photo: Cooper Hjerpe, farm director Gary LaRocque and senior pitching coordinator Tim Leveque (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Selected St. Louis Cardinals-provided stats from the organization’s first two days of minor league spring training games played on Thursday, March 16 and Friday, March 17. Our Players of the Day are Elijah Cabell and Cooper Hjerpe.
St. Louis Cardinals minor league camp is in its third week, but the first day of semi-official games was this Thursday, March 16. It was a camp day during with the Triple-A and Double-A squads faced each other and the two Class-A teams opposed each other.
Remember that at this phase of camp, the Cardinals are labeling their teams “Working Groups”, which is an important reminder that these rosters are written in pencil and change daily.
On Friday, the Cardinals held their first games against external competition, meeting their Marlins counterparts with all four games held on the Miami back fields of the Roger Dean Complex in Jupiter. All games were scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m.
Thanks to Cardinals Player Development and Media Relations, the following are selected stats from Thursday and Friday. Notes and Players of the Day come from me.
Thursday’s games
Springfield Cardinals Working Group (4) at Memphis Redbirds Working Group (5)
Springfield
- RHP Inohan Paniagua – 2.2 IP – 2 H – 1 R – 0 BB – 4 SO (Innings 1-3)
- LHP Brycen Mautz – 2.0 IP – 1 H – 0 R – 0 BB – 4 SO (Innings 4-5)
- INF Arquimedes Gamboa – 1-1, 2 RBI 1B
Notes: Mautz, The Cardinal Nation’s 13th-ranked prospect, was the organization’s second round draft pick in 2022. The lefty has yet to make his professional debut in an official game.
Gamboa, a February free agent signing, was a late arrival in camp due to a visa issue. He should hold an infield reserve role with Memphis.
Memphis
- RHP Tommy Parsons – 2.0 IP – 0 H – 0 R – 0 BB – 2 SO (Innings 6-7)
- OF Elijah Cabell – 2-3, 2 HR, 3 RBI
Note: Parsons is a veteran of the Memphis rotation and was recently sent down from St. Louis’ camp, where he was as a non-roster invitee.
Palm Beach Cardinals Working Group (5) at Peoria Chiefs Working Group (5)
Palm Beach
- RHP Ian Bedell – 1.0 IP – 1 H – 0 R – 1 BB – 3 SO (Inning 1)
- RHP Nick Trogrlic-Iverson – 2.0 IP – 1 H – 0 R – 0 BB – 4 SO (Innings 7-8)
- OF Won-Bin Cho – 2-3, 2 1B, BB, R
- INF R.J. Yeager – 3-4, 3B, 2 1B, 2 RBI, R
- C Leonardo Bernal – 0-1, 2 BB, R
Notes: Trogrlic-Iverson has a funky delivery that is hard for some hitters to pick up. The 25-year-old posted a 3.33 in 31 relief appearances for Peoria in 2022.
Yeager, a non-drafted free agent signee last summer, finished his 2022 rookie year with a line of .289/.360/.443/.803 in 111 plate appearances over 28 games. He hit three home runs and plated 18, all at Palm Beach.
Peoria
- RHP Benjamin Arias – 1.0 IP – 0 H – 0 R – 0 BB – 2 SO (Inning 1)
- RHP Andrew Marrero – 1.0 IP – 0 H – 0 R – 0 BB – 2 SO (Inning 8)
- OF Jose Cordoba – 1-2, Solo HR
Note: Marrero, TCN’s no. 44 prospect, was the system-wide August Pitcher of the Month. The slider-fastball specialist was also the top reliever in the Florida State League in 2022.
TCN’s Thursday Player of the Day
Memphis’ Elijah Cabell hit two home runs and plated three runs. The outfielder, drafted in the 17th round in 2021, has played his entire career to date with Low-A Palm Beach.
After logging an .811 OPS his first year, the right-handed hitter slumped to .678 in 2022.
Friday’s games
The Cards’ clubs went 1-3 against their Marlins counterparts.
Memphis Redbirds (3): at Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (6)
- RHP Michael McGreevy – 2.2 IP – 6 H – 3 R – 0 BB – 1 SO (Innings 1-3)
- RHP James Naile – 2.0 IP – 1 H – 0 R – 0 BB – 2 SO (Innings 4-5)
- OF Victor Scott II – 2-4, 2B, R
- C Iván Herrera – 2-3, RBI Single
- OF Moisés Gómez – 2-3, Long solo HR
Notes: All of these players had been sent down from big-league camp with the exception of center fielder Victor Scott, who also received exposure with St. Louis this spring.
Springfield Cardinals (2): at Pensacola Blue Wahoos (3)
- RHP Gordon Graceffo – 3.0 IP – 5 H – 3 R – 1 BB – 1 SO (Innings 1-3)
- LHP Kenny Hernández – 3.0 IP – 2 H – 1 R – 0 BB – 4 SO (Innings 4-6)
- INF Osvaldo Tovalin – 2-4, 2B
Notes: Hernandez was signed as a minor league free agent in November. The 24-year-old was originally signed as an International free agent by the Diamondbacks in 2016 and has played six seasons advancing as high as Double-A Amarillo. He has appeared in 122 games, making 40 starts with a 26-22 record and 3.90 ERA.
Peoria Chiefs (4): at Beloit Sky Carp (2)
- LHP Cooper Hjerpe – 2.2 IP – 1 H – 0 R – 1 BB – 6 SO (Innings 1-3)
- RHP Trent Baker – 3.0 IP – 4 H – 1 R – 0 BB – 2 SO (Innings 4-6)
- INF Lizandro Espinoza – 1-3, BB, 2 SB, R
- INF Brody Moore – 1-3, RBI Single, SF RBI
- INF Michael Curialle – 1-3, Long solo HR over batter’s eye
Notes: Baker is The Cardinal Nation’s 25th-ranked prospect for 2023. Read all about him in this free report.
Palm Beach Cardinals (7): at Jupiter Hammerheads (9)
- RHP Zane Mills – 2.0 IP – 7 H – 6 R (not all earned) – 1 BB – 5 SO (Innings 1-2)
- SS Jonathan Mejia – 2-3, Solo HR, 3B, BB
- OF Adanson Cruz – 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, 2 SB
- OF Jose Cordoba – 1-3, Solo HR, HBP
Note: Mejia is The Cardinal Nation’s 11th-ranked prospect. The 17-year-old shortstop was signed in January 2022 for a reported $2 million. He posted a smart .897 OPS in the Dominican Summer League.
TCN’s Friday Player of the Day
There is a reason Hjerpe was the Cardinals’ first rounder in 2022. The lefty is TCN’s 10th-ranked prospect and is also on every Cardinals top 10 from the seven national sources we track.
Hjerpe earned his spot here based on 2 2/3 innings of shutout ball with two baserunners and six strikeouts thrown on Friday.
Next games
Saturday is another Camp Day. Cardinals vs. Cardinals games should begin at 1:00 p.m. ET at the George Kissell Quad in Jupiter, but as always, watch the weather.
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