cabrera FCL 0 1 1.32 4 3 0 13.2 14 3 2 0 6 15 1.46
Jack Findlay Spr 3 0 1.54 8 0 1 11.2 7 2 2 0 4 13 0.94
Blake Aita Peo 1 0 2.05 5 5 0 22 15 5 5 1 7 23 1.00
Mason Molina Spr 1 0 2.25 4 4 0 16 9 4 4 0 13 21 1.38
Brycen Mautz Mem 0 1 2.37 4 4 0 19 17 6 5 2 8 24 1.32
Hunter Dobbins Mem 0 0 2.45 4 4 0 22 20 6 6 2 5 14 1.14

20-year-old reliever Jesus Garcia utterly dominated FCL hitters, including not allowing a run in five rookie-ball outings, but the right-hander has not fared as well since joining more age-appropriate Palm Beach.

Jesus Garcia

The finalist-high 34 strikeouts (and one off a share of the system lead) in 21 1/3 innings by Jacob Odle between Palm Beach and Peoria catches one’s eye. However, his 13 walks tied Springfield’s Mason Molina for the most among finalists.

Dylan Driessen

Palm Beach reliever Dylan Driessen’s 0.87 ERA is second lowest, though his innings count barely crossed the minimum line at 10 1/3. Max Rajcic at 1.20 and Odle at 1.25 also had exceptional ERAs during May.

Max Rajcic

FCL’s Jan Cabrera at 1.32 and Springfield’s Jack Findlay at 1.54 also completed the month under 2.00.

The next four finalists had ERAs over 2.00 – Peoria’s Blake Aita, Molina and Memphis teammates Brycen Mautz and Hunter Dobbins. Mautz and Rajcic are repeat finalists from April.

Jack Findlay

Four relievers logged May WHIPs under 1.00 – Garcia, Driessen, Rajcic and Findlay.

Advanced stats

Here are additional statistics from the 10 finalists in ascending FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) sequence.

May pitchers Age IP K% BB% K/BB BAA BABIP WHIP ERA FIP
Jacob Odle 22 21.2 14.1% 5.4% 2.6 0.189 0.350 1.25 1.25 2.41
Dylan Driessen 21 10.1 13.9% 1.7% 8.0 0.194 0.316 0.87 0.87 2.45
Jack Findlay 23 11.2 10.0% 3.1% 3.3 0.175 0.259 0.94 1.54 2.51
Jesús García 20 11 25.0% 2.8% 9.0 0.057 0.077 0.27 0.82 2.62
Max Rajcic 24 15 11.4% 2.4% 4.8 0.154 0.219 0.80 1.20 2.66
Jan Cabrera 21 13.2 9.9% 4.0% 2.5 0.264 0.368 1.46 1.32 3.19
Blake Aita 23 22 9.4% 2.9% 3.3 0.192 0.264 1.00 2.05 3.54
Brycen Mautz 24 19 11.4% 3.8% 3.0 0.233 0.319 1.32 2.37 3.79
Mason Molina 22 16 11.8% 7.3% 1.6 0.161 0.257 1.38 2.25 3.90
Hunter Dobbins 26 22 5.7% 2.1% 2.8 0.238 0.265 1.14 2.45 4.25

Following Garcia’s amazing 25% K rate are Odle at 14.1% and Driessen at 13.9%. Others with double-digit K rates are Molina, Mautz, Rajcic and Findlay. Dobbins’ 5.7% rate stood out at the other end of the strikeout spectrum.

Hunter Dobbins

The stingiest finalists in issuing walks are Driessen at 1.7% and Dobbins at 2.1%. Molina issued free passes to 7.3% of his batters faced, followed by Odle at 5.4%.

It is impossible to ignore Garcia’s strikeout to walk ratio of 9.0, though Driessen at 8.0 is right behind him. Bringing up the K:BB ratio rear was Molina at 1.6, followed by Cabrera at 2.5.

Seven of the 10 pitchers held opposing hitters to a collective batting average under .200, with Garcia at .057 most exceptional.

Jan Cabrera

Most unlucky in BABIP (batting average on balls in play) were Cabrera at .368 and Odle at .350. Garcia’s .077 is beyond amazing but will be almost impossible to replicate in the future.

FIP or fielding independent pitching puts these May results in a different light. Every finalist has a FIP over more than one run per nine innings higher than his ERA.

However, only two finalists met both the below-2.50 ERA bar and below-2.50 FIP bar. They are Odle and Driessen, with the two lowest May FIPs. Either of the two would be a worthy choice as TCN’s Player of the Month.

Considering all results, Odle edged Driessen as our selection of The Cardinal Nation’s May Pitcher of the Month.

During the month, Odle posted the lowest FIP, most strikeouts, second highest strikeout rate and fourth lowest ERA despite the second highest BABIP among finalists.

About the winner

Jacob Odle

Odle, 22, was selected by Cardinals in the 14th round of the 2023 draft from Orange Coast Community College after transferring from UC-Irvine. After his brief professional debut in 2023, the San Diego native underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2024 season.

The right-hander returned to official action in May 2025. Logging 51 1/3 innings between the FCL and Palm Beach, Odle had a 5.92 ERA in 17 starts last season.

Back with Palm Beach to open 2026, Odle struck out six or more in seven of his nine appearances. His 51 Ks in 33 innings (13.9 K/9) ranked fifth in the Florida State League at the time of his May 26 promotion to Peoria.

In his first start with the Chiefs, Odle might have had the jitters. He went 3 2/3 one-run innings in his High-A debut, striking out three but walking six.

