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The Cardinal Chronicle MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Brandt Thompson, Memphis Redbirds St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurBrandt Thompson is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Minor League Pitcher of the Day after giving Memphis six valuable innings in his Triple-A debut Tuesday night.Thompson entered after Tink Hence served as the opener and worked six innings, allowing three runs on four hits, with two walks and three strikeouts in Memphis’ 6-5 extra-inning loss to Louisville.The final line was not spotless, but the assignment matters.This was Thompson’s first appearance at Triple-A, and he came into a game that eventually stretched 11 innings. Memphis needed length. Thompson gave them exactly that. After some early damage, he settled in and retired 11 of 12 hitters during one strong stretch, giving the Redbirds a chance to keep working their way back into the game.That kind of outing matters in a farm system. Not every Pitcher of the Day performance is going to be seven shutout innings with double-digit strikeouts. Sometimes it is a pitcher stepping into a new level, taking the baseball, absorbing innings, and keeping his club close.That is what Thompson did.Yhoiker Fajardo deserves mention after allowing just one run over 4.2 innings in Peoria’s 11-1 win, but Thompson’s six innings in his Triple-A debut stand out.Old School TakeYou find out something about a pitcher when he moves up a level.Thompson did not have a perfect night, but he did not blink either. He gave Memphis six innings, kept the game within reach, and showed he could handle the moment in his Triple-A debut. That is a good first impression. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: <a data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" title="www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a> Photo Credit: Brandt Thompson, Missouri State | Missouri State Athletics

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Brandt Thompson, Memphis Redbirds

&nbsp; The Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Player of the Day: Joshua Báez, Memphis Redbirds St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurJoshua Báez is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Minor League Player of the Day after putting together the best offensive night in the Cardinals’ system Tuesday.Báez went 4-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored in Memphis’ 6-5 loss to Louisville in 11 innings. In a game where the Redbirds kept fighting back, Báez was at the center of nearly every answer.He tied the game in the first inning with an RBI double, brought Memphis back within a run with another RBI double in the fifth, and then came through again in the 10th with a two-out infield single that tied the game and kept the Redbirds alive.That is more than just a good box score. That is production in key spots.Memphis did not get the win, but Báez gave the Redbirds a chance all night. Four hits, two extra-base hits, three runs driven in, and late-inning execution in Triple-A is the kind of performance that deserves attention.José Suárez deserves strong mention after going 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs in Peoria’s 11-1 win over Beloit, but Báez gets the nod for the complete offensive night and the pressure situations in which he delivered.Old School TakeThere are empty hits, and then there are hits that matter.Báez had the latter Tuesday night. He drove in runs early, kept Memphis close in the middle innings, and delivered again when the game was on the line in extras. That is a hitter doing his job in every part of the game. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: <a data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" title="www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Joshua Baez, Memphis Redbirds | MiLB

