Team to watch
Triple-A Memphis boasts 10 of the Cardinals’ Top 30 Prospects, including three of the top five in Mathews, Crooks and Saggese. Mathews ( MiLB Pitching Prospect of the Year ) and Crooks (Texas League MVP) were both award winners in 2024, while Saggese pushed his way to the Majors for the first time late last summer. McGreevy found even more success during his first run in The Show (1.96 ERA in four appearances) but got squeezed out of the rotation this spring by more veteran members of the pitching staff. The Redbirds have a good mix of intriguing top talent and overall depth of prospects pushing for their own debuts or returns in the Majors. Players we could see in MLB in 2025
Anyone from that loaded Memphis squad is in play, and the pitching competition could be fiercest. McGreevy is the favorite to get the first call when a rotation spot opens in St. Louis, but Mathews has the highest upside with his three above-average pitches and impressive control. The Cards have developed a steady stream of backstops in recent years (Iván Herrera and Pedro Pagés being the two most recent), and Crooks could very well fall in line, thanks to his power and ability to control the opposing running game. One sleeper candidate for a 2025 debut: Gastelum, whose changeup continued to look special this spring. He jumped from Single-A to Double-A with this opening assignment and could continue to climb quickly if the Cards believe the cambio can keep fooling hitters at an elite rate.
St. Louis acquired Helman from the Twins in a February trade for cash, and while he’s certainly on the older side of prospectdom at 28 years old, his history of injuries (and reestablished health) means he still has more room for development than most his age. He’s a plus runner with experience playing every position but first base and catcher, and he’s already gotten looks in center, right and shortstop with Memphis. He may not have exceptional exit velocities, but his tendency to lift and pull could allow for some power, adding an extra layer to his value as a utilityman. On the shelf
The hits keep coming unfortunately for Hence. The Cardinals’ No. 3 prospect suffered a right rib cage strain in Spring Training, and he was placed on Memphis’ 60-day injured list officially last Friday. The 22-year-old righty has faced durability questions throughout his career and most recently missed time in 2024 due to lat/chest/shoulder issues. He’s still yet to throw more than 100 innings in a season, nearly five years after he was drafted. Hjerpe, Lin, Holiday, Church and Honeyman will open the season on the IL with undisclosed injuries. It’s hard to believe, but the first week of the 2025 season is in the books. The first handful of games have featured a number of notable developments -- some more expected than others. How much can happen in seven days? Well, a week ago, most of us didn’t even know what a “Torpedo” bat was. With help from MLB.com’s beat writers, here’s a look at one key takeaway for each team from the opening week of the season.
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Triple-A Memphis boasts 10 of the Cardinals’ Top 30 Prospects, including three of the top five in Mathews, Crooks and Saggese. Mathews ( MiLB Pitching Prospect of the Year ) and Crooks (Texas League MVP) were both award winners in 2024, while Saggese pushed his way to the Majors for the first time late last summer. McGreevy found even more success during his first run in The Show (1.96 ERA in four appearances) but got squeezed out of the rotation this spring by more veteran members of the pitching staff. The Redbirds have a good mix of intriguing top talent and overall depth of prospects pushing for their own debuts or returns in the Majors. Players we could see in MLB in 2025
Anyone from that loaded Memphis squad is in play, and the pitching competition could be fiercest. McGreevy is the favorite to get the first call when a rotation spot opens in St. Louis, but Mathews has the highest upside with his three above-average pitches and impressive control. The Cards have developed a steady stream of backstops in recent years (Iván Herrera and Pedro Pagés being the two most recent), and Crooks could very well fall in line, thanks to his power and ability to control the opposing running game. One sleeper candidate for a 2025 debut: Gastelum, whose changeup continued to look special this spring. He jumped from Single-A to Double-A with this opening assignment and could continue to climb quickly if the Cards believe the cambio can keep fooling hitters at an elite rate.
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New facesSt. Louis acquired Helman from the Twins in a February trade for cash, and while he’s certainly on the older side of prospectdom at 28 years old, his history of injuries (and reestablished health) means he still has more room for development than most his age. He’s a plus runner with experience playing every position but first base and catcher, and he’s already gotten looks in center, right and shortstop with Memphis. He may not have exceptional exit velocities, but his tendency to lift and pull could allow for some power, adding an extra layer to his value as a utilityman. On the shelf
The hits keep coming unfortunately for Hence. The Cardinals’ No. 3 prospect suffered a right rib cage strain in Spring Training, and he was placed on Memphis’ 60-day injured list officially last Friday. The 22-year-old righty has faced durability questions throughout his career and most recently missed time in 2024 due to lat/chest/shoulder issues. He’s still yet to throw more than 100 innings in a season, nearly five years after he was drafted. Hjerpe, Lin, Holiday, Church and Honeyman will open the season on the IL with undisclosed injuries. It’s hard to believe, but the first week of the 2025 season is in the books. The first handful of games have featured a number of notable developments -- some more expected than others. How much can happen in seven days? Well, a week ago, most of us didn’t even know what a “Torpedo” bat was. With help from MLB.com’s beat writers, here’s a look at one key takeaway for each team from the opening week of the season.