Odle is currently The Cardinal Nation’s 30th ranked prospect and is rising fast.

How last month’s winners fared

Though the St. Louis Cardinals selected Yhoiker Fajardo as their April Pitcher of the Month across the system, our choice was Ty Van Dyke. The latter had dominated at Low-A Palm Beach and on May 18, the 22-year-old right-hander received a well-deserved promotion to Peoria.

During May, Van Dyke made five starts, three for the Beach Birds and two for the Chiefs. He gave up six runs in 13 2/3 innings with Palm Beach. Van Dyke had a rough Midwest League debut, charged with three runs in 3 2/3 innings, but followed that with six shutout innings on two hits. A negative is a season high five walks and just one strikeout.

His overall results for the month were a 3.47 ERA with 17 strikeouts and 13 walks in 23 1/3 innings/five starts.

With Peoria, Fajardo made five May starts, going 21 1/3 innings with a 4.64 ERA. He struck out 34 and walked just six.

Companion article

Peoria outfielder Won-Bin Cho is our top hitter in the Cardinals system for the month of May. Check out his results and those of our other finalists here:

The Cardinal Nation May 2026 Player of the Month – Won-Bin Cho

What is next?

The Cardinals organization should also name their own selections as May Player and Pitcher of the Month in the upcoming days.

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

Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2026 Week 9

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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.

The Cardinal Nation May 2026 Player of the Month – Won-Bin Cho

photo: Won-Bin Cho (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The Cardinal Nation’s choice as the top hitter in the St. Louis Cardinals system during May is Peoria outfielder Won-Bin Cho, who edged eight other finalists. The 22-year-old led in OPS, slugging, isolated power, stolen bases, extra base hits (tied) and RBI (tied). Cho was second in wRC+ and third in walk rate.

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

Starting with the usual 60 plate appearances requirement, a total of 48 hitters in the system qualified. Nine further separated themselves with OPSes above .950, including four over 1.000.

Our May winner is Peoria outfielder Won-Bin Cho.

Demographics

First-place Triple-A Memphis led the finalist list with four, while last-place Double-A Springfield was shut out for the second consecutive month. The two Class-A squads, Peoria and Palm Beach, had two each, with one finalist from the rookie level Florida Complex League.

The finalist position mix is made up of four infielders, four outfielders and one catcher.

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

May hitter Tm G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS
Won-Bin Cho Peo 24 99 83 16 27 9 2 5 24 15 29 10 3 0.325 0.434 0.663 1.097
Michael Dattalo PB/FCL 18 79 70 10 30 5 1 2 14 6 8 1 0 0.429 0.481 0.614 1.095
Sebastian Dos Santos FCL 19 78 60 17 18 6 1 4 11 15 20 8 2 0.300 0.462 0.633 1.095
Nelson Velázquez Mem 18 79 65 14 20 4 0 5 15 11 23 3 0 0.308 0.418 0.600 1.018
Jimmy Crooks Mem 16 77 59 17 16 3 0 5 12 15 18 0 0 0.271 0.442 0.576 1.018
Yordalin Peña PB 21 88 77 15 26 4 1 4 15 8 21 8 1 0.338 0.414 0.571 0.985
Joshua Báez Mem 25 118 106 22 29 4 2 10 24 9 34 6 1 0.274 0.347 0.632 0.980
Blaze Jordan Mem 24 111 100 19 35 10 0 3 15 9 10 0 0 0.350 0.414 0.540 0.954
Jack Gurevitch Peo/PB 24 110 94 15 28 3 0 7 18 13 31 2 1 0.298 0.400 0.553 0.953

In OPS, Cho, Michael Dattalo and Sebastian Dos Santos are closely bunched on top at 1.097 and 1.095.  The next group is made up of Memphis (now St. Louis) teammates Nelson Velazquez and Jimmy Crooks.

Michael Dattalo

Extra-base hit leaders were Cho and Memphis outfielder Joshua Baez with 16. Next was Memphis corner infielder Blaze Jordan at 13.

Joshua Baez

Jordan was tops in doubles (10), Cho and Baez co-led in triples (two) and Baez was first in home runs (10).

Blaze Jordan

In slugging, Cho logged the May system lead at .663. Next were Dos Santos and Baez at .633 and .632, respectively.

Six finalists hit over .300 for the month with Dattalo standing highest at an amazing .425. However, much of the third baseman’s month was spent rehabbing in the FCL, below his appropriate level of play. For that reason, Dattalo will not be our winner. Next was Jordan at .350.

Eight of the nine posted an OBP of .400 or better with Baez (.343) far below the group.  Dattalo was the leader at .481, with Dos Santos next at .462.

The .300/.400/.500 line was not a high bar for this group in May, with five finalists exceeding it.

Jimmy Crooks

None of the finalists had more walks than strikeouts, though Jordan (-1), Dattalo (-2) and Crooks (-3) were closest.

Cho and Baez tied for the most May RBIs with 24 each.

Yordalin Peña

Cho topped the system in stolen bases with 10, followed by Dos Santos and Palm Beach’s Yordalin Peña with eight each.

Advanced stats

May hitter Tm Age PA BB% K% ISO BABIP wRC+
Michael Dattalo PB/FCL 22 79 7.6% 10.1% 0.186 0.459 191
Won-Bin Cho Peo 22 99 15.2% 29.3% 0.337 0.449 172
Yordalin Peña PB 21 88 9.1% 23.9% 0.234 0.423 166
Sebastian Dos Santos FCL 18 78 19.2% 25.6% 0.333 0.389 165
Jimmy Crooks Mem 24 77 19.5% 23.4% 0.305 0.306 163
Nelson Velázquez Mem 27 79 13.9% 29.1% 0.292 0.395 161
Blaze Jordan Mem 23 111 8.1% 9.0% 0.190 0.368 150
Jack Gurevitch Peo/PB 22 110 11.8% 28.2% 0.255 0.375 147
Joshua Báez Mem 23 118 7.6% 28.8% 0.358 0.306 143

At 18 years of age, FCL shortstop Dos Santos is our youngest finalist. Next is Peña at 21.