MiLB Player of the Day: Joshua Báez, Memphis Redbirds

The Cardinal Chronicle Daily Farm Report St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurFarm Report: Peoria Rolls, Báez Delivers Four Hits, Springfield Holds OnThe Cardinals’ farm system went 2-2 Tuesday night, with Peoria delivering the loudest win of the evening, Springfield hanging on late in Frisco, Memphis dropping an 11-inning heartbreaker despite a big night from Joshua Báez, and Palm Beach taking one on the chin in Tampa.There was plenty to work with across the system. Báez had four hits and drove in three runs for Memphis. José Suárez powered Peoria with three hits, a homer and four RBIs. Springfield built enough of a lead to survive a ninth-inning scare. Palm Beach, meanwhile, never recovered after Tampa broke the game open in the middle innings.Memphis Redbirds Record: 35-23, 1st Place Tie - International League West Result: Louisville 6, Memphis 5 — 11 inningsMemphis opened its six-game homestand with a tough 6-5 loss to Louisville in 11 innings at AutoZone Park.The Redbirds kept answering all night, but Louisville had the last word. Memphis tied the game in the first, pulled closer in the fifth, tied it again in the eighth, and forced another inning in the tenth before Louisville pushed across the winning run in the 11th.Joshua Báez had the best night in the Memphis lineup, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored. He drove in three of the Redbirds’ five runs, including a game-tying RBI double in the first, another RBI double in the fifth, and a two-out infield single in the tenth that tied the game again.That is a full night’s work.Blaze Jordan also delivered a key swing, tripling down the right-field line in the eighth to score Lars Nootbaar and tie the game 4-4. Nootbaar, continuing his major league rehab assignment, went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored while playing left field before being lifted for a defensive replacement in the tenth as scheduled.Tink Hence served as the opener in his return to Triple-A action and worked one inning, allowing one run on one hit with two walks and one strikeout. Brandt Thompson followed in his Triple-A debut and gave Memphis six innings, allowing three runs on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts.Thompson settled in after some early damage and retired 11 of 12 hitters during one strong stretch. In a game that went 11 innings, those six innings mattered.Springfield Cardinals Record: 24-27, 3rd Place, 8.5 GB, Texas League North Result: Springfield 7, Frisco 6Springfield made things more interesting than necessary, but the Cardinals still opened their series in Frisco with a 7-6 win over the RoughRiders.After falling behind 1-0 in the third, Springfield answered with two runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth to build a 6-2 lead. That fifth inning turned out to be the difference. Frisco kept coming, but Springfield had enough cushion to survive.The Cardinals carried a 7-3 lead into the ninth before Frisco made its final push. The RoughRiders loaded the bases with nobody out and scored three runs in the inning, cutting the lead to one. Springfield managed to escape with the tying and winning runs stranded.That is not the cleanest way to win a ballgame, but it still counts the same in the standings.&nbsp;There is something to be said for a road club that builds a lead and holds on when the home team makes one last charge. Springfield has had its ups and downs this season, but Tuesday was the kind of win that can help a club start a series on the right foot.The Cardinals have won six straight.Peoria Chiefs Record: 25-27, 4th Place, 8.0 GB, Midwest League West Result: Peoria 11, Beloit 1Peoria put this one away early and never let Beloit back into it.The Chiefs rolled to an 11-1 series-opening win over the Sky Carp at Dozer Park, using a six-run fourth inning to turn the game into a rout. After