All posts by The Cardinal Nation staff

Wednesday With Walton and Reis – Season 9, Episode 41

October 7, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Quinn Mathews studying his numbers (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by analyst Kyle Reis for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.

The podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 30 to 45 minutes. More information on everything discussed can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.

Brian and Kyle cover the news of the week across the St. Louis Cardinals system, starting with the MLB playoffs, especially CWS, ChC and MIL, new Card Brian Curley, Quinn Mathews, arbitration eligibles (placeholders and extension candidates), AFL players Brandon Clarke and Tai Peete and more.

All videos of episodes of Wednesday With Walton at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.

The video and audio are also simulcast each week via your favorite podcast apps: Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts IHeartRadio and YouTube. (Note: If you want chapter delineation, use the Spotify feed.)

Subscription details are here.

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Closeout at 20% off – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.

The final copies of the printed book are on sale for 20% off!

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

Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide

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2026 Cardinals Minor League Leaders – Pitching Rate Stats

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Kyle Reis is one of the most informative and entertaining Cardinals related social media follows at @kyler416.

Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

The Cardinal Nation’s Team Recaps and Top Players of 2026

October 4, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

The Cardinal Nation is proud to roll out our 20th annual choices of the top players at each level of the St. Louis Cardinals system, following stats leaders and season recaps by affiliate. Articles run daily from Monday, September 28 into early November.

Continuing our annual tradition into its 20th year, the staff of The Cardinal Nation recap the just-completed season at each level of the St. Louis Cardinals system. We then crown three award winners for each team – The Cardinal Nation Minor League Starting Pitchers, Relievers and Players of the Year.

Our selections will be unveiled, one team recap or award daily, from Monday, September 28 into early November. We begin with the system’s top hitting and pitching performers by various statistical measures. Club recaps from rookie to Triple-A are next, then the Dominican Summer League (DSL) Reliever of the Year, all the way through the Memphis Redbirds Player of the Year.

Several special awards follow, including our top players across the entire Cardinals minor league system for 2026 as well as the best performing rookies. The series will conclude with our choice as the top manager in the organization.

Those at the keyboard are our team of locally-based reporters – covering the Cardinals minor league affiliates first-hand – as they select the very best of the best at each level and overall.

Participating TCN staff members include Tabarius White (Memphis), Jamie Santner (Springfield), Steffen White (Peoria), Bryce Malcolm (Palm Beach), Paul Ivice (Florida Complex League) plus Leonda Markee (Dominican Summer League). Brian Walton will single out the top first-year players, system-wide stats leaders and award winners.

Clockwise from upper right: Bryce Malcolm, Tabarius White, Jamie Santner, Steffen White and Michael Goff.

Note: While the team reports and all winning names are made available to everyone as this master article is updated daily, the detailed commentary behind most of the player awards in this series are exclusively for The Cardinal Nation members.

This 37-article series includes analysis from our local reporters as to tradeoffs made and what we saw in the best players to take the field at each level of the Cardinals system during the 2026 season.

Once the articles are published, click on the highlighted names below to read them if you missed them the first time.

The Cardinal Nation 2026 Award Winners/Schedule

Stat recaps	Writer		Counting stats	Rate stats	Speed
Offensive leaders	Brian Walton		link	link	link
Pitching leaders	Brian Walton		link	link

Team	Writer	Season review (free)	Reliever	Starter	Player
DSL	Brian Walton	link	Fri 10/9	Thu 10/15	Wed 10/21
FL Complex	Paul Ivice	link	Sat 10/10	Fri 10/16	Thu 10/22
Palm Beach	Bryce Malcolm	link	Sun 10/11	Sat 10/17	Fri 10/23
Peoria	Steffen White	link	Mon 10/12	Sun 10/18	Sat 10/24
Springfield	Jamie Santner	link	Tue 10/13	Mon 10/19	Sun 10/25
Memphis	Tabarius White	Thu 10/8	Wed 10/14	Tue 10/20	Mon 10/26

Rookies of Year	Writer			Pitcher	Player
	Brian Walton			Tue 10/27	Wed 10/28

Players of Year	Writer		Reliever	Starter	Player
	Brian Walton		Thu 10/29	Fri 10/30	Sat 10/31

Manager of Year	Brian Walton	Sun 11/1

Season Wrap Up	Brian Walton	Mon 11/2

Player Awards	Brian Walton	Tue 11/3

Click on the name highlighted in the table above to be taken to that detailed article. In addition, select each team name to read the 2026 overall summary for that level.

Then, join the daily discussion at The Cardinal Nation’s free message board, as each selection is unveiled.

If you ever forget the location of this article, you can always return by using the permanent link on The Cardinal Nation homepage. Underneath the site logo in the left column, click on “Season Recaps/Top Players”, and select the year.

Our annual Cardinals Top 50 Prospect Ranking countdown for 2027 will begin in November after this series concludes. Please remember that the two processes are separate and distinct.

This effort is to recognize the top performances on the field in 2026, whether the players are projected to have a big-league future down the road or not. In other words, this is all about current year results at the assigned level of play, not future potential.

Closeout at 20% off – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The final copies of the printed book are on closeout for 20% off.

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

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Memphis Redbirds Notebook – 2026 Playoffs

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Wednesday With Walton and Reis – Season 9, Episode 40

September 30, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Josiah Ragsdale (PJ Maigi/Springfield Cardinals)

The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by analyst Kyle Reis for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.

The podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 30 to 45 minutes. More information on everything discussed can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.

As they do every Wednesday, Brian and Kyle cover the news of the week across the St. Louis Cardinals system, starting with national award winners Rodriguez, Santana, Ragsdale and Jesus Baez. They discuss Bloom’s end of season presser including implications to the roster, starting lineup and rotation. Competing in 2027 vs. 2028 was debated and whether the Cardinals have enough prospects.

All videos of episodes of Wednesday With Walton at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.

Subscription details are here.

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Closeout at 20% off – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The final copies of the printed book are on sale for 20% off!

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

Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

2026 Cardinals Minor League Leaders – Hitting Rate Stats

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.

Kyle Reis is one of the most informative and entertaining Cardinals related social media follows at @kyler416.

Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

Jesus Baez’ 41 Home Runs Stack Up Strongly Historically

September 27, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Jesus Baez (PJ Maigi/Springfield Cardinals)

Not only is St. Louis Cardinals infield prospect Jesus Baez one of just 33 minor leaguers to hit 40 home runs in a season since 1963, but he is also a rarity due to his age, position, low K rate and high HR rate.

Editor’s notes: Reader Matt Lane submitted the following and I am happy to share it.

In the regular season, St. Louis Cardinals infield prospect Jesus Baez launched 39 home runs between High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield, and the 21-year-old added two more in the post-season for a total of 41. Andrew Fischer of the Brewers system hit 48 plus two playoff shots in 2026.

Historic postseason data is not as complete as regular season results but it is included when known.

By Matt Lane

Since 1963 (considered the modern era of Minor League Baseball), there have been 33 players/seasons by minor leaguers in which they hit 40 or more home runs. The most recent is St. Louis Cardinals infield prospect Jesus Baez.

Of the 33, Baez:

is tied for the fifth youngest. (One of the 20-year-olds was catcher Dave Duncan.)
is one of only three middle infielders. (Danny Tartabull went on to a 14-year MLB career but as a right fielder and designated hitter. Brandon Wood hit just 18 MLB home runs and batted .186 over parts of five MLB seasons.)
has the third lowest strikeout rate.
has the seventh highest home run rate.

As a result of the last two items, Baez has the highest home run to strikeout ratio of anyone who hit 40 or more home runs in the last 63 years!

(Some of those who bested Baez on these stats were 25- to 32-year-old minor leaguers.)

Jesús Báez

Following is the data.

No.	Year	Player	Age	Lvl	Pos	HR	AB	SO	K Rate	HR Rate	HR/K Ratio
1	1963	Arlo Engel	21	AA	OF/1B	41	559	168	0.30	0.073	0.24
2	1964	Chuck Harrison	23	AA	1B	40	568	92	0.16	0.070	0.43
3	1966	Dave Duncan	20	A	C	46	522	127	0.24	0.088	0.36
4	1968	Tony Solaita	21	A	1B	49	589	112	0.19	0.083	0.44
5	1974	Bill McNulty	27	AAA	3B	55	631	101	0.16	0.087	0.54
6	1974	Gorman Thomas	23	AAA	OF	51	577	175	0.30	0.088	0.29
7	1974	Tom Robson	28	AAA	1B/OF	41	574	100	0.17	0.071	0.41
8	1979	Rick Lancellotti	22	AA	1B/OF	41	583	88	0.15	0.070	0.47
9	1981	Tim Laudner	23	AA	C	42	508	90	0.18	0.083	0.47
10	1981	Ron Kittle	23	AAA	OF/DH	40	389	107	0.23	0.103	0.45
11	1982	Ron Kittle	24	AAA	OF/DH	50	559	109	0.20	0.089	0.46
12	1982	Ken Phelps	27	AAA	1B/DH	46	574	99	0.17	0.080	0.47
13	1982	Greg Brock	25	AAA	1B	44	597	81	0.14	0.074	0.54
14	1982	Jeff Jones	24	A	OF/1B	42	533	151	0.28	0.079	0.28
15	1985	Danny Tartabull	22	AAA	SS	43	546	123	0.23	0.079	0.35
16	1995	Todd Greene	24	AAA	C/1B	40	486	91	0.17	0.082	0.48
17	1996	Russell Branyan	20	A	3B/1B	40	552	166	0.30	0.072	0.24
18	1996	Phil Hiatt	27	AAA	3B/OF/1B	42	611	180	0.30	0.069	0.23
19	1998	Chris Hatcher	29	AAA	OF	46	516	125	0.24	0.089	0.37
20	1999	J.R. Phillips	29	AAA	1B	41	479	143	0.27	0.086	0.32
21	2001	Phil Hiatt	32	AAA	3B/OF/1B	44	495	109	0.22	0.089	0.40
22	2001	Brandon Berger	26	AA	OF	40	454	91	0.18	0.088	0.49
23	2004	Ryan Howard	24	AA/AAA	1B	46	560	166	0.30	0.082	0.28
24	2005	Brandon Wood	20	A/AAA	SS	43	614	134	0.22	0.070	0.32
25	2008	Dallas McPherson	27	AAA	3B	42	448	168	0.32	0.094	0.29
26	2013	Joey Gallo	19	A+	3B/OF	40	467	172	0.37	0.086	0.23
27	2014	Kris Bryant	22	AA/AAA	3B	43	594	162	0.27	0.072	0.27
28	2014	Joey Gallo	20	A/AA	3B/OF	42	537	179	0.33	0.078	0.23
29	2016	Dylan Cozens	22	AA	OF	40	586	186	0.32	0.068	0.22
30	2021	MJ Melendez	22	AA/AAA	C	41	531	115	0.22	0.077	0.36
31	2024	Deyvison De Los Santos	21	AA/AAA	1B/3B	40	538	144	0.25	0.074	0.30
32	2026	Andrew Fischer	22	A+/AA	3B/1B	50	439	185	0.33	0.114	0.35
33	2026	Jesus Baez	21	A+/AA	SS	41	473	86	0.16	0.087	0.54
		Baez rank	5th		(3) MI				3rd	7th	1st

You never know how a prospect is going to turn out, but I think Baez is a historically good prospect well beyond what most people have yet caught on to.

Closeout at 20% off – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The final copies of the printed book are on closeout for 20% off.

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

Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide

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Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2026 Playoffs

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Wednesday With Walton and Reis – Season 9, Episode 39

September 23, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Liam Doyle (P.J. Maigi/Springfield Cardinals)

The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by analyst Kyle Reis for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.

The podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 30 to 45 minutes. More information on everything discussed can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.

Brian and Kyle cover the news of the week across the St. Louis Cardinals system, starting with a Springfield playoff recap, award winners Rodriguez, Doyle, Molina and Jesus Baez, and other awards perhaps deserving. They discuss the Memphis playoff series, future impact of the 60% increase in home runs, Bernal’s Top 100 ranking and how St. Louis might approach the off-season.

All videos of episodes of Wednesday With Walton at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.

Subscription details are here.

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Closeout at 20% off – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The final copies of the printed book are on sale for 20% off!

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

Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Memphis Redbirds Notebook – 2026 Week 26

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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.

