The Cardinals Top Prospect Rankings: Rainel Rodriguez at No. 1
Cardinal Chronicle
The Cardinals Top Prospect Rankings St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
The Cardinals’ prospect board is beginning to move.
This is not a complete rejection of preseason scouting reports, and it is not a hot-sheet ranking built on one good week. But by the end of May, enough baseball has been played to begin separating steady progress from reputation, and current production from projected promise.
MLB Pipeline’s preseason Cardinals list had Liam Doyle, Rainiel Rodriguez, Joshua Báez and Jurrangelo Cijntje as the organization’s top four prospects behind JJ Wetherholt, with Doyle, Rodriguez, Báez and Cijntje also carrying Top 100 recognition nationally. Pipeline also noted the system’s catching depth, with Rodriguez, Leo Bernal and Jimmy Crooks all among the organization’s top eight prospects.
Our June board keeps the foundation intact, but the order has changed. Rodriguez has moved to the top. Báez and Crooks have forced their way into the upper tier. Tanner Franklin’s rise is no longer background noise. And several arms in the lower half of the list have either climbed, held or slipped based on how the first two months have played out.
Here is the Cardinal Chronicle June Top 30.
1. Rainiel Rodriguez, C, Double-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 2
Rodriguez takes over the top spot because the combination of age, position and production is too strong to ignore. A 19-year-old catcher producing a .276 average, .387 on-base percentage and .828 OPS against advanced competition is carrying premium prospect value. The power has not fully exploded yet, but the offensive foundation is strong, and the position makes the profile even more valuable.
2. Liam Doyle, LHP, Double-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 1
Doyle remains near the top because the arm still plays at a high level, even if the early numbers have been rough. His 6.44 ERA and 1.60 WHIP are not top-prospect production, but 40 strikeouts in 29.1 innings show the swing-and-miss ability is still there. The ranking is still driven by upside, fastball quality and left-handed power, but the gap has narrowed.
3. Joshua Báez, OF, Triple-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 3
Báez has done exactly what a power prospect must do at Triple-A: make noise. Through May 28, he is hitting .251 with an .884 OPS, 15 home runs and 37 RBIs. The strikeouts are still part of the profile, but the power production at the doorstep of the majors is too loud to treat as a side note. He has moved from interesting to important.
4. Jimmy Crooks, C, Triple-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 7
Crooks is one of the biggest movers on this board. A Triple-A catcher with a .262 average, .412 on-base percentage, .567 slugging percentage, .979 OPS and 13 home runs has earned a top-five ranking. This is not just about defense or proximity anymore. The bat has forced the conversation.
5. Tanner Franklin, RHP, High-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 10
Franklin is the biggest pitching riser in the system. His 3.31 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 43 strikeouts in 32.2 innings at High-A point to real movement, and MLB Pipeline already gives him one of the best fastball grades in the organization, grouping him with Doyle in that category. He is not as close to St. Louis as others, but the arm has moved into the top tier.
6. Jurrangelo Cijntje, RHP, Double-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 4
Cijntje slides slightly, but not dramatically. The 5.18 ERA and 1.44 WHIP at Double-A show the transition has not been clean, but 53 strikeouts in 41.2 innings keep the talent in plain sight. The upside remains significant, but the current performance pushes him behind the bats and Franklin for now.
7. Leo Bernal, C, Triple-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 5
Bernal remains a valuable prospect because he is a young Triple-A catcher with switch-hitting ability and defensive value. His .248 average and .748 OPS are respectable, but Crooks has outperformed him offensively at the same level. Bernal stays high because catchers with this profile are hard to find, but he no longer leads the Triple-A catching group on this board.
8. Brandon Clarke, LHP, Double-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 8
Clarke holds his spot because the scouting profile still matters. There is not enough current statistical evidence here to push him higher, but the arm talent remains one of the better long-term bets in the system. MLB Pipeline gives Clarke the best slider grade in the organization, which keeps him firmly in the Top 10 conversation. 60-Day DL
9. Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP, High-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 12
Fajardo moves up because the strikeout total demands attention. Fifty-four strikeouts in 37.1 innings at High-A is a strong marker, and his 3.38 ERA gives the line enough balance to support the rise. The WHIP still needs to improve, but the bat-missing ability is real.
10. Quinn Mathews, LHP, Triple-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 6
Mathews drops, but he does not fall out of the top 10. The 5.55 ERA and 1.63 WHIP at Triple-A are hard to dress up, and 30 walks in 35.2 innings are a concern. Still, the left-handed profile, previous track record and proximity to St. Louis keep him in a meaningful spot. This is a correction, not a write-off.
11. Blaze Jordan, INF, Triple-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 25
Jordan is the loudest offensive riser outside the top 10. A .326 average, .385 on-base percentage, .562 slugging percentage and .947 OPS at Triple-A demands a major jump. The defensive/positional profile keeps him from pushing even higher, but the bat has been too strong to leave buried in the back third of the list.
12. Tai Peete, OF, High-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 17
Peete’s athleticism has started to show up in production. A .272 average, .878 OPS, five home runs and 24 RBIs at High-A gives him upward momentum. The strikeout rate remains something to watch, but the tools and performance now belong in the upper half of the system.
13. Tekoah Roby, RHP, Triple-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 9
Roby stays in the middle of the board because the arm still carries prospect weight. The absence of a current stat line in this snapshot prevents a move upward, but the previous scouting value is still enough to keep him in the Top 15. This ranking reflects upside, not current momentum. 60-Day DL
14. Brycen Mautz, LHP, Triple-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 20
Mautz moves up because he is getting outs near the majors. His 3.12 ERA across 43.1 innings keeps him firmly in the conversation, though the 1.41 WHIP shows he has had to pitch through traffic. Left-handed arms with Triple-A success deserve attention.