getting knocked around by Beloit in the previous matchup between the clubs, Peoria flipped the script Tuesday night.Jack Gurevitch started the scoring with a two-run homer in the first inning after Jesús Báez opened the game with a single. Peoria added another run in the second when Báez drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-0.Then came the fourth.The Chiefs scored six runs on four hits and four walks. Báez drove in another run with a sacrifice fly, Jalin Flores and Cade McGee followed with RBI singles, Won-Bin Cho scored on a wild pitch, and José Suárez delivered a two-run single to stretch the lead to 9-0.Suárez was not finished. In the eighth, he added a two-run homer the other way, slicing it just inside the right-field foul pole to cap the scoring. He finished with three hits and four RBIs.Báez also had a strong night, finishing with three hits and two RBIs.Yhoiker Fajardo started for Peoria and allowed one run over 4.2 innings. He gave up five hits, walked three and struck out three. Bobby Olsen, Gerardo Salas, Jason Savacool and Dominic Freeberger handled the rest, with the bullpen keeping Beloit scoreless the rest of the way.This was exactly the kind of response you want to see from Peoria — score early, keep adding on, and make the other dugout play uphill all night.Palm Beach Cardinals Record: 29-23, 1st Place, Florida State League East Result: Tampa 12, Palm Beach 1Palm Beach opened its series in Tampa with one of those nights you simply flush and move on from.The Cardinals fell 12-1 to the Tarpons at George M. Steinbrenner Field, with Tampa breaking the game open in the middle and late innings. Palm Beach tied the game in the top of the fourth, but Tampa answered immediately with two runs in the bottom half and never looked back.The game was still within reach early, but Tampa added four runs in the fifth and five more in the eighth to turn it into a runaway.Palm Beach had a chance to cut into the deficit in the sixth, but Tampa right fielder Luis Durango reached over the wall to take away a potential home run and keep the Cardinals from building any momentum.Palm Beach has been one of the better stories in the system this season, and the Cardinals remain in first place in the Florida State League East. But every club has nights like this, especially in the lower minors. The key is not letting one ugly final score turn into two.Player of the Day Joshua Báez, Memphis RedbirdsJoshua Báez is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Player of the Day after going 4-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored in Memphis’ 6-5 extra-inning loss to Louisville.Báez drove in three of the Redbirds’ five runs and delivered in several key spots, including a two-out infield single in the tenth that tied the game and kept Memphis alive.José Suárez deserves strong mention after going 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs for Peoria, but Báez gets the nod for the complete offensive night and the late-game production.Pitcher of the Day Brandt Thompson, Memphis RedbirdsBrandt Thompson earns The Cardinal Chronicle’s Pitcher of the Day honors after giving Memphis six innings in his Triple-A debut.The final line was six innings, four hits, three runs, two walks and three strikeouts. It was not spotless, but the setting matters. Thompson entered behind Tink Hence, settled the game down, and gave Memphis length in a game that eventually went 11 innings.That is how a pitcher makes an impression in his first Triple-A appearance. He did not blink, he gave his club innings, and he kept the Redbirds close enough to keep answering.Yhoiker Fajardo deserves mention for allowing just one run over 4.2 innings in Peoria’s win, but Thompson’s six innings in his Triple-A debut stand out. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary:<a href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Joshua Baez, Memphis Redbirds | MiLB

