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The Cardinal Chronicle Spring Training Notebook St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurVelazquez Making Case for Left Field OpportunitySpring training often provides unexpected opportunities, and for Nelson Velazquez, the door appears to be opening in Jupiter.With Lars Nootbaar expected to get a late start to the 2026 season as he continues recovering from surgery on both heels, the Cardinals have begun sorting through several internal options for playing time in left field. Among the players drawing early attention is Velazquez, a non-roster invitee who has quietly put together a strong showing during Grapefruit League play.Entering Sunday’s action, Velazquez had gone 5-for-17 (.294) through his first six spring contests, collecting one home run, one double, and showing solid plate discipline with a 2:1 walk-to-strikeout ratio. It’s a small sample size, but the quality of the at-bats has been enough to put his name firmly in the conversation.The Cardinals’ lineup currently leans heavily to the left side, which naturally gives the right-handed hitting Velazquez a bit of added value in the competition. A balanced lineup is something the club often prioritizes, particularly when it comes to outfield matchups against left-handed pitching.Still, Velazquez faces an uphill climb.Unlike the other players competing for those at-bats — Nathan Church, Jose Fermin, and Thomas Saggese — Velazquez is not currently on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster, which adds another layer of decision-making for the front office. Any path to the Opening Day roster would require a corresponding move.But that’s the beauty of spring training.Every year, someone forces the conversation.For Velazquez, the next few weeks represent a chance to continue doing exactly that — stacking quality at-bats, playing solid defense, and making it increasingly difficult for the Cardinals to ignore his presence in camp.The competition for left field may still be wide open, but one thing is already clear in Jupiter:Nelson Velazquez has entered the race.&nbsp; The Cardinal Chronicle Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

Velazquez Making Case for Left Field Opportunity

&nbsp; The Cardinal Chronicle St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurCade Townsend and the Cardinals’ Rebuild: Why This Mock Draft MattersA recent mock draft reported by Zach Pressnell of St. Louis Cardinals On SI projects the Cardinals selecting Ole Miss right-hander Cade Townsend with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.<figure id="figure-9nmqmsyn77mmjmbgib"><img id="9nmqmsyn77mmjmbgib" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/caahZZRE7P8gvKojVru6qOoC8WxDlhopDimfjYALEw94uA8JCVcDqJC7Znvg3INP.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/caahZZRE7P8gvKojVru6qOoC8WxDlhopDimfjYALEw94uA8JCVcDqJC7Znvg3INP.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure>At first glance, it’s just another early-March projection. Mock drafts are plentiful this time of year, and the board will change dozens of times before July. But this particular name highlights a bigger question surrounding the Cardinals right now: what kind of organization are they becoming during this rebuild?Just a year ago, the Cardinals were carrying the weight of an aging roster and a farm system short on impact talent. The front office responded by shedding payroll, reshaping the organization, and committing fully to a youth-driven reset.Early returns suggest the strategy may be working.The club’s last two first-round selections—JJ Wetherholt (2024) and Liam Doyle (2025)—are already viewed as cornerstone pieces in the next wave of Cardinals talent. Add in a wave of pitching prospects and a revamped development staff, and the foundation of the next competitive roster is starting to take shape.That makes the 2026 first-round pick more than routine business. It’s another opportunity to strengthen the core of the next Cardinals contender.Townsend has opened the season on a tear for Ole Miss. Through his first 18.2 innings, the right-hander owns a 0.48 ERA with 32 strikeouts against just four walks, numbers that have scouts quickly taking notice.Evaluators point to a fastball that plays well at the top of the zone, two distinct breaking pitches, and a noticeable improvement in command from his freshman season, when he struggled to a 6.35 ERA.In scouting terms, Townsend is what many call a “helium prospect”—a player whose draft stock is rising quickly as the season unfolds.But with helium prospects comes risk. The real test will arrive when SEC competition intensifies. If Townsend continues to dominate, he could climb well beyond the 13th pick. If the performance levels off, teams will reassess.That’s the reality of March draft projections.Selecting a pitcher like Townsend would signal something important about the Cardinals’ evolving philosophy. For years, St. Louis built its reputation on selecting polished, high-floor players—safe bets who moved steadily through the system. But modern baseball increasingly rewards organizations willing to chase upside.Townsend represents exactly that kind of gamble: a high-ceiling arm with the potential to become a frontline starter if everything clicks.For a franchise trying to re-establish its pitching pipeline, that kind of swing may be necessary.The Cardinals’ future isn’t tied to one mock draft, one pitcher, or even one season. But the discussion around players like Cade Townsend reveals something important: the rest of baseball sees St. Louis as a club building around youth, development, and long-term upside.That’s a different Cardinals identity than fans grew used to over the past decade. Whether Townsend ultimately becomes the pick or not, the direction is becoming clearer. The Cardinals are rebuilding the old-fashioned way—through the draft, player development, and patience.And if the process works, the next championship club in St. Louis will be built from the ground up. Photo - Ole Miss Athletics&nbsp; The Cardinal Chronicle Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