Kyle Reis is one of the most informative and entertaining Cardinals related social media follows at @kyler416.

Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

Doyle, Rodriguez named August St. Louis Minors Pitcher and Player of the Month

September 18, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Liam Doyle (P.J. Maigi/Springfield Cardinals)

Top two prospects in the Cardinals system, a battery assigned to Double-A Springfield, sweep the organizational awards for August 2026.

Springfield Cardinals release

The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Friday that they have chosen LHP Liam Doyle and C Rainiel Rodriguez as their Minor League Pitcher and Player of the Month, respectively, for August 2026. The two Springfield Cardinals are the second and third players selected for monthly awards this season from the parent club, joining LHP Mason Molina who won Pitcher of the Month earlier this year in June.

Liam Doyle

ABOUT LIAM DOYLE

The southpaw enjoyed the most successful month of his Minor League career in August. Doyle made four starts to a career-best 1.31 ERA and .147 batting average against. He was never charged with more than one earned run in any one start and never surrendered more than four hits. His strikeouts peaked on August 19 in an outing against the Arkansas Travelers, punching out nine batters in five innings of one-run ball.

The first-rounder posted a 6.08 ERA in his first 12 starts of his first full season in the Minors. After that in his final 11 regular season starts, Doyle posted a 1.78 ERA with nearly every metric improving considerably. He finished his first full season in professional baseball with a 7-7 record and 3.76 ERA across 23 starts. He is currently ranked as the number two prospect in the organization and 43 in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.

Rainiel Rodriguez

ABOUT RAINIEL RODRIGUEZ

Rodriguez was one of the best hitters in all of full-season Minor League Baseball in August, posting a .393 batting average (9th) and a 1.249 OPS (6th) in 21 games. He was tied for the team lead with nine home runs (Jesús Báez) while driving in 22 runs. In back-to-back games, he launched a pair of homers against Arkansas Travelers (August 23) and Wichita Wind Surge (August 25). Rodriguez was tied for or led all Cardinals Minor Leaguers in home runs (tied), extra base hits, average, slugging percentage, OPS, hits and total bases in August. He held a 19-game hit streak throughout the month.

This is second time the now 19-year-old has been selected as the organization’s Minor League Player of the Month, last coming just over a year ago in May of 2025 while in the Florida Complex League. He finished his age 19 regular season as the Texas League batting champion, hitting .328 in 87 games, becoming the fifth batting champion in franchise history (Bryan Torres – .324 in 2024, Thomas Saggese – .318 in 2023, Luke Voit – .297 in 2016, Oscar Taveras – .321 in 2012).

Rodriguez is currently the consensus number one prospect in the organization and is ranked as the 17th best prospect in all of baseball, according the MLB Pipeline.

On Thursday, the Cardinals successfully completed a sweep of the Tulsa Drillers in the Texas League North Division Championship for the second straight season, locking in their position in the Texas League Championship. The team has the opportunity to secure their second straight title at their home ballpark for the first time in franchise history on either Tuesday, September 22 or Wednesday, September 23. Tickets are available at SpringfieldCardinals.com.

TCN’s take

Over two weeks ago, The Cardinal Nation selected Rodriguez and then-Memphis reliever Cade Winquest as our top hitter and pitcher in August.

Review the stats of the winners and runners up in these two articles.

The Cardinal Nation’s August 2026 Pitcher of the Month – Cade Winquest

The Cardinal Nation August 2026 Player of the Month – Rainiel Rodriguez

Closeout at 20% off – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The final copies of the printed book are on sale for 20% off!

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

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Memphis Redbirds Notebook – 2026 Week 25

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Wednesday With Walton and Reis – Season 9, Episode 38

September 16, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Rainiel Rodriguez (P.J. Maigi/Springfield Cardinals)

The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by analyst Kyle Reis for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.

The podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 30 to 45 minutes. More information on everything discussed can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.

Brian and Kyle cover the week’s news across the St. Louis Cardinals system, starting a Springfield playoff preview and a brief look ahead to Memphis. Players include Fajardo, Doyle, Clarke, Baez, Rodriguez, Gurevitch, Molina and Levenson. The organization’s eight players assigned to the Arizona Fall League are profiled, including Clarke, Roby, Peete, Hernandez and more.

All videos of episodes of Wednesday With Walton at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.

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Closeout at 20% off – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The final copies of the printed book are on sale for 20% off!

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

Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Springfield Cardinals Notebook – 2026 Week 24

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Kyle Reis is one of the most informative and entertaining Cardinals related social media follows at @kyler416.

Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

Rainiel Rodriguez Three-Peats as Texas League Player of the Week

September 14, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Rainiel Rodriguez (P.J. Maigi/Springfield Cardinals)

Springfield Cardinals catcher and St. Louis Cardinals no. 1 prospect collects his third Texas League Player of the Week award since the start of August on the way to becoming the Double-A league’s 2026 batting champion.

Springfield Cardinals release

SPRINGFIELD, MO – Minor League Baseball has announced that Springfield Cardinals catcher and St. Louis Cardinals number one prospect Rainiel Rodriguez has been named the Texas League Player of the Week for the week of September 7 – 13. This is the third time this season that he has been awarded this honor, also winning the same award for August 17 – 23 and July 27 – August 2. Of the four times in 2026 that a Springfield Cardinal won Player or Pitcher of the Week, Rodriguez won the weekly honor thrice. LHP Braden Davis won Pitcher of the Week May 19 – 24.

Rainiel Rodriguez

The 19-year-old top prospect had another torrid week at the plate, slashing .524/.565/1.000 in five games played. He launched three homers and drove in five while doubling once. The Dominican-born catcher also threw out three would-be-base stealers during the final regular season series of 2026 against the Arkansas Travelers (SEA).

Across 87 Texas League games this year, Rodriguez hit .328 and swatted 23 home runs with a .408 on base percentage. His .328 average led qualifying Texas League batters as he became the fifth batting champion in franchise history (Bryan Torres – .324 in 2024, Thomas Saggese – .318 in 2023, Luke Voit – .297 in 2016, Oscar Taveras – .321 in 2012).