Farm Report: Peoria Rolls, Báez Delivers Four Hits, Springfield Holds On

ARMCHAIR GM — The Cardinal Chronicle The Case to Send Down Nolan Gorman St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThere comes a point where patience and performance have to meet at the same table.For Nolan Gorman and the St. Louis Cardinals, that point may be arriving. Gorman remains one of the most dangerous left-handed power bats in the organization, boasting 27 home runs in 2023 and ranking among the team leaders in isolated power (ISO). That should not be dismissed. Few players in the Cardinals’ system can change a game with one swing the way he can—his average home run distance last season was over 410 feet. When he connects, the baseball leaves in a hurry, and that kind of raw power is still highly valued in today’s game, especially with league-wide home run rates surging.But power alone cannot carry a roster spot forever.The case to option Gorman to Triple-A Memphis is not about giving up on him. It is not about running him out of town. It is not about pretending the talent is gone. It is about admitting the current version is not helping the Cardinals enough.The biggest issue remains the swing-and-miss.Gorman’s offensive profile has always come with strikeouts—his 32.3% strikeout rate in 2023 was among the highest on the team—and the Cardinals have lived with that because the payoff can be loud. But when the strikeouts pile up and the production dries up, the math changes. A player with that much swing-and-miss has to do real damage when he makes contact. If he is not doing that consistently, the holes in the profile become too large to ignore, especially when his on-base percentage dips below league average.Major league pitchers know where to go.They can challenge him upstairs with velocity. They can expand the zone with breaking balls. They can force him into counts where he has to protect, and too often, the result is either a swing through the pitch or weak contact that does not move the offense forward.That matters in a competitive season.There are nights when the Cardinals do not need a three-run homer. They need a sacrifice fly. They need a ground ball to the right side. They need a ball in play with a runner on third and less than two outs. They need an at-bat that does not end with the bat still on the shoulder or cutting through air.That is where Gorman’s struggles become more than just a personal slump.They affect roster construction.When a hitter is locked in, Gorman’s power can cover up a lot of flaws. When he is not, the floor drops hard. The batting average sinks—he hit just .236 last season—and the on-base percentage suffers, falling below .300 for stretches. The middle or lower part of the lineup can go quiet for weeks at a time, as seen when Gorman went 2-for-32 during a late-season slump in 2023. That all-or-nothing style may be tolerable on a rebuilding club, but the Cardinals are no longer playing like a team content to spend the summer evaluating everyone at the major league level.The Cardinals have been down this road before. In 2024, the organization sent Gorman to Memphis when the strikeout issues became too much to carry. That move was not made because the Cardinals stopped believing in his ability. It was made because sometimes a player needs to get out of the daily major league grind and rebuild the foundation.That same logic applies now.A Triple-A reset would give Gorman a chance to work on pitch recognition, timing, front-side control and his overall approach without every failed at-bat becoming a referendum on his future. There is a difference between working through adjustments and trying to survive them in the middle of a big-league race.Memphis does not have to be a sentence.It can be a workshop.That is how the Cardinals should view it.Gorman needs at-bats. He needs to see pitches. He needs to work through the kind of mechanical and approach issues that cannot always be fixed with a few extra swings in the cage before a night game at Busch Stadium. If the launch angle feel is off, if the timing is late, if the swing path is getting too uphill, those are not small problems. Those are the kinds of things that require repetition.The Cardinals also have to consider the roster around him.There are utility player options can give the Cardinals more contact, more defensive flexibility, or more consistent plate appearances. If Gorman is not producing enough to hold down regular at-bats at third base, second base or designated hitter, then St. Louis has to ask whether that roster spot is being used the best way possible.That is not personal.That is roster management.This is where the front office has to be honest. Gorman’s upside is still tempting—at just 24 years old, he remains one of the youngest regulars on the roster. His power still matters. His age still gives him time. But potential does not win tonight’s game. Production does.For years, the Cardinals have talked about creating competition. Well, competition only works if performance carries consequences. If a player struggles and the organization keeps rolling him out there because of what he might become, that is not competition. That is reputation management.The Cardinals cannot afford that. Not if they are serious about staying in the National League Central picture.Sending Gorman down would also send the right message to the clubhouse. It would say the Cardinals are still invested in development, but not at the expense of winning baseball games. It would say that no one is being discarded, but no one is above adjustment either. That is a healthy standard.Now, there is risk.Gorman could go to Memphis, rake for three weeks—he slugged .600 in a 2024 Triple-A stint—come back, and still have the same swing-and-miss problems when major league pitchers start attacking him again. That is possible. Triple-A success does not automatically fix major league flaws.But doing nothing carries risk, too.Letting him continue to struggle in a limited or uncertain role may do more damage than a reset would. A young hitter can lose confidence quickly when the strikeouts mount and the boos start to follow. Sometimes the best thing a club can do is get the player out of the storm before the storm becomes the story.That is where the Cardinals are with Gorman.They do not need to give up on him.They need to give him a plan.Send him to Memphis. Give him regular at-bats. Give him clear markers. Make the assignment specific: improve chase decisions, tighten the swing path, handle velocity up, use the middle of the field, reduce empty at-bats. Do not make it vague. Do not make it punitive. Make it purposeful.When he checks those boxes, bring him back.That is how a serious organization handles a talented player who has lost his way.Nolan Gorman still has the kind of power that can help the Cardinals. There is no need to pretend otherwise. But right now, the swing-and-miss is too loud, the production is too inconsistent, and the roster alternatives are too real to ignore.The Cardinals are trying to win baseball games.If Gorman is going to be part of that, he needs to be more than a dangerous mistake pitch hitter.He needs to become a more complete hitter.And for the moment, the best place to work toward that may not be St. Louis. It may be Memphis. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association wtih Gateway Sports Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: <a data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" title="www.cardinalchronicle.com" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>