At 27, Velazquez is the other bookend as our oldest finalist.

As we get into additional stats, we see that good fortune in the guise of a very high BABIP (.368 or better) benefited all but two of our finalists. Exceptionally high were Dattalo (.459) and Cho (.459). At a normal .306 were Crooks and Baez.

Crooks and Dos Santos, followed by Cho, stood highest among the finalists in walk rate, with the catcher most exceptional at 19.5%.

Sebastian Dos Santos

On the less positive side, four finalists posted a walk rate of under 10%, with Dattalo and Baez lowest at 7.6%.

Toughest to strike out was Jordan at 9.0%, followed by Dattalo (10.1%).

At the high end of the K spectrum, four finalists came in between 28.2% and 29.3% – Cho, Velazquez, Baez and Jack Gurevitch.

In Isolated Power, ISO, Baez was first at .358, with Cho (.337) and Dos Santos (.333) next.

In weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+), Dattalo was head and shoulders on top (191) with Cho alone at 172. Four others were bunched between 161 and 165.

In summary, Cho led in OPS, slugging, isolated power, stolen bases, extra base hits (tied) and RBI (tied). He was second in wRC+ and third in walk rate.

The most significant concerns are Cho’s very high BABIP and strikeout rate. Perhaps he wouldn’t be able to repeat with a more reasonable BABIP, but his May results speak loudest.

Therefore, Won-Bin Cho receives the honor of The Cardinal Nation’s May Player of the Month.

About the winner

Won-Bin Cho

Cho, a left-handed hitting outfielder from Korea, was originally signed by the Cardinals as an international free agent in January 2022. Now 22 years of age, Cho was a top 25-ranked prospect in the system in 2023 through 2025.

However, after following his 2024 OPS of .612 with a .688 mark in 2025, both at Peoria, Cho slid off our top prospect list.

Opening his third year at High-A in 2026, Cho finished his big May with Midwest League Player of the Week honors. Through 43 games this season, Cho is hitting .270 with seven home runs, 35 RBI and a .920 OPS.

How did April’s winners fare in May?

The Cardinals couldn’t decide between Jack Gurevitch and Blaze Jordan as their April Player of the Month across the system. Our choice was Peoria left side infielder Jalin Flores.

Month to month, the 22-year-old Flores dropped over 320 points in OPS, from .961 in April to .638 in May. In 109 plate appearances, the right-handed hitter slashed .225/.275/.363/.638. Still, Flores hit three home runs and drove in 16 in 24 games.

Gurevitch received a mid-May promotion to Peoria. The corner infielder continued to hit well, as his finalist status above outlines. Gurevitch had a May OPS of .953, hit seven home runs and drove in 18 over 24 games.

Jordan also improved in May with a .954 OPS after he posted an .840 mark to open 2026. The corner infielder drove in 15 runs in 24 contests.

What is next?

Next up, look for The Cardinal Nation’s May Pitcher of the Month article, the companion to this one.

Also, the Cardinals organization should name their own selections of May Player and Pitcher of the Month in the upcoming days.

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

Florida Complex League Cardinals Notebook – 2026 Week 4

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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 Promote Rainiel Rodriguez and Jack Gurevitch

photo: Rainiel Rodriguez (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Two of the hottest hitting players in 2026 in the St. Louis Cardinals have been promoted upward.

On Monday, May 11, the organization announced that catcher Rainiel Rodriguez is moving from High-A Peoria to Double-A Springfield and corner infielder Jack Gurevitch from Low-A Palm Beach is replacing him on the Chiefs roster.

Rainiel Rodriguez

In 128 Midwest League plate appearances, the 5-foot-9, 210-pound Rodriguez slashed .311/.430/.519/.949. His batting average and OPS were tops among Chiefs. He had hits in 21 of 28 games and has an active seven-game hitting streak. With Peoria, his strikeout rate was 18.8% and his walk rate was 14.4%.

At 19.2 years old, Rodriguez was the youngest player to open the season at High-A. With his promotion to Springfield, he will be the second-youngest player at Double-A behind Jesús Made of the Brewers system.

Rodriguez is The Cardinal Nation’s no. 1 prospect in the Cardinals organization and is ranked among the top 35 across baseball by national concerns.

Springfield will have to make a roster move to accommodate the addition of Rodriguez, which we will report here once it is announced. Considering the Double-A Cards had four active catchers already, a return of Chase Adkison to the Development List is a possibility.

Update

On Tuesday morning, the Cardinals announced the corresponding Springfield roster move.

Jack Gurevitch

Monday was a big day for the 22-year-old Gurevitch as he was also named the organization’s co-Player of the Month for April. You can read all about his standout month here.

Currently, the first/third baseman leads all Cardinals minor leaguers with 28 RBI and is third with 16 extra-base hits. Gurevitch’s slash line for Palm Beach is .274/.398/.538/.936 in 128 plate appearances. The left-handed hitter’s strikeout rate was high at 30.5% but his walk rate was very good at 15.6%.

In the new May prospect rankings here at The Cardinal Nation, Gurevitch is ranked 22nd in the system.

