Kross, Odle Lead the Friday Farm Temp Check
The Cardinal Chronicle
Who’s Hot, Who’s Cold: Kross, Odle Lead the Friday Farm Heat Check
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Editor's note - Statistical research and player trend data for this report were provided by MiLBToday.com
The Cardinals’ farm system has plenty of movement beneath the surface this week, with several bats forcing attention and a few arms putting together the kind of outings that make player-development people sit a little straighter in their chairs.
This is not a prospect ranking. It is a heat check. A weekly look at who is trending up, who is scuffling, and who may be worth watching a little closer as the weekend series unfold.
Who’s Hot — Hitters
Josh Kross, C, High-A Peoria
Kross was the clear headliner among Cardinals minor league hitters, going 11-for-20 over five games with four doubles, two home runs, five RBIs, four walks and only one strikeout. That works out to a .550 average and a massive 1.675 OPS.
The Movement:
That is not just a hot week. That is a catcher taking over a stretch of games with both contact and damage. The four doubles matter almost as much as the two home runs because they show this was not a one-swing fluke. Kross was driving the baseball consistently.
Old School Take:
Any time a catcher hits like this, it gets attention because offensive production behind the plate is still a separator. The Cardinals have had plenty of organizational catching depth through the years, but a catcher who can control the strike zone, drive the gaps and occasionally leave the yard gives himself a chance to climb. Kross just put together the kind of week that gets your name circled.
Ryan Weingartner, 3B, Single-A Palm Beach
Weingartner checked in second among hot hitters, hitting .294 over five games with a double, a triple, a home run, seven RBIs, seven walks, three strikeouts and two stolen bases. His OPS for the stretch was 1.147.
The Movement:
The batting average does not jump off the page like Kross, but the full line does. Seven walks in five games is real. So are seven RBIs and two steals. That is a player helping in multiple ways, not just piling up empty hits.
Old School Take:
This is the kind of week that tells you a hitter is seeing the ball well. Weingartner showed patience, run production, power, and enough athleticism to add value on the bases. At the lower levels, that kind of complete offensive week matters because it suggests a player is not just surviving — he is beginning to control at-bats.
Jesús Báez, SS, High-A Peoria
Báez brought the thunder, going 5-for-18 over four games with three home runs and three RBIs. His .278 average was solid, but the power carried the profile, producing a 1.094 OPS.
The Movement:
Three home runs in four games will get attention in any league. Báez did not walk much during the stretch, but the impact contact was loud enough to land him among the week’s top three hot hitters.
Old School Take:
Báez has the kind of raw ability that can change a game quickly. The next step is always consistency — controlling the zone, avoiding chase, and making sure the power does not come with too much swing-and-miss. But when a shortstop starts putting balls over the fence in bunches, you do not ignore it. You watch the next week even closer.
Who’s Hot — Pitchers
Jacob Odle, RHP, Single-A Palm Beach
Odle led the hot pitchers with 10 innings of one-run baseball, allowing seven hits, walking three and striking out 17. He posted a 0.90 ERA and 1.00 WHIP for the stretch.
The Movement:
Seventeen strikeouts in 10 innings is the headline. Odle did not just get outs. He missed bats at a high rate and kept the ball in the yard, allowing no home runs.
Old School Take:
Strikeouts are not everything, but they are still the quickest way for a pitcher to announce himself. Odle’s week had the look of an arm starting to separate from the pack. When a young pitcher combines swing-and-miss stuff with limited damage, that is when the development conversation starts to change from “interesting arm” to “keep tracking this one.”
Brandt Thompson, RHP, Double-A Springfield
Thompson was excellent over nine innings, giving up just three hits and two earned runs while walking two and striking out 14. His WHIP for the stretch was a sparkling 0.56.
The Movement:
That WHIP tells the story. Thompson was not letting innings get away from him. He limited traffic, threw strikes, and missed enough bats to keep hitters from settling in.
Old School Take:
Double-A is where numbers start carrying a little more weight. It is the level where hitters punish mistakes and force pitchers to show more than just raw stuff. Thompson’s week was strong because it showed control of the game. Three hits over nine innings at Springfield is not a small note. That is a pitcher doing real work.
Blake Aita, RHP, High-A Peoria
Aita worked 10 scoreless innings, allowing seven hits, walking one and striking out six. He finished the stretch with a 0.00 ERA and 0.80 WHIP.
The Movement:
Aita did not post the strikeout total of Odle or Thompson, but the run prevention was perfect. One walk in 10 innings is the key number. He forced hitters to earn their way on base, and they did not do much with the opportunity.