The Armchair GM: The Case to Send Nolan Gorman to Memphis

The Cardinal Chronicle Jacob Odle Named Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Month St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurJacob Odle has gone from a name worth watching to a name the Cardinals’ system can no longer overlook.The Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Month is Jacob Odle, the hard-throwing right-hander now with High-A Peoria, after a dominant stretch that showed why his stock is climbing quickly inside the St. Louis farm system.For the month, Odle posted a 1.25 ERA with a 1.25 WHIP, striking out 34 batters over 21.2 innings.That will play.Odle, sometimes misspelled as “Oble,” is a 6-foot-5, 210-pound right-handed pitcher with the kind of frame and fastball that gets attention in a hurry. Selected by the Cardinals in the 14th round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Orange Coast College, Odle signed for $250,000 and has quickly become one of the more intriguing arms in the organization.His road has not been easy. Odle missed the entire 2024 season after Tommy John surgery, which made this season as much about health and recovery as performance.So far, he has answered both questions.Before earning his promotion to High-A Peoria, Odle dominated with Palm Beach, showing power stuff, improved command, and the ability to finish hitters. Across his early-season work in Low-A, he posted a 1.91 ERA over 33 innings with an eye-opening strikeout rate.The fastball is the headline pitch. Odle regularly sits around 97 mph and has touched 99.6, using his long frame and lower arm slot to create a difficult look for hitters. It is not just velocity. It is angle, extension, and life through the zone.That combination has made the pitch play like a true weapon.He also brings an 88 mph slider that has generated plenty of swing-and-miss, along with a sharp curveball and a developing changeup. The full mix is still coming together, but the raw ingredients are easy to see.The old-school take is simple: big right-hander, big fastball, missed bats, and a long runway ahead.There is still development left. Odle will need to continue refining the changeup, holding his command, and proving he can handle more advanced hitters as he climbs. High-A will be a better test, and Double-A eventually separates prospects from dreamers.But this month was not smoke and mirrors.Jacob Odle earned this honor with power, performance, and presence on the mound. After losing a full season to surgery, he has come back looking stronger, sharper, and more dangerous.The Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Month: Jacob Odle. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: <a data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" title="www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com﻿</a> Photo Credit: Jacob Odle | Palm Beach Cardinals | MilB

Jacob Odle Named Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Month

The Cardinal Chronicle Joshua Báez Named Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Month St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurJoshua Báez did not just have a good month for Memphis. He had the kind of month that changes the way a prospect is viewed.The Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Month is Joshua Báez, the power-hitting outfielder for Triple-A Memphis, after a loud month at the plate that included a .274 batting average, a .980 OPS, 10 home runs, and 24 RBIs.That is production. Plain and simple.Báez has always had the raw tools. The arm, the athleticism, the power, the speed — those have never been in question. The question has always been whether the hit tool would come along enough for the rest of the package to play at the upper levels.In May, it played.The home run total jumps off the page, and it should. Ten home runs in a month is not a small hot streak. It is a statement. MLB Pipeline noted that Báez’s 10 May home runs tied for the most by any hitter at any level, including the major leagues.But this was not just empty power. Báez drove in 24 runs, posted a .980 OPS, and gave Memphis a true middle-of-the-order presence. For a Cardinals organization that has been searching for impact bats, especially bats with real right-handed power, Báez has forced his name deeper into the conversation.The old scouting report on Báez was easy enough to understand: big tools, big upside, big swing, big questions. That is often the case with young power hitters. But the more refined version showing up in Memphis is far more interesting. He is not just running into fastballs. He is doing damage, producing runs, and showing why the Cardinals protected him on the 40-man roster.Báez is still only 22 years old, and there is no need to pretend he is a finished product. There will be strikeouts. There will be adjustments. Triple-A pitchers will continue to test him, and major league arms will be another test entirely.But the month of May was a reminder of why the Cardinals have stayed patient.Power is hard to find. Power with athleticism is harder to find. Power with athleticism from a player already on the 40-man roster and performing in Triple-A is the kind of thing that gets a front office’s attention.Báez earned this honor the old-fashioned way — by producing.For the month, he was the most dangerous bat in the Cardinals’ minor league system, and one of the hottest power bats in the game.The Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Month: Joshua Báez. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: <a data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" title="www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Joshua Baez | Memphis Redbirds | MiLB

Joshua Báez Named Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Month

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle 

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle is dedicated to preserving Cardinals history, covering today’s game, and following the next generation through the minor leagues. Written in the tradition of the old beat writers, it’s baseball with perspective — steady, faithful, and rooted in a lifelong love for the game.

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle, Ray Mileur

The Cardinal Notebook

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Brandt Thompson, Memphis Redbirds

MiLB Player of the Day: Joshua Báez, Memphis Redbirds

Farm Report: Peoria Rolls, Báez Delivers Four Hits, Sprin...

The Armchair GM: The Case to Send Nolan Gorman to Memphis

Jacob Odle Named Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Month

Joshua Báez Named Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Month