Cade Townsend and Why This Mock Draft Matters

The Cardinal Chronicle The Trainer’s Table: Injuries Begin to Shape the Cardinals’ Roster Picture St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurSpring training is where roster battles begin to take shape, but it is also where the first injuries of the season quietly influence those decisions. As the Cardinals continue their work in Jupiter, several players are navigating setbacks that could impact both the Opening Day roster and the club’s early-season depth.Here is the latest from around the Cardinals’ medical report.Iván Herrera (C) Herrera was scratched late from Saturday’s lineup due to knee inflammation. Manager Oliver Marmol is taking a cautious approach, allowing 24 to 48 hours of rest before a full evaluation. With Herrera temporarily sidelined, Yohel Pozo has drawn increased attention and appears to have the inside track as the club’s third catching option following recent roster trims.Lars Nootbaar (OF) Nootbaar continues his deliberate recovery from offseason surgery on both heels to correct Haglund’s deformities. While he has progressed to hitting and throwing activities, he has only recently begun a running program. Though the club has not officially ruled him out, it is becoming increasingly unlikely he will be ready for Opening Day. In the meantime, Thomas Saggese and José Fermín are both seeing time in the outfield as the Cardinals evaluate temporary options.Hunter Dobbins (RHP) A key piece of the offseason trade that sent Willson Contreras to Boston, Dobbins is still working his way back from a torn right ACL suffered last July. According to a report from Rob Rains of the St. Louis Sports Page, Dobbins continues to make progress and is scheduled to throw five innings in a controlled setting later this week as he moves closer to game action. In Rains’ words, “Dobbins is nearing the point where the Cardinals can start thinking about getting him back on a mound in competition.”Riley O’Brien (RHP) O’Brien made his spring debut on March 8 after missing time with a mild right calf strain that also forced him to withdraw from Team Korea’s World Baseball Classic roster. The right-hander appears to be past the worst of the injury and is trending toward being available when the regular season begins.Zack Thompson (LHP) Thompson remains on a long-term throwing progression following left shoulder surgery last August. The Cardinals recently reassigned him to minor league camp so he can continue building arm strength in a controlled setting. His return to game action is not expected until well into the regular season.Ixan Henderson (LHP) The young left-handed prospect was shut down earlier in camp with a left flexor strain. He has been reassigned to minor league camp where he will continue his rehabilitation away from Grapefruit League competition.Long-Term AbsencesTekoah Roby (RHP) Roby underwent Tommy John surgery in July of 2025 and is expected to miss the entire 2026 season. The Cardinals optioned him to Triple-A Memphis earlier this month so he can continue his year-long recovery program while remaining within the organization’s development structure.Brandon Clarke (RHP) Clarke is expected to be sidelined until at least June following surgery to address an aneurysm in his throwing shoulder. The Cardinals will take a cautious approach as he works back toward full strength.The OutlookAt this stage of spring training, most of these situations fall into the category of caution rather than crisis. However, the availability of Lars Nootbaar and Iván Herrera could have the most immediate influence on roster decisions as Opening Day approaches. Meanwhile, the progress of pitchers like Hunter Dobbins and Riley O’Brien will be closely monitored as the Cardinals evaluate their early-season pitching depth.&nbsp; The Cardinal Chronicle Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.&nbsp; This one reads like a classic beat-writer medical notebook, Ray—clean, informative, and authoritative. Perfect for a recurring Chronicle feature.