For roster and player information

The team rosters here at The Cardinal Nation are kept up to date daily. To access them, click on “ROSTERS/PLAYERS/MOVES” located on the red menu bar on the left of the page beneath The Cardinal Nation site logo.

To see the Cardinals’ entire system by level and position on one page along with every player transaction for every club all year long, check out the always current Roster Matrix at The Cardinal Nation. It is kept updated daily and is accessible from the same menu as team rosters.

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 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

The Cardinal Nation’s May Top 50 Prospects – The Healthy Lefties

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If you enjoyed this article, please consider joining The Cardinal Nation to receive 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.

The Cardinal Nation’s April 2026 Pitcher of the Month – Ty Van Dyke

photo: Ty Van Dyke (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

With an ERA of 0.00 and a 7-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio across four starts, Palm Beach right-hander Ty Van Dyke compiled the top overall pitching performance in the St. Louis Cardinals system in April.

It is time to select The Cardinal Nation’s first Pitcher of the Month for 2026. This article covers pitchers across all levels of the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system during April.

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 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 10 innings during April. 39 of 76 active pitchers made the first cut. To reach the list of 11 finalists, an ERA below 3.00 was required. Encouragingly, the group consists of seven starters and four relievers.

One did not allow an earned run all month and two others had ERA’s below 0.67. From them to the next lowest ERA was a jump to 1.69. But as you will see below, there is more to our process than just selecting the pitcher with the lowest ERA.

The finalists represent all four full-season levels of the organization active during the month, from Low-A Palm Beach up through Triple-A Memphis. The first place Redbirds lead the pack with five finalists, with the other three levels featuring two finalists each. As an interesting side note, last-place Springfield’s two finalists are relievers.

Counting Stats

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

April pitchers Tm W L ERA G GS SV IP H R ER HR BB SO WHIP
Ty Van Dyke PB 1 0 0.00 4 4 0 19.1 8 3 0 1 3 21 0.57
Pete Hansen* Mem/PB 0 0 0.59 4 4 0 15.1 11 1 1 0 5 16 1.04
Rubén Menes PB/Peo 3 0 0.66 6 0 0 13.2 5 1 1 0 4 15 0.66
Yhoiker Fajardo Peo 1 0 1.69 4 2 0 16 18 4 3 1 2 20 1.25
Richard Fitts Mem 2 0 1.76 3 3 0 15.1 13 3 3 0 6 11 1.24
Mason Burns Sgf 0 1 2.08 8 0 1 13 7 3 3 2 9 14 1.23
Max Rajcic Mem 2 1 2.29 10 1 2 19.2 17 6 5 1 8 20 1.27
Luis Gastelum Mem 2 0 2.45 11 0 2 14.2 7 4 4 1 11 12 1.23
Michael Watson* Sgf 2 0 2.61 8 0 0 10.1 6 4 3 1 10 16 1.55
Brycen Mautz* Mem 0 1 2.84 6 6 0 25.1 16 10 8 2 19 26 1.38
Jack Martinez PB 0 2 2.95 5 5 0 18.1 14 10 6 3 9 23 1.26
* left-handed

That Palm Beach starter Ty Van Dyke allowed no unearned runs on just eight hits in 19 1/3 innings is exceptional. His three unearned runs came on a home run after defensive miscues.

Brycen Mautz

The finalist-high 26 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings by Memphis’ Brycen Mautz catches one’s eye. However, his 19 walks were the most by all 76 pitchers in the system during April.

Pete Hansen

Though his 0.59 ERA is second lowest and his two Memphis debuts were strong, Pete Hansen’s first two starts were rehab outings three levels lower at Palm Beach, where he was expected to dominate.

Ruben Menes’ 0.66 ERA and 0.66 WHIP were both exceptional, not to mention his three wins. It is no wonder the reliever earned a promotion from Palm Beach to Peoria.

Yhoiker Fajardo’s 1.69 ERA was likely helped by his amazing 20 strikeouts against just two walks in 16 Midwest League innings. Not a bad first month in the organization.

Richard Fitts

Richard Fitts was great at Memphis with a 1.76 ERA before he suffered a season-ending injury.

The next four finalists are relievers with ERAs over 2.00 – Springfield’s Mason Burns and Michael Watson and Memphis teammates Max Rajcic and Luis Gastelum. A common thread is that their walks were too high.

Jack Martinez

Jack Martinez at Palm Beach also had a nice first month in the system with a good strikeout rate. The only blemish is three home runs allowed.

Advanced stats

Here are additional statistics from the 11 finalists in the same ascending ERA sequence.

April pitchers Age IP K/9 BB/9 K/BB BAA BABIP WHIP ERA FIP
Ty Van Dyke 22 19.1 9.8 1.4 7.0 0.125 0.204 0.57 0.00 3.02
Pete Hansen* 25 15.1 9.4 2.9 3.2 0.197 0.264 1.04 0.59 2.69
Rubén Menes 24 13.2 9.9 2.6 3.8 0.109 0.161 0.66 0.66 2.68
Yhoiker Fajardo 19 16 11.3 1.1 10.0 0.278 0.412 1.25 1.69 2.43
Richard Fitts 26 15.1 6.5 3.5 1.8 0.236 0.295 1.24 1.76 3.42
Mason Burns 24 13 9.7 6.2 1.6 0.163 0.185 1.23 2.08 5.83
Max Rajcic 24 19.2 9.2 3.7 2.5 0.243 0.327 1.27 2.29 3.79
Luis Gastelum 24 14.2 7.4 6.8 1.1 0.145 0.171 1.23 2.45 4.92
Michael Watson* 24 10.1 13.9 8.7 1.6 0.171 0.278 1.55 2.61 5.03
Brycen Mautz* 24 25.1 9.2 6.8 1.4 0.174 0.219 1.38 2.84 5.18
Jack Martinez 23 18.1 11.3 4.4 2.6 0.203 0.256 1.26 2.95 5.18
* left-handed

With double-digit K rates, Watson, Martinez and Fajardo led the strikeout parade, with the former’s 13.9 Ks per nine innings best of the best. Gastelum and Fitts stand out for the wrong reasons with strikeout rates well under one per inning.

