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.
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 20th birthday.
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