Injuries Begin to Shape the Cardinals’ Roster Picture

The Cardinal Chronicle St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Journey Is the Destination There is a certain freedom that comes with having nothing to lose.After a period of transition, the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals enter the season with fewer expectations from the outside world than this franchise is accustomed to. For some organizations that would be a burden. For the Cardinals, it may become an opportunity.Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa often preached a simple philosophy inside the clubhouse:“Play the game right. If you play the game intelligently and execute the fundamentals, you can win.” ~ Tony La RussaFor decades, that mindset defined what became known throughout baseball as the Cardinal Way—a belief that disciplined baseball, attention to detail, and relentless execution could close the gap between talent and championships.That philosophy is quietly being restored.The road to the Cardinals’ next championship season did not begin under the bright lights of Busch Stadium. It began on the dusty back fields of the spring training complex in Jupiter, Florida, where the organization has been reshaping itself from the ground up.Under the leadership of Chaim Bloom, the Cardinals have assembled a massive 70-person player development staff—one of the largest structural overhauls the organization has undertaken in years. The mission is simple: return the focus to development, preparation, and fundamentals.In other words, get back to doing the little things right.Observers expecting a quick fix may miss the real story unfolding this spring. The Cardinals’ roster is young. The projections are mixed. There are questions about how quickly the next core of players will emerge.But championship organizations rarely begin with certainty.They begin with foundations.Across the back fields of Jupiter, coaches are drilling fundamentals. Young players are refining mechanics. Pitchers are learning sequencing and command. Infielders are working footwork around the bag. Outfielders are studying angles and reads.None of it is glamorous. None of it shows up on highlight reels.But this is how winning baseball is built.The Cardinals have always understood something many teams forget: championships are not constructed in October. They are constructed in March, April, and every quiet practice field in between.That is the real story of the 2026 Cardinals.We are not simply watching a team prepare for another season. We are watching the early stages of a cultural reset — a return to disciplined baseball and organizational clarity.The scoreboard may fluctuate in the months ahead. Young players will grow through both success and struggle.But if the Cardinals truly reclaim the principles that once defined them—intelligence, execution, and fundamentals—then something important is being built again in St. Louis.And that is why this season matters.Because in baseball, as in life, the destination rarely reveals itself at the beginning.It is the journey that creates the champion.&nbsp; The Cardinal Chronicle Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

The Journey is the Destination

&nbsp; THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Monday Prospect Stock Market Report St. Louis Cardinals Minor League System March 9, 2026 St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals’ player development pipeline remains one of the most closely watched systems in baseball. Each Monday, The Cardinal Chronicle takes a look at the movement within the organization — not as a week-to-week judgment of talent, but as a snapshot of performance, confidence, and trajectory.Think of it less like Wall Street and more like a scouting notebook. A player’s long-term value doesn’t truly rise or fall in a few days, but trends begin to emerge. Some prospects are gaining momentum. Others are simply holding steady while refining their craft.Here is where things stand this week.&nbsp; 📈 Stock Up: JJ Wetherholt (INF) The Movement: While the box score may show only modest early spring numbers, scouts are far more interested in Wetherholt’s approach at the plate. Through the first stretch of Grapefruit League action he has already drawn four walks and consistently refuses to chase outside the zone.His patience and strike-zone awareness have evaluators talking about him as a future fixture in the Cardinals’ infield.Old School Take: He’s not chasing early-spring statistics — he’s refining his process. Around camp, he’s already being mentioned as a potential National League Rookie of the Year candidate once his major league opportunity arrives.&nbsp; 📈 Stock Up: Joshua Baez (OF) The Movement: Baez has been the loudest buzz in Cardinals camp. After being protected from the Rule 5 Draft this winter, the 22-year-old has arrived in Jupiter looking like a different player.The moment everyone remembers came last week when he launched a 436-foot home run against the Orioles, a blast that confirmed what scouts have long believed — the raw power is very real.Old School Take: Baez is playing with the confidence of someone who now knows he belongs on a 40-man roster. The physical tools were never in question. Now the game is slowing down for him.&nbsp; ➖ Stock Holding: Quinn Mathews (LHP) The Movement: Mathews currently owns a 5.14 ERA through 7.0 innings this spring, though the strikeout ability remains obvious. He has already piled up 12 strikeouts, showing the swing-and-miss stuff that made him one of the system’s most intriguing arms.The challenge right now is command. Following a difficult 2025 season, he’s still working to tighten the edges of the strike zone.Old School Take: The stuff is there. He’s simply working through things. Mathews still profiles as a viable mid-rotation option later this season, but he isn’t forcing the front office’s hand just yet.&nbsp; 📉 Stock Down: Tink Hence (RHP) The Movement: It has been a rough opening to the spring for Hence, who currently sits with a 16.20 ERA across 1.2 innings. His outings have been brief and inefficient, with hitters making loud early contact.Old School Take: Spring numbers for pitchers can be misleading — many are experimenting with new grips or sequencing. But the lack of length in his outings is the concern. What he needs now is a good old-fashioned “dirty uniform” outing to get himself back into rhythm.&nbsp; ➖ Stock Holding: Thomas Saggese (INF/OF) The Movement: Saggese continues to show why the Cardinals value him so highly as a roster piece. With Lars Nootbaar sidelined, he has even received looks in the outfield while maintaining a .333 spring average.His versatility has made him one of the most dependable depth options in camp.Old School Take: Saggese embodies the Cardinal Way — flexible, reliable, and ready to play wherever the lineup card says.&nbsp; A Note on the Stock ReportThis report is meant for perspective, not panic.A prospect’s long-term value doesn’t truly rise or fall in a single week. What we’re tracking here are trends — confidence, adjustments, and momentum. Development is rarely linear, but over time it reveals who is moving forward, who is holding steady, and who still has work to do.And in a system built on patience and fundamentals, sometimes the quiet progress is the most meaningful of all.&nbsp; The Cardinal Chronicle Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future