Michael Watson

No one else was anywhere near the super stingy 1.1 and 1.4 free passes per nine innings logged by Fajardo and Van Dyke, respectively.  The next best was Menes at 2.6.

Four walked six or more batters per nine innings, hurting their chances considerably. They are Watson, Mautz, Gastelum and Burns.

It is impossible to ignore Fajardo’s strikeout to walk ratio of 10.0. Relatively small sample or not, that is some impressive pitching. Van Dyke’s 7.0 rate is also amazing.

The other finalists were at 3.8 K/BB or lower. Bringing up the rear was Gastelum at 1.1. He has more work to do before being ready for MLB.

Ruben Menes

Seven of the 11 pitchers held opposing hitters to a collective batting average under .200, with Menes (.109) and Van Dyke (.125) the best of the best. Standing out like a sore thumb is Fajardo at .278. But wait!

BABIP (batting average on balls in play) helps explain why Fajardo is an outlier. His .412 BABIP suggests a lot of bad luck was in play. That he could register a 1.69 ERA despite this makes me wonder how good he could be with normal (.300) batted ball luck.

On the other hand, the very low .161 BABIP from Menes, .171 from Gastelum and .185 mark by Burns are not sustainable. The relief trio had considerable good fortune that should balance out (with poorer results) over time.

FIP or fielding independent pitching puts these April results in a different light. Six of the finalists have FIPs that are three or four runs higher than their ERA. Five have FIPs at 4.92 or more.

Yhoiker Fajardo

The finalist with both the lowest FIP and the closest ERA (1.69) and FIP (2.43) to one another is none other than Fajardo. Remember that he also had the highest batting average against and highest BABIP.

Only because of these wild swings did I not select Fajardo, who could have an even better May just ahead.

When considering all results, the most balanced performer is Van Dyke, our choice as The Cardinal Nation’s April Pitcher of the Month.

The right-hander posted the lowest ERA and WHIP among finalists. Van Dyke was second in three other categories – lowest opponent batting average, lowest walk rate and highest strikeout to walk ratio.

About the winner

Ty Van Dyke

Based on his solid Palm Beach debut after signing last July, the 10th rounder from Stetson entered our Top 50 Prospect List at no. 43. Van Dyke also got out of the chute quickly in 2026, named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week for the period of April 6-12.

While acknowledging that VanDyke has work to do on all his pitches including improving his sinker and cutter, Kyle Reis was very positive about Van Dyke’s potential, placing him 33rd on his personal list during the off-season.

“From his first start, Van Dyke was showing off a six-pitch mix, complementing his fastball and slider with a sinker, cutter, curve, and change. You must understand, this was a positively thrilling development for me. A big body with an arm and an ability and willingness to throw everything including the kitchen sink is what I dream of.”

Companion article

Peoria third baseman-shortstop Jalin Flores is our top hitter in the Cardinals system for the month of April. Check out his results and those of our other finalists here:

The Cardinal Nation April 2026 Player of the Month – Jalin Flores

What is next?

The Cardinals organization should also name their own selections as April Player and Pitcher of the Month in the upcoming days.

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!

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The Cardinal Nation April 2026 Player of the Month – Jalin Flores

photo: Jalin Flores (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The Cardinal Nation’s choice as the top hitter in the St. Louis Cardinals system during April is Peoria infielder Jalin Flores, who edged 10 other finalists. Flores was the only .300/.400/.500 hitter in the system during April and led the organization in OPS at .961. He also tied for the RBI lead, plating 20 in just 19 games.

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

Starting with the usual 60 plate appearances requirement, a total of 39 hitters in the system qualified. Eleven further separated themselves with OPSes above .850, including seven over .900, but no one over .961.

Peoria infielder Jalin Flores is our April winner.

Demographics

First-place Triple-A Memphis led the finalist list with five, while last-place Double-A Springfield was shut out. The two Class-A squads, Peoria and Palm Beach, had four and two, respectively.

The finalist position mix includes four infielders, three outfielders, two infield-outfielders and two catchers.

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 same sequence in both tables, in descending OPS order.

Basic stats

April hitter Tm G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
Jalin Flores Peo 19 80 66 16 20 6 1 3 20 1 1 8 15 0.303 0.400 0.561 0.961
Jimmy Crooks* Mem 23 100 82 18 21 1 0 8 17 1 0 15 34 0.256 0.390 0.561 0.951
Jack Gurevitch* PB 20 91 77 14 22 8 0 4 20 0 2 13 27 0.286 0.396 0.545 0.941
Bryan Torres* Mem 21 96 74 11 26 6 1 0 10 5 2 17 13 0.351 0.463 0.459 0.923
Rainiel Rodriguez Peo 21 96 77 17 22 8 1 2 12 2 0 17 19 0.286 0.427 0.494 0.921
Blaze Jordan Mem 25 105 98 14 30 7 0 6 15 2 2 6 12 0.306 0.352 0.561 0.914
Tai Peete* Peo 20 98 87 15 24 6 3 4 20 4 5 11 28 0.276 0.357 0.552 0.909
César Prieto* Mem 26 106 97 16 29 6 0 6 14 1 0 5 18 0.299 0.349 0.546 0.895
Cameron Nickens PB 16 66 52 13 17 4 0 0 8 2 1 11 14 0.327 0.455 0.404 0.858
José Suárez Peo 18 70 63 14 18 7 0 3 11 3 2 3 27 0.286 0.314 0.540 0.854
Bligh Madris* Mem 20 73 65 13 17 5 0 4 15 1 0 5 15 0.262 0.329 0.523 0.852
* left-handed

In OPS, Flores is on top with his .961 mark with Memphis catcher Jimmy Crooks just behind at .951. Palm Beach corner infielder Jack Gurevitch was next at .941.