Rodriguez was called up to Double-A on May 12 from High-A Peoria. HIs age 19 season was extremely memorable as he became the consensus number one prospect in the system, participated in the MLB All-Star Futures Game and currently sits as the 17th-ranked prospect in all of Minor League Baseball according to MLB Pipeline. Rodriguez, nicknamed ‘The Hulk’, was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024 and has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the system. He immediately made his prowess known thanks to a big first season in the Dominican Summer League as one of the league’s best hitters before an explosive 2025 campaign, primarily in the Florida State League. The native of Pimentel, Dominican Republic won’t turn 20 until January of 2027.

The Second-Half Champion Springfield Cardinals finished the 2026 regular season with the second best overall record in the Texas League at 78-59 and are set to face the Tulsa Drillers (LAD) in the North Division Championship round starting at Route 66 Stadium on Tuesday, September 15 at 6:35 PM. The best-of-three series kicks off with a Rally Towel Giveaway (1,000) and Post-Game Playoff Fireworks as the Cardinals seek to win back-to-back Texas League titles for the first time in franchise history. Tickets are available now at SpringfieldCardinals.com/Tickets.

TCN note

Rodriguez is one of the youngest batting champions in league history. When Taveras took the honor in 2012, he had already celebrated his 20^th birthday.

Closeout at 20% off – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The final copies of the printed book are on sale for 20% off!

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

Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide

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Memphis Redbirds Notebook – 2026 Week 24

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Wednesday With Walton and Reis – Season 9, Episode 37

September 9, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Christian Worley (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by analyst Kyle Reis for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.

The podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 30 to 45 minutes. More information on everything discussed can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.

Brian and Kyle cover the news across the St. Louis Cardinals system, starting with recaps of the Class-A seasons by Palm Beach and Peoria and their key players. Names include Henne, Dos Santos, Hernandez, Padilla, Hunter, Williamson, Worley, Crossland, Odle and many more. Other topics are August Pitcher of the Month, Hjerpe’s MLB debut, Winn’s return, Cijntje, Molina and Memphis’s chances in the playoffs.

All videos of episodes of Wednesday With Walton at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.

Subscription details are here.

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20% off – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The final copies of the printed book are on sale for 20% off!

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

Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Palm Beach Cardinals Notebook – 2026 Week 23

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Kyle Reis is one of the most informative and entertaining Cardinals related social media follows at @kyler416.

Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

Wednesday With Walton and Reis – Season 9, Episode 36

September 2, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Rainiel Rodriguez (P.J. Maigi/Springfield Cardinals)

The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by analyst Kyle Reis for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.

The podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 30 to 45 minutes. More information on everything discussed can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.

Brian and Kyle cover the news from a busy week across the St. Louis Cardinals system. Topics include new Angels ownership, Springfield’s name change, injuries to Winn, Wetherholt and others, roster expansion with prospects, 3B future with Baez and Ortiz, an FCL all-star and TCN’s Player of the Month, Rainiel Rodriguez.

All videos of episodes of Wednesday With Walton at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.

Subscription details are here.

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20% off – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The final copies of the printed book are on sale for 20% off!

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

Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

St. Louis Needs Drive Numerous Downstream Roster Changes

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Kyle Reis is one of the most informative and entertaining Cardinals related social media follows at @kyler416.

Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

Cardinals Make Three September 1 Roster Additions

September 1, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Leo Bernal (St. Louis Cardinals)

As rosters expand from 26 to 28, the St. Louis Cardinals added three players from Triple-A and sent another down. Pitcher Hancel Rincon and catcher Leonardo Bernal will be making their MLB debuts.

St. Louis Cardinals release

The St. Louis Cardinals announced today (Tuesday, September 1) that the team has promoted three players, and that catcher Jimmy Crooks was optioned to Memphis (AAA) following Sunday’s (Aug. 30) game, as Major League Baseball allows active rosters to expand to 28 players today.

Joining the Cardinals active roster for tonight’s series opener in Los Angeles are rookie catcher Leonardo (Leo) Bernal, rookie right-handed pitcher Hancel Rincón and outfielder Victor Scott II. Bernal and Rincón will be making their Major League debut with their first appearance. Scott II made his big league debut at Dodger Stadium in March of 2024.

Leonardo Bernal

Bernal (pronounced LAY-oh bur-NAHL), one of the top defensively acclaimed catchers in MiLB, was signed by the Cardinals as an international free agent in January of 2021. The 22-year-old native of Panama City, Panama was slashing .278/.363/.468 with an .831 OPS, 16 HR and 77 RBI (7^th in International League) in his first season at the Triple-A level. The 2025 Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove recipient is currently rated as the Cardinals 5^th best prospect by Baseball America.

The 6-0, 260-pound switch-hitting Bernal will wear uniform no. 13.

Hancel Rincón

Rincón, 24, a member of the Cardinals organization since 2019, was signed by the Cardinals as an international free agent in January of 2019 at age 16 out of San Pedro de Macoris, DR. The 6-2, 185-pound Rincón (pronounced hahn-sell rin-CONE) has gone 6-6 with a 4.04 ERA this season at Memphis, striking out 88 over 71.1 IP (41 games) primarily as a reliever. Rincón has fashioned a 2.76 ERA & 0.92 WHIP since July 1.

Rincón will wear uniform no. 66.

Victor Scott

Scott II, who was on the Cardinals Opening Day roster, appeared in 61 games with St. Louis this season, collecting 9 stolen bases, before being optioned to Memphis (AAA) on June 8. In 57 games at Memphis, Scott II was successful on 23 of 25 stolen base attempts while slashing .237/.320/.342. The left-handed hitting Scott II has 209 career stolen bases as a professional, including 48 with St. Louis. He wears uniform no. 11.

Bernal and Rincón will be joining a group of 10 rookies who had previously debuted for St. Louis this season when they see their first game action.

TCN notes

The only one of the three additions to not have a spot on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster is Rincon. He takes the final available opening, created when reliever Caleb Ferguson was designed for assignment, then released over the weekend.

As mentioned earlier here at The Cardinal Nation, following these moves, the Memphis roster is down to just 22 active players.

Bernal is The Cardinal Nation’ sixth-ranked prospect.

Jimmy Crooks

In uneven playing time since he was called up to St. Louis on May 29, Crooks slashed a disappointing .179/.255/.336/.591 in 149 plate appearances over 52 games.

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.