Market Report on Wetherholt, Baez, Mathews, Hince & Saggese

The Cardinal Chronicle Billy Southworth: The Birthday of a Legend and the Fight for His Legacy St. Louis, MO By the Cardinal Chronicle&nbsp;March 9 marks the 133rd birthday of Hall of Fame manager Billy Southworth, the quiet architect behind one of the greatest stretches of baseball dominance the St. Louis Cardinals have ever known.Southworth’s .642 winning percentage with the Cardinals remains the best in franchise history for any manager in the modern era. Yet for years, the man who guided St. Louis to two World Series championships and three straight 105-win seasons stood dangerously close to being forgotten by the very institution meant to preserve baseball’s history.The Architect of Cardinals Dominance When Southworth took over the Cardinals in 1940, the club was poised for greatness but needed steady leadership. What followed was one of the most remarkable managerial runs in baseball history.From 1942 through 1944, the Cardinals won 106, 105, and 105 games respectively—an extraordinary stretch that defined the golden age of “The Cardinal Way.” St. Louis captured the World Series in 1942 and again in 1944 while becoming the model franchise of the National League.Southworth’s teams were disciplined, fundamentally sound, and relentless in execution—principles that still echo throughout the organization today.Yet despite these accomplishments, his place in Cooperstown was anything but guaranteed.The Battle for Cooperstown When Southworth was left off the Hall of Fame’s managerial ballot in 2003, the omission sparked an unlikely campaign that began not in a newsroom or front office—but on the early internet.Determined that Southworth’s legacy would not be lost, Ray Mileur, the publisher of the Cardinal Chronicle, launched what has since been recognized as the first organized online campaign advocating for a Hall of Fame induction.Through years of research, writing, letter-writing campaigns, and mobilization through the Cardinals community on The Birdhouse, the effort steadily gained momentum. Historians, writers, and fans joined the cause, pressing the Veterans Committee to reconsider Southworth’s record.The work paid off.In 2008, the Veterans Committee elected Billy Southworth to the National Baseball Hall of Fame with 81 percent of the vote—finally recognizing one of the most accomplished managers the game has ever seen.Mileur had the honor of representing the Southworth family at the induction ceremony in Cooperstown, bringing the journey full circle. The story of that campaign and Southworth’s remarkable career is detailed in the final chapter of his official biography.The Gold Standard Billy Southworth’s tenure with the Cardinals from 1940 to 1945 remains the standard by which managerial excellence in St. Louis is measured.His teams combined discipline, player development, and fundamental baseball—an approach that became synonymous with the franchise’s identity for generations.Today, on what would have been his 133rd birthday, Cardinals fans remember not only the championships he delivered, but the legacy he left behind.A legacy that nearly slipped through the cracks of history.And one that, thanks to the efforts of those determined to preserve it, now stands permanently enshrined in Cooperstown.For more on Southworth’s life and career, visit: <a data-mce-href="http://www.billysouthworth.com" href="http://www.billysouthworth.com" title="The Official Website of Billy Southworth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.billysouthworth.com</a>&nbsp; The Cardinal Chronicle Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future

Billy Southworth: The Birthday of a Legend and the Fight for His Legacy

The Cardinal Chronicle 

The 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.

Ray Mileur, Publisher

The Cardinal Notebook

Velazquez Making Case for Left Field Opportunity

Cade Townsend and Why This Mock Draft Matters

Injuries Begin to Shape the Cardinals’ Roster Picture

The Journey is the Destination

Market Report on Wetherholt, Baez, Mathews, Hince & Saggese

Billy Southworth: The Birthday of a Legend and the Fight ...