Jimmy Crooks

Extra-base hit leaders were Memphis infielder Blaze Jordan and Peoria outfielder Tai Peete with 13. Just one behind were Gurevitch and Memphis infielder Cesar Prieto with 12.

Blaze Jordan

Gurevitch was tops in doubles (eight), Peete led in triples (three) and Crooks was first in home runs (eight, but only one double).

Jack Gurevitch

In slugging, Flores, Crooks and Jordan tied for the April system lead at .561.

Four finalists hit over .300 for the month with Memphis second baseman Bryan Torres tops at .351. Four also posted an OBP of .400 or better with Torres again the leader at .463. Palm Beach outfielder Cameron Nickens was close behind at .455.

Bryan Torres

Torres was also the only finalist with more walks (17) than strikeouts (13). Peoria catcher Rainiel Rodriguez was close with 17 BBs and 19 Ks.

Flores, Gurevitch and Peete tied for the most April RBIs with 20 each.

Tai Peete

At 20 years and eight months, Chiefs leadoff man Peete holds the distinction of being our youngest finalist. Next is his outfield teammate Jose Suarez at 21 years of age.

At 30, Memphis infielder-outfielder Bligh Madris is the other bookend as our oldest finalist.

Advanced stats

April hitter Tm Age PA BB% K% ISO BABIP wRC+
Jalin Flores Peo 22 80 10.0% 18.8% 0.258 0.340 141
Jimmy Crooks* Mem 24 100 15.0% 34.0% 0.305 0.325 146
Jack Gurevitch* PB 22 91 14.3% 29.7% 0.260 0.391 158
Bryan Torres* Mem 28 96 17.7% 13.5% 0.108 0.406 151
Rainiel Rodriguez Peo 19 96 17.7% 19.8% 0.208 0.357 141
Blaze Jordan Mem 23 105 5.7% 11.4% 0.255 0.300 136
Tai Peete* Peo 20 98 11.2% 28.6% 0.276 0.364 126
César Prieto* Mem 27 106 4.7% 17.0% 0.247 0.311 130
Cameron Nickens PB 22 66 16.7% 21.2% 0.077 0.436 152
José Suárez Peo 21 70 4.3% 38.6% 0.254 0.417 105
Bligh Madris* Mem 30 73 6.8% 20.5% 0.262 0.277 117

(For clarity, the players are in the same sequence as the earlier table. Thanks to Fangraphs for the data.)

As we get into additional stats, we see that good fortune in the guise of a very high BABIP (.350 or better) benefited six of our finalists. They are Nickens, Suarez, Torres, Gurevitch, Peete and Rodriguez. This significantly hurts their candidacies in my view.

The clear exception was Madris, who excelled despite BABIP misfortune at .277.

Torres, Rodriguez and Nickens stood highest among the finalists in walk rate, with Torres and Rodriguez most exceptional at 17.7%.

Rainiel Rodriguez

On the less positive side, four finalists posted a walk rate of under 10%, with Suarez and Prieto both under 5%.

Toughest to strike out was Jordan at 11.4%, followed by Torres (13.5%) and Prieto (17.0%).

At the high end of the spectrum, Crooks (34%) and Suarez (38.6%) struck out in more than a third of their April plate appearances.

In Isolated Power, ISO, no one was particularly close to Crooks’ .305, but six others came in above .250.

In weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+), Gurevitch, Nickens and Torres registered above 150, 50% above their league average. Three others placed in the 140’s.

It was not a landslide win, but Flores was the only .300/.400/.500 hitter in the system during April and led the organization in OPS. He also tied for the lead in RBI, plating 20 in just 19 games. His counting stats, including 10 extra base hits, are even more valuable considering his 80 plate appearances vs. 90 to over 100 by most other finalists.

Most of the other finalists had significant low points in other areas, but Flores did not.

When all is said and done, Jalin Flores receives the honor of The Cardinal Nation’s April Player of the Month.

About the winner

Jalin Flores

Flores was St. Louis’ 11th round draft pick in 2025 from the University of Texas and he joined Palm Beach after signing. In his 105 plate-appearance professional debut, he posted a strikeout rate of 32.4%, an isolated power mark of .096 and an OPS of just .614.

Here at The Cardinal Nation, Flores fell just short of our 2026 Top 50 Prospect List. However, Kyle Reis and I placed the infielder among our Best of the Rest selections (honorable mentions).

During the off-season, Kyle wrote the following:

“Flores is a big and strong within his 6’2”, 210-pound frame, and there’s a version of his swing that’s capable of getting into meaningful power. If this 22-year-old can do some major work to his swing decisions and his contact rate in the zone while cleaning up his swing for better balance and energy dispersion, then there is a version of Paul DeJong capable of busting out of Flores.”

As noted in the tables above, Flores’ corresponding marks in April were an 18.8% K rate and an ISO of .258, huge improvements generated while increasing a level of competition compared to 2025.