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Palm Beach Cardinals Notebook – 2026 Week 22

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Wednesday With Walton and Reis – Season 9, Episode 35

August 26, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Cooper Hjerpe (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by analyst Kyle Reis for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.

The podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 30 to 45 minutes. More information on everything discussed can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.

Brian and Kyle cover the news of the week across the St. Louis Cardinals system, starting with MLB injuries to Winn, Pallante and Dobbins, innings limits and the impact on Gorman and the no. 5 starter. Next is a brief AFL primer and how the labor situation may impact the international program. Injuries to Henderson and Padilla are noted as are Springfield standouts Clemente, Santana, Doyle, Baez and Rodriguez.

All videos of episodes of Wednesday With Walton at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.

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The Cardinal Nation Prospect Interview – Peoria Pitcher Jacob Odle

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Rainiel Rodriguez is the Texas League Player of the Week Again

August 24, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Rainiel Rodriguez (P.J. Maigi/Springfield Cardinals)

Springfield Cardinals catcher Rainiel Rodriguez has been named the Texas League Player of the Week for the second time this month!

Springfield Cardinals release

Minor League Baseball has announced that Springfield Cardinals catcher and St. Louis Cardinals number one prospect Rainiel Rodriguez has been named the Texas League Player of the Week for the week of August 17 – 23. This is the second time this season that he has won this honor after getting the same award July 27 – August 2. Three times this season a Springfield Cardinals player has been named a Player or Pitcher of the week alongside LHP Braden Davis.

Rainiel Rodriguez

The top prospect in the system has remained a consistent threat at the plate in his 72 games at Double-A. The 19-year-old currently leads all qualified batters in the Texas League with a .324 average while slashing an incredulous .456/.480/.868 in the month of August (16 games). During a six-game sweep of the Arkansas Travelers this week on the road, Rodriguez went 14-for-24 (.583) with three doubles, three homers and nine RBI. He tallied two four-hit games during the series including a two-home run game on Sunday. His .583 average this past week was the highest he’s posted in a single series this year both at High-A and Double-A.

Rodriguez, nicknamed ‘The Hulk’, was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024 and has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the system. He immediately made his prowess known thanks to a big first season in the Dominican Summer League as one of the league’s best hitters before an explosive 2025 campaign, primarily in the Florida State League. The native of Pimentel, Dominican Republic won’t turn 20 until January of next year.

TCN note

At The Cardinal Nation’s free forum, there is an interesting thread regarding Rodriguez’s results and his potential. Join in the lively discussion with other Cardinals fans.

Rainiel Rodriguez progress report

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How Do Cardinals Farm System Rankings Compare Over Time?

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Wednesday With Walton and Reis – Season 9, Episode 34

August 19, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Joshua Baez (Kamil Krzaczynski/Imagn Images)

The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by analyst Kyle Reis for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.

The podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 30 to 45 minutes. More information on everything discussed can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.

Brian and Kyle cover the news of the week across the St. Louis Cardinals system, starting with Joshua Baez and Kyle’s survey. Organization Player and Pitcher of the Month awards are reviewed as are new farm system rankings from BA, MLB and Fangraphs. September callups are touched upon before the two cover their August Cardinals Top 50 Prospect Rankings. Oh yes, and the navy caps get a callout!

All videos of episodes of Wednesday With Walton at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.

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Risers, Fallers and Differences of Opinion on Cardinals Prospects – August 2026

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The Cardinal Nation August 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Top 50 Prospect List

August 14, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Liam Doyle, Joshua Baez (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The monthly in-season update of The Cardinal Nation’s St. Louis Cardinals Top 50 Prospect List is now available. Nine players join the new rankings including four trade deadline additions.

August brings The Cardinal Nation’s final monthly in-season St. Louis Cardinals Top 50 Prospect List update of the season, with our next reranking via the rollout of the 2027 Top 50.

Unlike in July, when our sole focus was the insertion into of the members of the organization’s acclaimed 2026 draft class into the Top 50, everyone was fair game to shift in August. And four new prospects joined the organization at the trade deadline, as well. That led to a lot of movement.

As always, Kyle Reis and Brian Walton separately rank the players with the site list a combination of the two. These blended player Top 50 rankings follow, made available to everyone each month.

For additional specifics, including our individual votes and detailed commentary, please subscribe to The Cardinal Nation to access the detailed article mentioned below.

We will also discuss our rankings on our next “Wednesday With Walton and Reis” podcast.

Here are the August results.

Prospect	Tm	Pos	Aug
Rainiel Rodriguez	Spr	C	1
Liam Doyle	Spr	LHS	2
Joshua Baez	Mem	OF	3
Tanner Franklin	Spr	RHS	4
Quinn Mathews	Mem	LHS	5
Leonardo Bernal	Mem	C	6
Cooper Hjerpe	Mem	LHS	7
Brandon Clarke	Peo	LHS	8
Jurrangelo Cijntje	Mem	SHS	9
Tegan Kuhns	FCL	RHP	10
Trevor Condon	FCL	OF	11
Alexander Frias	PB	OF	12
Yhoiker Fajardo	Spr	RHS	13
Jacob Odle	Peo	RHS	14
Jesus Baez	Spr	SS/3B	15
Tekoah Roby	Mem IL	RHS	16
Josiah Ragsdale	Spr	OF	17
Yairo Padilla	PB	SS	18
Tai Peete	Spr	OF	19
Rocco Maniscalco	FCL	SS	20
Ixan Henderson	Mem	LHS	21
Emanuel Luna	DSL	OF	22
Jack Gurevitch	Spr	1B/3B	23
Won-Bin Cho	Spr	OF	24
Deniel Ortiz	Spr	1B/3B	25
Mason Molina	Mem	RHS	26
Miguel Hernandez	PB	MIF	27
Sebastian Dos Santos	PB	MIF	28
Daniel Eagen	Spr	RHS	29
Brycen Mautz	Mem	LHR	30
Braden Davis	Spr	LHS	31
Caden Ferraro	Peo	OF	32
Sandro Santana	Spr	LHR	33
Xavier Cruz	PB IL	RHR	34
Cade Winquest	Mem	RHR	35
Cade Crossland	Peo	LHS	36
Chase Davis	Mem	OF	37
Dee Kennedy	PB	SS	38
Sammy Hernandez	Peo	C	39
Hancel Rincon	Mem	RHR	40
Yordalin Pena	Peo	OF	41
Cal Randall	FCL	RHP	42
Ryan Campos	Spr	C	43
Colton Ledbetter	Mem	OF	44
Ryan Mitchell	PB	OF	45
Dawson Montesa	FCL	RHP	46
Blake Aita	Spr DL	RHS	47
Chen Wei-Lin	Spr	RHR	48
Andrew Williamson	Peo	OF	49
Ty Van Dyke	Peo DL	RHS	50

IL=injured list
DL=development list

For much more information

Please check out the following article. It details all 72 players considered for the August Top 50, Kyle’s and Brian’s individual votes, the players added and left the list since July plus much more! It is exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation.

