Cade Crossland Named June Pitcher of the Month
Cade Crossland Named The Cardinal Chronicle’s June Pitcher of the Month
The Cardinal Chronicle
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Cade Crossland’s June was not perfect.
It was still dominant.
Crossland, the 22-year-old left-hander for Low-A Palm Beach, has been named The Cardinal Chronicle’s Pitcher of the Month for June after putting together one of the most impressive strikeout months in the Cardinals’ minor-league system.
Over 20 innings, Crossland allowed just seven hits, four runs, three earned runs and one home run while striking out 31 batters. He finished the month with a 1.35 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP, giving Palm Beach a swing-and-miss presence every time he took the mound.
The strikeouts were the headline.
Thirty-one strikeouts in 20 innings is the kind of number that jumps off the page, especially from a young left-hander still early in his professional career. Crossland did not just survive Low-A hitters in June. He overmatched them. The fastball played, the secondary stuff missed bats, and hitters struggled to square him up throughout the month.
That last part matters.
Crossland allowed only seven hits across 20 innings. That is not a typo. Seven hits. Even with the walk total higher than ideal, opposing hitters did very little damage when they did put the ball in play. He limited hard contact, kept the ball in the yard and consistently worked himself out of traffic with strikeout stuff.
The walks remain the part of the evaluation that cannot be ignored.
Crossland issued 18 free passes in June, and that is the difference between a very good month and a truly overpowering one. The command still needs refinement, and as he moves up the system, better hitters will be less forgiving. But young pitchers with swing-and-miss ability are worth watching, and Crossland showed in June why the Cardinals invested in him.
The Cardinals selected Crossland in the fourth round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of the University of Oklahoma, taking him with the 120th overall pick. The 6-foot-2 southpaw signed for $729,500 and entered pro ball with the profile of a college left-hander who could move if the stuff and command came together.
In June, the stuff was loud enough to carry the profile.
Crossland is currently ranked as the No. 23 prospect in the Cardinals organization, and his June performance should only strengthen his standing. The Cardinals’ system has been searching for more left-handed pitching depth, and Crossland gave Palm Beach a reminder that he belongs in that discussion.
This was not a month built on luck.
It was built on missed bats.
A 1.35 ERA, 31 strikeouts, only seven hits allowed and steady run prevention over 20 innings made Crossland the clear choice for The Cardinal Chronicle’s June Pitcher of the Month. The command will need to keep improving, but the foundation is there.
For a young left-hander in his first full professional season, June was a major step forward.
June Line: 20 innings, seven hits, four runs, three earned runs, 18 walks, 31 strikeouts, one home run allowed, 1.35 ERA, 1.25 WHIP.
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Cade Grossland, Palm Beach Cardinals | MLB