Old School Take:
There is still a place in this game for pitchers who throw strikes, avoid free passes, and make hitters beat them. Aita’s week was clean, efficient and steady. Not every strong pitching line has to come with fireworks. Sometimes the best report is simple: he filled the zone and nobody scored.
Who’s Cold — Hitters
Miguel Villarroel, 2B, Triple-A Memphis
Villarroel went hitless in six at-bats over two games, striking out four times without a walk.
The Concern:
Small sample, but the strikeouts stand out. At Triple-A, a short cold spell can happen quickly, especially when a hitter does not get enough plate appearances to work his way out of it.
Old School Take:
This is not a panic spot. It is a watch spot. Villarroel needs contact and rhythm, and a couple of clean singles can change the feel of a week fast. But when the strikeouts pile up and there are no walks to soften the line, it shows up on the cold board.
Ramon Mendoza, 2B, Triple-A Memphis
Mendoza went 1-for-12 over three games with no walks, no RBIs and three strikeouts, finishing the stretch with a .083 average and .167 OPS.
The Concern:
There was not much offensive impact in the line. No extra-base hits, no walks, and no run production made it a quiet week.
Old School Take:
Every hitter runs into these stretches, especially in Triple-A where pitchers know how to exploit holes. For Mendoza, the next step is simple baseball: get back to controlling the strike zone and finding barrels. A cold week does not define a player, but it does ask for a response.
Jose Cordoba, CF, High-A Peoria
Cordoba went 1-for-10 over three games with no walks, no RBIs and three strikeouts, though he did add a stolen base.
The Concern:
The lack of on-base production is the issue. For a center fielder, speed can help, but it only matters if he is getting on base enough to use it.
Old School Take:
Cordoba’s athleticism gives him a way to contribute even when the bat cools, but the offense has to give him more chances. When a player with speed is sitting at one hit and no walks for the week, the game gets too quiet. The stolen base helps. More traffic would help a whole lot more.
Who’s Cold — Pitchers
Leonel Sequera, RHP, High-A Peoria
Sequera had the roughest line of the week, allowing 20 earned runs over 6.1 innings. He gave up 15 hits, walked seven and allowed five home runs, finishing the stretch with a 28.42 ERA and 3.47 WHIP.
The Concern:
There is no dressing this one up. The home runs, walks and hits all arrived together, and that is how innings turn into crooked numbers in a hurry.
Old School Take:
Sometimes the game humbles a pitcher in broad daylight. For Sequera, this is about regrouping, finding the strike zone without catching too much plate, and getting back to a usable rhythm. The stuff may still be there, but the execution has to return quickly.
Chris Roycroft, RHP, Triple-A Memphis
Roycroft allowed 10 earned runs over 4.2 innings, giving up 13 hits and five walks while striking out three. His ERA for the stretch was 19.29 with a 3.86 WHIP.
The Concern:
Too many baserunners. At Triple-A, that is dangerous living. Thirteen hits and five walks in fewer than five innings leaves almost no margin for escape.
Old School Take:
Roycroft has been around enough to know how fast a bullpen line can get ugly. The fix is not complicated, though it may not be easy: get ahead, limit free passes, and make hitters put the ball in play on his terms. Relief pitching is a hard business. One clean week can change the picture, but this one was a rough ride.
Braden Davis, LHP, Double-A Springfield
Davis allowed nine earned runs over 5.1 innings, walking eight and striking out three. He finished the stretch with a 15.19 ERA and 2.63 WHIP.
The Concern:
The walks are the issue. Eight free passes in 5.1 innings will sink almost any outing, regardless of stuff.
Old School Take:
Davis does not need to be perfect. He needs to make hitters earn it. Walks turn singles into rallies and rallies into damage. At Double-A, command separates prospects from projects. This was a step back, but it is also a clear assignment: pound the zone, trust the defense, and stop giving hitters first base for free.
Final Word
The biggest heat this week came from Josh Kross and Jacob Odle, two players who did more than pad a stat line. Kross hit for average, power and patience. Odle missed bats and controlled damage. Those are the kinds of weeks that make a Friday farm column worth reading.
On the cold side, the numbers are not meant to bury anyone. They are part of the long minor league grind. Baseball has a way of exposing players one week and restoring them the next.
For the full list of Who's Hot & Who's Gold, go to MiLBToday.com.
That is why we check again next Friday.
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports
Editor’s Note: Statistical research and player trend data for this report were provided by MiLBToday.com
Click Here to visit MiLBtoday.com for daily minor league coverage, morning reports, and prospect tracking.