The Cardinal Nation Top 50 Prospect List – August 2026 Details

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Wednesday With Walton and Reis – Season 9, Episode 33

August 12, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Cooper Hjerpe (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by analyst Kyle Reis for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.

The podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 30 to 45 minutes. More information on everything discussed can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.

Brian and Kyle cover the news of the week across the St. Louis Cardinals system, and with all the roster changes, there’s a lot of it. Pitchers discussed include Cooper Hjerpe, Mason Molina, Ixan Henderson, Tanner Franklin, Yhoiker Fajardo, Cade Crossland, Daniel Eagen and more. Hitters mentioned include Rainiel Rodriguez, both Baezes, Leonardo Bernal and the catching position, what to do at third base and more. They close with a possible view of the 40-man, Rule 5 and minor league rosters if there is a lockout this coming winter.

All videos of episodes of Wednesday With Walton at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.

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Cardinals Release Last Reminder of Tyler O’Neill Trade

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Kyle is one of the most informative and entertaining Cardinals related social media follows at @kyler416.

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Wednesday With Walton and Reis – Season 9, Episode 32

August 5, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Quinn Mathews studying his numbers (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by analyst Kyle Reis for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.

The podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 30 to 45 minutes. More information on everything discussed can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.

Brian and Kyle cover the news of the week across the St. Louis Cardinals system including promotions and awards. Topics include Quinn Mathews to St. Louis and back, Tink Hence, Tanner Franklin, Tai Peete, Yordalin Peña, Jesus Baez, Liam Doyle, Andrew Dutkanych and more.

(Note: Tuesday evening, after we recorded our podcast, the Cardinals announced an unusual second wave of transactions the same day.

LHP Cooper Hjerpe has been transferred from Springfield (AA) to Memphis (AAA).

RHP Yhoiker Fajardo & 1B/3B Jack Gurevitch have been transferred from Peoria (A+) to Springfield.

INF Dakota Harris (AA) has been placed on the Development List.

INF Anyelo Encarnación (A+) has been…

— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) August 4, 2026

All videos of episodes of Wednesday With Walton at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.

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Related podcast

Make sure you also check out this week’s special edition of our podcast from Monday, focused on the trade deadline and the four new Cardinals prospects acquired.

Special Trade Deadline Edition – Monday With Walton and Reis

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The Cardinal Nation Prospect Interview – Outfielder Ian Petrutz

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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.

Special Trade Deadline Edition – Monday With Walton and Reis

August 3, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Alexander Frias (Wilson Warbirds)

The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by analyst Kyle Reis for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.

The podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 30 to 45 minutes. More information on everything discussed can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.

In a special episode recorded just after the August 3 trade deadline, Brian and Kyle break down the deals that brought four prospects into the Cardinals organization – outfielders Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale from Milwaukee plus pitchers Daniel Eagen and Sandro Santana from Arizona – where they fit into the organization and onto our Top 50 prospect list. Kyle closes with a rant about not addressing the catching position backlog.

Note: We will be back with our regular Wednesday edition, so that means two episodes in one week!

All videos of episodes of Wednesday With Walton at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.

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The Cardinal Nation Prospect Interview – Outfielder Ian Petrutz

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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.

Cardinals Trade Nootbaar to Arizona for Prospects Eagen and Santana

August 3, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Daniel Eagen (Amarillo Sod Poodles)

The St. Louis Cardinals acquired two pitching prospects from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Daniel Eagen and Sandro Santana plus a player to be named later, for outfielder Lars Nootbaar.

St. Louis Cardinals release

The St. Louis Cardinals announced today (Monday, August 3) that the team has completed a trade deadline deal with Arizona, acquiring minor league prospects Daniel Eagen, Sandro Santana and a player to be named later in exchange for outfielder Lars Nootbaar.

Eagen, 23, is ranked by MLB Pipeline as Arizona’s No. 5 prospect and No. 13 by Baseball America. Santana, 21, is ranked by MLB Pipeline as Arizona’s No. 26 prospect.

DANIEL EAGEN – RHP

Daniel Eagen

23 years old – born November 23, 2002 in Fuquay-Varina, NC

6-4, 206 lbs. Bats: Right / Throws: Right
13 prospect in the Diamondbacks organization by Baseball America and No. 5 by MLB Pipeline.
2025 Diamondbacks Minor League Pitcher of the Year in his first professional season. Took part in 2026 Major League Spring Training with Arizona as a non-roster invitee.
5-8 with a 4.95 ERA (87.1 IP) and 109 strikeouts in 20 starts for Double-A Amarillo. Boasts a 11.2 SO/9 IP ratio this season with a pair of 10-strikeout games.
109 strikeouts leads all Dbacks minor leaguers and ranks 5^th among all Double-A pitchers (3^rd in Texas League) this season. He also led Arizona farmhands last season with 153 strikeouts.
Named 2025 Northwest League (A+) Pitcher of the Year, Post-Season All-Star. Selected as 2025 Baseball America Class High-A All-Star.
Originally selected by Arizona in the 3rd round (102^nd overall) of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina.

SANDRO SANTANA – LHP

Sandro Santana

21 years old – born March 7, 2005 in Barahona, Dominican Republic

5-10, 150 lbs. Bats: Left / Throws: Left
#22 prospect in Diamondbacks system by MLB Pipeline.
Signed with Arizona as an international free agent in January 2023.
Owns a 2.14 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, .188 batting average against with 70 strikeouts across 46.1 IP in 31 relief appearances between Amarillo (AA) and Hillsboro (A+) this season.
Recorded a 37.0 SO% and 10.6 BB% and has allowed just seven extra-base hits on the season (.255 SLG% against).
Since June 24 promotion to Double-A Amarillo, has posted a 0.57 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 36.2 SO% in 11 appearances.

