2026 TCNs Top 50 Prospect Countdown

A 2025, AA Josh Baez is exactly what the Cardinals need. Keeping my fingers crossed.

It does make sense not to add Baez to the 40 man roster now so he can keep getting better during the projected 2027 work stoppage. Same goes for any other player on the cusp of MLB.

I have Baez up at #5, but I understand Brian’s hesitations. BA is very high on Baez and he was their most improved player in the minors this year and will be a top 100 guy from their comments. The Cardinals are also the most improved farm system in their view as well.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/who-was-2025s-most-improved-mlb-prospect-prospect-podcast/

On the opposing side, Fangraphs (particularly Eric Longenhagen) is much more down on Baez. Copying Eric’s comments below from the September 19th chat he had.

From Fangraph – https://blogs.fangraphs.com/eric-longenhagen-prospects-chat-9-19-25/

12:34
Bret S: As a Cardinal fan how excited should I be for the season Joshua Baez had?

12:35
Eric A Longenhagen: you can be glad he’s had a good season but I’m still skeptical about him hitting big league pitching for a sustained period of time.

12:35
Eric A Longenhagen: I’m surprised his K% is as low as it is, guys whose hands fire from a dead stop like his do tend to K a ton.

It sounds like FG will most likely still have him as a 40+ guy on their rankings, but we will see when that is as I imagine if it is after Spring Training starts that ranking may change based off new info.

Mud, Eric did evaluate Baez based off this most recent year and I think he may have had in person looks as well as he travels to the team affiliates to get in person scouting time. It isn’t that he thinks Baez is a non prospect like he had before the year, but he just has some risk concerns on the hit tool as hitting in AA doesn’t mean you will hit in the majors. Baez was a 40+ on the midseason update as the Cards list as the number 17 prospect.

I’m not a mechanics guy and aware of other players that have had hand movements like his as there are likely some success and plenty of failures (just nature of any prospect more will fail than succeed). I personally am higher on Baez than Eric is, but Eric is much more of an expert and I appreciate he has different opinions than the other evaluators. Kyle often has very different takes and that is part of why I like him as well here at TCN. I tend to like it when people have varying opinions as if you take them and average them together you get a more realistic outcome than if everyone just agrees to agree.

Looking at the Gray and Contreras trades after a few knee jerk reactions, I’m giving Bloom a very solid A.

In 12 months I’d bet two wooden nickel’s that Fajardo is ranked ahead of Clarke. I’m not at all down on Clarke, but at 18 and he’s already pitched great in A ball, that’s exciting. If they were in the draft tomorrow, Fajardo would easily be a 1st rounder and Clarke a top 50 pick.

Well played Mr. Bloom, now get Donnie+ done for Emil Morales and River Ryan and I’ll stop wishing for Dombrowski.

Clarke is the epitome of a hype bubble. Its ridiculous.

Rodriguez is part of a potentially good crop of International signings. Best in years. I hope the next DSL batch coming stateside aren’t another Malcolm Nunez. Rodriguez sure looks a very good young hitter. Can he stay behind the plate?