15. Jack Gurevitch, INF, High-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 28
Gurevitch has earned one of the bigger jumps on the board. A .289 average, .389 on-base percentage, .547 slugging percentage, .936 OPS, 10 home runs and 35 RBIs is real production. The next test is whether it holds as he climbs, but his May résumé says he belongs in the Top 15.
16. Cade Crossland, LHP, Single-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 23
Crossland moves up because the strikeouts are difficult to ignore. MLB Pipeline’s stat table has him at 50 strikeouts in 36.1 innings with a 1.40 WHIP, the bat-missing ability is the story. The ERA needs to come down, but the arm is trending up.
17. Ryan Mitchell, OF, Single-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 11
Mitchell slides some because the production has not caught up with the projection. He owns a .205 average and .700 OPS, but the .378 on-base percentage and 40 walks show there is still a foundation. The age and tools keep him in the Top 20, but this is more future value than current performance.
18. Mason Molina, LHP, Double-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 29
Molina has pitched his way up the board. A 3.18 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 51 strikeouts in 39.2 innings at Double-A is one of the steadier pitching lines in the system. He may not have the loudest name, but the results are too strong to leave him near the bottom.
19. Jesus Baez, INF, High-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 19
Baez holds close to his MLB Pipeline spot because the power remains his carrying tool. Nine home runs and 25 RBIs at High-A give him a real offensive path, even with a .231 average and .710 OPS. The ranking reflects a bat with impact potential, but still some offensive polish needed.
20. Chen-Wei Lin, RHP, Double-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 24
Lin remains in the Top 20 because strikeouts at Double-A matter. He has 46 strikeouts in 35.1 innings, but the 4.58 ERA and 1.50 WHIP explain why he does not climb higher. The stuff is interesting. The command and consistency still have to follow.
21. Yairo Padilla, INF, Single-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 15
Padilla falls in this version because there is not enough current production in this snapshot to justify a higher ranking. The tools and projection still matter, and MLB Pipeline still values him higher than this board does. For now, this is a conservative placement until the performance case becomes clearer.
22. Cooper Hjerpe, LHP, Double-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 16
Hjerpe remains on the board because previous prospect value and left-handed deception still carry weight. Without a current statistical case here, he cannot be pushed up, but there is enough background to keep him inside the Top 25. Health, innings and command will decide whether he rebounds. 60-Day DL
23. Ixan Henderson, LHP, Triple-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 13
Henderson falls in this reset mostly because others have created stronger current cases. Triple-A proximity matters, especially from the left side, but the lack of a fresh stat line in this working table keeps him from holding his MLB Pipeline spot. This is not a dismissal, but it is a performance-board adjustment. 60-Day DL
24. Tink Hence, RHP, Triple-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 14
Hence is the hardest ranking on the board. The name and arm still suggest more than this slot, but an 8.64 ERA, 2.28 WHIP and only 8.1 innings leave little room for optimism in a June reset. He stays ranked because the talent has not vanished, but he has to earn his way back up. 60-Day DL
25. Luis Gastelum, RHP, Triple-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 21
Gastelum remains in the back third because he has proximity and usable Triple-A results. A 4.07 ERA and 1.32 WHIP are serviceable, though the strikeout total does not push him higher. He looks more like a steady depth arm than a fast riser right now.
26. Braden Davis, LHP, Double-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 26
Davis lands exactly where MLB Pipeline has him, and that feels about right. The 46 strikeouts in 37 innings keep him relevant, but a 6.08 ERA and 1.54 WHIP drag down the overall line. The arm is still worth following, but the results need to tighten.
27. Hancel Rincon, RHP, Triple-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 27
Rincon also matches his MLB Pipeline slot. The Triple-A assignment helps his standing, but a 5.60 ERA and 1.61 WHIP keep him in the back portion of the rankings. This is a depth-and-proximity ranking more than a breakout endorsement.
28. Emanuel Luna, OF — MLB Pipeline: No. 18
Luna slides because there is not enough current evidence in this snapshot to hold him near the middle of the list. The prior prospect interest keeps him ranked, but players producing in full-season ball have moved past him for now. He is a hold, not a riser.
29. Deniel Ortiz, INF, Double-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 22
Ortiz barely holds a spot in this version. With only five at-bats and no offensive production listed, there is no performance case for a higher ranking. He remains on the board because of previous value, but he is clearly on the edge of the Top 30.
30. Nate Dohm, RHP, High-A — MLB Pipeline: No. 30
Dohm holds the final spot, but only by a thread. The 23 strikeouts in 20 innings show there is still something in the arm, but a 13.05 ERA and 2.15 WHIP are impossible to overlook. If this board were extended to 35 names, he would be in danger of slipping into the watch-list group.
The takeaway is simple: the Cardinals’ system is not standing still.
Rodriguez has done enough to become the top prospect on this board. Báez and Crooks have made Triple-A production impossible to ignore. Franklin has gone from interesting arm to top-five prospect. Jordan, Gurevitch, Molina, Fajardo, Crossland and Mautz have all improved their cases.
At the same time, several familiar names are being asked to answer the same old question: can the tools become production?
That is what a living prospect board should do. It should honor the scouting, but it should not be handcuffed to March. By June, performance has a vote.
Editor’s notes: These rankings are based on a working June reset by The Cardinal Chronicle, using production, level, age, position value, proximity, scouting background and current momentum. Statistics are through May 28, 2026. MLB Pipeline rankings are included in parentheses for comparison.
The players on this list are currently tagged as 60-Day DL. At this point, they are being ranked more on long-term prospect value than 2026 performance, and there is no expectation here that they will return to meaningful competition this season. Their placement reflects previous scouting history, organizational value and future upside rather than current availability. I don't most of them to play again this season.
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports
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