For more information on these new Cardinals

Special Trade Deadline Edition – Monday With Walton and Reis

For roster and player information

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The Cardinal Nation Prospect Interview – Outfielder Ian Petrutz

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Cardinals Trade May and Romero to Brewers for Prospects Frias and Ragsdale

August 3, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Josiah Ragsdale (Biloxi Shuckers)

The St. Louis Cardinals acquired two outfield prospects from the Milwaukee Brewers, Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale, for pitchers Dustin May and JoJo Romero.

St. Louis Cardinals release

The St. Louis Cardinals announced today (Monday, August 3) that the team has completed a trade deadline deal this afternoon acquiring a pair of outfield prospects Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for pitchers Dustin May and JoJo Romero.

Frias, 18, ranks as a Top 100 prospect by three different publications and the No. 8 prospect in the Brewers system per Baseball America. Ragsdale, 22, ranks as Milwaukee’s No. 22 prospect by Baseball America.

ALEXANDER FRIAS – OF

Alexander Frias

18 years old – born March 10, 2008 in Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic

6-2, 177 lbs. Bats: Left / Throws: Right
Signed as an international free agent by Milwaukee in January 2025 out of Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic.
Currently ranked as a Top 100 prospect by Fangraphs (No. 43), The Athletic (No. 69) and Baseball America (No. 100). No. 8 prospect in Brewers system by Baseball America.
Slashed .441/.518/.678 with 18 extra-base hits, 34 RBI, 33 runs scored and 12 SB in 32 games with the Arizona Complex League Brewers before being promoted to Single-A Wilson on June 23.
At the time of his promotion, Frias led the ACL in batting average, on-base percentage and hits (52) while also ranking top 3 in slugging, OPS (1.196, 2^nd), doubles (12, T-2^nd), and total bases (30, 3^rd).
In 28 games at Single-A Wilson, Frias owns a .746 OPS with 10 extra-base hits, 28 RBI and 7 stolen bases as the youngest player in the Carolina League as of July 25.
Younger brother of former Diamondbacks (2021-24) and Blue Jays (2024) pitcher Luis Frias.

JOSIAH RAGSDALE – OF

Josiah Ragsdale

22 years old – born December 21, 2003 in Vineland, NJ

6-0, 185 lbs. Bats: Left / Throws: Left
22 prospect in Brewers system by Baseball America and No. 13 by MLB Pipeline.
Batting .316/.441/.581 (98-310) with 19 homers, 51 RBI, 31 stolen bases, and 1.022 OPS in 86 games between Wisconsin (A+) and Biloxi (AA) this season.
Among qualified full season minor leaguers this season, ranks 7^th in OBP (.441), and 8^th in OPS (1.022).
Has 10 HR in his last 13 games with Biloxi, most homers in all of MLB or MiLB since July 19.
Started 42 games in center field and 41 games in right field this season.
Ragsdale is 1 of 8 minor leaguers this season with 15+ HR and 30+ SB. Currently, one home run shy from a 20 2B, 20 HR, 30 SB season.
Originally selected by the Brewers in the 7th round of the 2025 MLB Draft. Played collegiately at Boston College (2025) and Iona (2023-24).

For more information on these new Cardinals

Special Trade Deadline Edition – Monday With Walton and Reis

For roster and player information

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The Cardinal Nation Prospect Interview – Outfielder Ian Petrutz

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Springfield’s Rainiel Rodriguez Named Texas League Player of the Week

August 3, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Rainiel Rodriguez (P.J. Maigi/Springfield Cardinals)

No. 1 St. Louis Cardinals prospect, catcher Rainiel Rodriguez, was the top player in the Double-A Texas League for the period of July 27-August 2.

Springfield Cardinals release

Minor League Baseball has announced that Springfield Cardinals catcher and St. Louis Cardinals number one prospect Rainiel Rodriguez has been named the Texas League Player of the Week for the week of July 27 – August 2. Rodriguez is the first Cardinals position player this season to earn the Player of the Week honor as he joins LHP Braden Davis as the only Cardinals who have been recognized this season by the league.

Rainiel Rodriguez

The 19-year-old Rodriguez led the Texas League in slugging percentage (1.105) last week while launching three home runs with a .526 batting average. He logged three multi-hit games including a two home run night on July 29, the fourth of his Minor League career. The Domincan catcher has continued his breakout career in Springfield and enjoyed a huge month of July, slashing .305/.376/.561 in 20 games played. He has been red hot since the start of June, coming in fourth among all qualified Texas League hitters with a .329 average.

Rodriguez was called up to Double-A on May 12 from High-A Peoria. Since then he has cemented himself as the consensus number one prospect in the system, participated in the MLB All-Star Futures Game and currently sits as the 12th-ranked prospect in all of Minor League Baseball according to MLB Pipeline. He is one of just five teenagers in the top 15. Rodriguez, nicknamed ‘The Hulk’, was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024 and has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the system. He immediately made his prowess known thanks to a big first season in the Dominican Summer League as one of the league’s best hitters before an explosive 2025 campaign, primarily in the Florida State League. The native of Pimentel, Dominican Republic won’t turn 20 until January of next year.

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The Cardinal Nation Prospect Interview – Outfielder Ian Petrutz

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Wednesday With Walton and Reis – Season 9, Episode 30

July 29, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Chase Davis (St. Louis Cardinals)

The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by analyst Kyle Reis for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.

The podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 30 to 45 minutes. More information on everything discussed can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.

In the final episode prior to the August 3 trade deadline, Brian and Kyle start with the idea and timing of trading Ivan Herrera and Lars Nootbaar, bullpen turnover and potential rotation changes. They focus on hitters in the system including Jack Gurevitch, Tai Peete, Colton Ledbetter, Chase Davis, Joshua Baez and more!

All videos of episodes of Wednesday With Walton at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.

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The Cardinal Nation Prospect Interview – Outfielder Tai Peete

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Final 20% off Sale on The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 Prospect Guide

July 22, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

While supplies last, buy The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide spiral bound book at 20% off.