If the third baseman-shortstop can sustain that kind of performance, Flores will vault up our Cardinals Top Prospect List. For now, he is The Cardinal Nation’s April Player of the Month.

What is next?

Next up, look for The Cardinal Nation’s April Pitcher of the Month article, the companion to this one.

Also, the Cardinals organization should name their own selections of April Player and Pitcher of the Month in the upcoming days.

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

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© 2026 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cardinals Claim Lefty Reliever Luis Peralta

photo: Luis Peralta (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images) The St. Louis Cardinals claimed left-handed pitcher Luis Peralta off waivers from the Colorado Rockies and optioned him to Triple-A Memphis. St. Louis Cardinals announcement https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/2048848063964352768 On Monday, April 27, the St. Louis Cardinals claimed left-handed pitcher Luis Peralta off waivers from the Colorado Rockies and optioned him to…

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Drawing: Return to Tommy Herr’s 1987 Cardinals Seat Cushion Night

One winner will receive an original seat cushion from a special night in St. Louis Cardinals history, April 18, 1987.

Tom Herr

Exactly 29 years ago, on Saturday night, April 18, 1987, a special event in St. Louis Cardinals history occurred.

In front of 41,942, second baseman Tommy Herr’s 10th inning walk-off grand slam concluded “Seat Cushion Night” at Busch Stadium II. In the process, the Cardinals posted a 12-8 win over reliever Jesse Orosco and the rival “Pond Scum” New York Mets.

A large number of those seat cushions, commemorating the 25th anniversary of discount retailer Kmart, were propelled through the air by excited fans as Herr rounded the bases, landing on the turf in a warm-weather white out. The second baseman even picked up one of the makeshift frisbees and tossed it back into the air in celebration.

Even more cushions would have been flung onto the field at the end had it not been for an earlier starring event by Herr in the same game. Down 5-0 heading into the home fourth, the Cardinals tied the score. The rally was capped off by a bases loaded walk taken by the second baseman, who finished the night with six RBI.

So many cushions were thrown onto the field in the fourth that the public address announcer warned fans that if it continued, the Cardinals would have to forfeit the game. That was no longer a concern as the 10th ended, though.

Seat Cushion Night, Busch Stadium, April 18, 1987

Despite the two waves of cushion flinging that fateful night, at least two of these historic relics have survived the intervening 39 years. The Cardinal Nation subscriber ZTR was at this game and donated one his two cushions from that night for a special drawing.

Here is what you need to do to win your authentic 1987 Cardinals seat cushion.

Stop by The Cardinal Nation’s free forum and enter your name. All qualifiers between now and midnight Sunday evening, April 19 will be entered into a drawing to select the winner.

Any new subscribers to The Cardinal Nation or those who purchase a copy of TCN’s 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide during this window will receive three additional entries.

For more

Here’s the call on Herr’s homer and its aftermath.

Herr, who was named to the Cardinals Hall of Fame via fan vote in 2020, shares his recollection of the night.

And here is the link to the box score.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN198704180.shtml

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 today.

All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!

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© 2026 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cardinals Make Four Monday Pitching Announcements

photo: Cade Winquest (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

On Monday, April 13, the St. Louis Cardinals announced four pitching related transactions.

  • LHR Jared Shuster was designated for assignment.
  • RHR Ryan Fernandez recalled to St. Louis from Memphis.
  • 2025 Rule 5 selection RHP Cade Winquest returned to the Cardinals from the Yankees.
  • RHS Richard Fitts placed on Memphis’ 7-day injured list due to a right lat strain.

Jared Shuster

Shuster, 27, joined the organization as a minor league free agent in December. After opening 2026 in long relief for Memphis, he was added to the 40-man roster one week ago and promoted to St. Louis. In two relief appearances for the Cardinals, Shuster posted a 4.91 ERA, allowing two runs in 3 2/3 innings on two hits, two walks and one strikeout.

Unless he is claimed by another organization in the next week, Shuster can claim free agency or elect to return to Memphis without a 40-man spot.

Ryan Fernandez

With these moves, the Cardinals get a fresh relief arm. While the 27-year-old Fernandez struggled with St. Louis in 2025 and this spring, he has been very good in the early going with Memphis. In six Triple-A relief outings covering 5 1/3 innings, Fernandez did not allow a run on three hits (.154 batting average against), two walks and six strikeouts.

Cade Winquest

Winquest returns to the organization at a good time, with relief an ongoing need. The 25-year-old Rule 5 pick made the Yankees out of spring training but was not called upon to pitch before being designated for assignment last week. Winquest went unclaimed by the other organizations so was offered back to the Cardinals. If he pitches well, we could see him with St. Louis this season.

Richard Fitts

Fitts, 26, was acquired from the Red Sox in the Sonny Gray trade. Though the right-hander did not make the St. Louis roster in spring camp, he has pitched very well with Memphis. Through three starts, Fitts has a 1.76 ERA.

The timing of his injury is especially poor for Fitts as several St. Louis starting pitchers are not doing particularly well in the early going.  Lat strains often mean an extended period out, but no official timing specifics have yet been provided.

For roster and player information

The team rosters here at The Cardinal Nation are kept up to date daily. To access them, click on “ROSTERS/PLAYERS/MOVES” located on the red menu bar on the left of the page beneath The Cardinal Nation site logo.

To see the Cardinals’ entire system by level and position on one page along with every player transaction for every club all year long, check out the always current Roster Matrix at The Cardinal Nation. It is kept updated daily and is accessible from the same menu as team rosters.

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 today.

All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!