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The 2026 Guide features 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including five dozen all-new player scouting reports written by Kyle Reis and Brian Walton.

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The Cardinal Nation Top 50 Prospect List – 2026 Post-Draft Details

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Wednesday With Walton and Reis – Season 9, Episode 29

July 22, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Hunter Dobbins (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by analyst Kyle Reis for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.

The podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 30 to 45 minutes. More information on everything discussed can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.

Before getting into how and where they ranked the St. Louis Cardinals 2026 draft picks in the TCN Top 50, Brian and Kyle cover players in the news including Clarke, Nuñez, Sparks, Driessen, Mautz, Cijntje, Mathews, Dobbins, Hence and more.

Related articles

The Cardinal Nation’s July 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Top 50 Prospect List

The Cardinal Nation Top 50 Prospect List – 2026 Post-Draft Details

All videos of episodes of Wednesday With Walton at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.

Subscription details are here.

New Homes for Wednesday With Walton and Reis on Podcast Apps

Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide

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 Top 50 Prospect List – 2026 Post-Draft Details

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.

Kyle is one of the most informative and entertaining Cardinals related social media follows at @kyler416.

Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

The Cardinal Nation Top 50 Prospect List – 2026 Post-Draft Details

July 21, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

Brian Walton and Kyle Reis explain which players drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals are placed into The Cardinal Nation’s Top 50, where and why.

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The Cardinal Nation’s July 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Top 50 Prospect List

July 21, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

photo: Trevor Condon (St. Louis Cardinals)

The monthly in-season update of The Cardinal Nation’s St. Louis Cardinals Top 50 Prospect List is now available. Six players join the new rankings, all from the 2026 draft class.

For July, The Cardinal Nation’s monthly in-season St. Louis Cardinals Top 50 Prospect List update is solely focused on the inclusion of the members of the organization’s acclaimed 2026 draft class. No other players were re-ranked this month.

As always, Kyle Reis and Brian Walton separately rank the players with the site list a combination of the two. These blended player Top 50 rankings follow, made available to everyone each month.

For additional specifics, including individual votes and commentary, please subscribe to The Cardinal Nation to access the detailed article mentioned below.

We will also discuss our rankings on our regular “Wednesday With Walton and Reis” podcast.

Here are the July results.

Prospect	Tm/Rd	Pos	June	July
Rainiel Rodriguez	Spr	C	1
Liam Doyle	Spr	LHS	2
Joshua Baez	Mem	OF	3
Jimmy Crooks	StL	C	4
Quinn Mathews	Mem	LHS	5
Tanner Franklin	Peo	RHS	6
Leonardo Bernal	Mem	C	7
Cooper Hjerpe	Spr	LHS	8
Jurrangelo Cijntje	Mem	SHS	9
Brandon Clarke	Spr IL	LHS	10
Tekoah Roby	Mem IL	RHS	11
Trevor Condon	1	OF		11a
Tegan Kuhns	CB-A	P		11b
Ixan Henderson	Mem IL	LHS	12
Braden Davis	Spr	LHS	13
Tai Peete	Peo	OF	14
Mason Molina	Mem	RHS	15
Blaze Jordan	StL	1B/3B	16
Yhoiker Fajardo	Peo	RHS	17
Brycen Mautz	Mem	LHR	18
Jacob Odle	Peo	RHS	19
Rocco Maniscalco	2	SS		19a
Deniel Ortiz	Spr	1B/3B	20
Chen Wei-Lin	Spr	RHS	21
Sebastian Dos Santos	PB	MIF	22
Emanuel Luna	DSL	OF	23
Jesus Baez	Spr	SS/3B	24
Jack Gurevitch	Peo	1B	25
Luis Gastelum	StL	RHR	26
Xavier Cruz	PB IL	RHR	27
Ryan Mitchell	PB	OF	28
Chase Davis	Mem	OF	29
Tink Hence	Mem	RHR	30
Dee Kennedy	4	SS		30a
Cade Winquest	Mem	RHR	31
Cade Crossland	PB	LHS	32
Yairo Padilla	PB	SS	33
Max Rajcic	StL IL	RHR	34
Frank Elissalt	Peo IL	RHS	35
Caden Ferraro	3	OF		35a
Cal Randall	5	P		35b
Ty Van Dyke	Peo	RHS	36
Won-Bin Cho	Spr	OF	37
Hancel Rincon	Mem	RHR	38
Bryan Torres	StL	2B/OF	39
Pete Hansen	Mem	LHS	40
Ryan Campos	Spr	C	41
Payton Graham	PB	RHS	42
Blake Aita	Spr	RHS	43
Brian Holiday	PB	RHS	44
Ethan Young	PB IL	RHS	45
Miguel Hernandez	FCL	MIF	46
Ramon Mendoza	Mem	IF	47
Tre Richardson	Spr	2B	48
Cristofer Lebron	FCL	3B	49
Travis Honeyman	Spr	OF	50
Prospect	Tm/Rd	Pos	June	July

For much more information

Please check out the following article. It details all draft picks considered for the Top 50, how they fit relative to current prospects, Kyle’s and Brian’s individual votes and reasoning plus much more! It is exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation.

The Cardinal Nation Top 50 Prospect List – 2026 Post-Draft Details

Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide

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

Order TCN’s 2026 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.

Wednesday With Walton and Reis – Special Draft Edition with Kareem Haq

July 15, 2026 The Cardinal Nation staff

The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by analyst Kyle Reis for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.

The podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 30 to 45 minutes. More information on everything discussed can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.

In this special double-length edition, Brian and Kyle are joined by Kareem Haq of Cardinals Prospects and Birds on the Farm podcast. The lone subject is a very important one – how the Cardinals fared in the 2026 MLB Draft. They begin with an overall view of the team’s strategies, player selection and financials as well as how outsiders viewed the draft. Then, every one of the 23 draft picks is discussed in detail from scouting and metrics perspectives.

All videos of episodes of Wednesday With Walton at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.

Subscription details are here.

New Homes for Wednesday With Walton and Reis on Podcast Apps

Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide

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 Prospect Interview – Pitcher Blake Aita

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.

Kyle is one of the most informative and entertaining Cardinals related social media follows at @kyler416.

Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

First-hand news and commentary on the St. Louis Cardinals™ and minor league system for over 25 years