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Cardinals Trade Raquet to Orioles for Minor League Outfielder

photo: Brayden Smith (Oklahoma State University Athletics)

On Sunday, the St. Louis Cardinals placed reliever Nick Raquet on waivers to make 40-man roster room for Jared Shuster. On Monday evening, St. Louis dealt the 30-year-old lefty to the Baltimore Orioles for High-A corner outfielder/second baseman Brayden Smith.

Brayden Smith

Smith, 22, was selected in the 13th round of the 2025 draft after one season with Oklahoma State following his move from Iowa Western.

As a professional in limited action at Low-A last year and one game at High-A in 2026, the left-handed hitter is 11-for-58 (.190) with 19 strikeouts and 13 walks.

If the Cardinals keep Smith at High-A, he will report to Peoria of the Midwest League.

For roster and player information

The team rosters here at The Cardinal Nation are kept up to date daily. To access them, click on “ROSTERS/PLAYERS/MOVES” located on the red menu bar on the left of the page beneath The Cardinal Nation site logo.

To see the Cardinals’ entire system by level and position on one page along with every player transaction for every club all year long, check out the always current Roster Matrix at The Cardinal Nation. It is kept updated daily and is accessible from the same menu as team rosters.

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 today.

All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!

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Memphis Redbirds Notebook – 2026 Week 1

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If you enjoyed this article, please consider joining The Cardinal Nation to receive the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.

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© 2026 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cardinals Prospect Hancel Rincón to Make Triple-A Debut

photo: Hancel Rincón (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The most experienced pitcher among the seven active starting candidates at Double-A Springfield, right-hander Hancel Rincón, has been promoted to Triple-A Memphis.

Rincón, 23, debuted with Springfield last July 10, but due to injury late in 2025, the Dominican Republic native has made just 10 career Double-A appearances totaling about 50 innings pitched.

The cumulative Texas League ERA of The Cardinal Nation’s 23rd-ranked prospect is 3.62. Rincón’s Double-A strikeout rate is 11.1 per nine innings against a walk rate of 2.4.

Hancel Rincón

The Triple-A Redbirds are down one pitcher because Jared Shuster was promoted to St. Louis on Sunday to work in long relief. His scheduled start for Memphis in Game 2 of Sunday’s doubleheader became a bullpen game started by Max Rajcic.

Because reliever Nick Raquet was designated for assignment as part of the Shuster-related transactions, one spot was open on the Redbirds’ 28-man active roster. As a result, no other move is needed to accommodate the addition of Rincón. However, that could change if Raquet clears waivers this week and remains in the organization.

Springfield starters this week are Brandt Thompson on Tuesday, Liam Doyle on Wednesday and Jurrangelo Cijntje on Thursday.

Tuesday update

Randel Clemente

To replace Rincon on the Springfield 28-man roster, the organization activated pitcher Randel Clemente. The right-hander opened the season on the Double-A Development List.

For roster and player information

The team rosters here at The Cardinal Nation are kept up to date daily. To access them, click on “ROSTERS/PLAYERS/MOVES” located on the red menu bar on the left of the page beneath The Cardinal Nation site logo.

To see the Cardinals’ entire system by level and position on one page along with every player transaction for every club all year long, check out the always current Roster Matrix at The Cardinal Nation. It is kept updated daily and is accessible from the same menu as team rosters.

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 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

Memphis Redbirds Notebook – 2026 Week 1

Not yet a member?

If you enjoyed this article, please consider joining The Cardinal Nation to receive the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.

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Cards Acquire Minor Leaguer to Complete Sonny Gray Trade

photo: Patrick Galle (Ole Miss Athletics)

Low-A right-handed pitcher Patrick Galle is joining the St. Louis Cardinals organization from the Boston Red Sox.

On November 25, the St. Louis Cardinals dealt starting pitcher Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox in return for right-handed pitcher Richard Fitts, prospect pitcher Brandon Clarke plus a player to be named later or cash considerations.

On April 5, the Red Sox and Cardinals announced that player to be named later, minor league right-hander Patrick Galle.

Patrick Galle

The 22-year-old was Boston’s 17th-round draft pick in 2025 from Ole Miss, signed as an eligible sophomore. As a professional, Galle has a career total of four relief appearances, three in 2025 and one this season, all at Class-A Salem.

Positives include a 2:1 ground ball rate and a batting average against of just .214. Concerns include seven walks and four wild pitches in 7 1/3 innings, leading to a 4.91 ERA.

According to SoxProspects.com, in college Galle threw 95-97 mph, topping at 99. He also features a cutter (88-93) and an infrequently used slider (85-88).

When Galle reports, the Beach Birds will need to make a corresponding transaction to accommodate his addition to the active roster.

Tuesday update

Yadiel Batista

The player moved off the Palm Beach roster for Galle is right-hander Yadiel Batista. The latter has been transferred to the Florida Complex League.

In his lone appearance for the Beach Birds during the opening weekend, Batista threw a scoreless inning with no hits, a walk and two strikeouts.

For roster and player information

The team rosters here at The Cardinal Nation are kept up to date daily. To access them, click on “ROSTERS/PLAYERS/MOVES” located on the red menu bar on the left of the page beneath The Cardinal Nation site logo.

To see the Cardinals’ entire system by level and position on one page along with every player transaction for every club all year long, check out the always current Roster Matrix at The Cardinal Nation. It is kept updated daily and is accessible from the same menu as team rosters.

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 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

Memphis Redbirds Notebook – 2026 Week 1

Not yet a member?

If you enjoyed this article, please consider joining The Cardinal Nation to receive 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.