St. Louis Cardinals High 10 Prospects for 2023 Fantasy Baseball
6 min read
I considered my early days at Razzball whereas constructing this record. He’s a hyperlink to my draft recap from 2020: Baseball is Again With a Whimper: Pandemic Draft Week Recap. St. Louis did about in addition to you possibly can at nearly any job in that draft. They picked after 20 groups had their selection, however the high 4 names on this record have been their high 4 picks in that draft, they usually’re all thrilling gamers with seemingly huge league outcomes.
1. 3B/OF Jordan Walker | 20 | AA | 2023
If I needed to reshuffle the High 100 right now, I feel I’d put Walker primary general. At 6’5” 220 lbs with 80-grade energy, plus athleticism and simple velocity, Walker belongs to a uncommon class. No offense to Corbin Carroll or Gunnar Henderson. I’m simply barely extra assured Walker can be an impression fantasy participant. Take a look at Gray’s Jordan Walker, 2023 Fantasy Outlook for extra. Enjoyable movies in there. Actually drives house how simple it could actually search for Walker when he’s on his sport.
2. SS Masyn Winn | 21 | AA | 2023
A dynamic defender with distinctive arm expertise who can push the higher nineties on the mound, Masyn Winn is the shortstop of the close to future in St. Louis. The membership deserted their efforts to make Winn a two-way participant and turned him free on offense. He responded with 12 house runs and 43 stolen bases in 119 video games throughout two ranges. The ability output was new, as Winn bumped his slugging proportion from .304 in 36 Excessive-A video games final 12 months to .566 in 33 video games there this season. Such a leap wasn’t particularly shocking given Winn’s distinctive hand-speed and double-plus athleticism. He managed the plate nicely in Double-A, posting a 12.4-to-21.3 % walk-to-strikeout fee whereas slashing .258/.349/.432 with 11 house runs in 86 video games in opposition to a lot older gamers. Between Tommy Edman and Paul DeJong and Brendan Donovan, the Cardinals have him “blocked” within the softest sense. Could be out of character for the membership to show to Winn even in a crunch this season, however he’ll most likely seem like their best choice earlier than the All-Star break this 12 months.
3. RHP Tink Therefore | 20 | A | 2024
Attempting fairly arduous to not overthink this one. I’m not often the kind to hurry an A-ball pitcher up my lists, particularly with so many on-the-cusp bats within the group, however I’m fairly low on these guys, and I’m enthusiastic about Therefore. I don’t actually sway with the market on these, however I do assume Therefore has extra dynasty commerce worth than any of the names beneath him right here, so it’s not like I’m alone on this island. The Cardinals saved some scouting cash in 2020, drafting Therefore from the identical travel-ball staff as Masyn Winn. Think about watching your child go up in opposition to that bunch in highschool. St. Louis has moved slowly with Therefore, a thin child on draft night time who checks in at 6’1” 175 lbs now, and he’s rewarded them by dominating each time they did let him pitch. His Low-A numbers are preposterous: 0.17 HR/9 allowed in 52.1 innings; a 33.8 % strikeout-minus-walk fee; a 0.88 WHIP and .173 batting common in opposition to. Nothing left to show there. He’ll open in Excessive-A and needs to be in Double-A earlier than his twenty first birthday on August 6.
4. OF Alec Burleson | 24 | MLB | 2022
One other hit from that gleaming 2020 draft class, Alec Burleson debuted only a season later after slicing his manner by the minor leagues, chopping his strikeout fee each step of the way in which whereas sustaining plus energy output. In one other group, I’d be extra . He’s a gifted hitter, as evidenced by his .331/.372/.532 slash line and 14.3 % strikeout fee throughout 109 Triple-A video games. I’m simply unsure concerning the taking part in time and don’t actually see how he can drive the difficulty. That’s not a loss of life knell by any means. Simply means I’d quite not wait round for a platoon-type bat with out the velocity to matter in that class. However, he’s not precisely “blocked” within the infinite sense. Dylan Carlson hasn’t been nice. Lars Nootbar performed nicely sufficient however most likely doesn’t have a spot on lockdown. Juan Yepez began sizzling however pale. Bother is, this membership likes veterans and can most likely scoop a pair off the free agent pile. Additionally they like Nolan Gorman, so even when Yepez falters at DH, Burleson isn’t essentially the following man up.
5. RHP Gordon Graceffo | 23 | AA | 2023
A 6’4” 210 lb fireballer with upper-nineties warmth and plus management, Graceffo feasted on Excessive-A hitters for a pair months earlier than leveling off in Double-A, the place he was nonetheless good (1.07 WHIP) however not so superb he maintained that early trajectory that landed him on dynasty rosters in even medium-sized leagues.
6. LHP Matthew Liberatore | 23 | MLB | 2022
Liberatore didn’t pitch nicely in 2022, posting 5.17 ERA in Triple-A and a 5.97 ERA in 34.2 main league innings. He’s younger, and lefties typically require somewhat additional persistence, however I’m roughly out on proudly owning this lib. His command grade on Fangraphs is 55/70, which, okay, I assume you might put something on a man’s future worth quantity as a result of hey you’re speaking concerning the future, however I don’t understand how anybody who sees Liberatore walks away pondering he’s received plus command proper now. His 1.38 WHIP and eight.3 % stroll fee in Triple-A are only one piece of proof. His 1.73 WHIP and 11.2 % stroll fee within the majors is one other. A fast visible analysis would provide the identical learn, except you occurred to see him on an evening or two when he’s at his absolute peak by way of repeating his supply. I don’t actually know the place I’m going with this one. Was simply shocked to see these grades nonetheless on the positioning right now, particularly when it takes them half the season simply to complete the staff reviews. The scouts have all the time been optimistic, however the final time Liberatore posted a WHIP below 1.25 was 2018 in rookie ball.
7. OF Joshua Baez | 19 | A | 2026
Baez is upside personified within the batter’s field. He’s all of 6’4” 220 lbs and swings like he’s killing snakes. He struck out 38 % of the time in 20 video games at Low-A however slashed .286/.418/.540 anyway as a result of he hits the ball so arduous it finds the grass, and he’s affected person on the plate. May take some time for it to come back collectively, however Baez will get a lift from me within the rag ball period. He may most likely hit a basketball out of Busch.
8. OF Moises Gomez | 24 | AAA | 2023
Moises Gomez is a pleasant change of tempo for Cardinals followers bored with seeing their “additional” outfielders despatched away to different locations the place they flourish. He’s not going to make anybody neglect Randy Arozarena, however Gomez represents a pleasant windfall revenue when Tampa couldn’t squeeze him onto their 40-man roster. Discovered cash is hard although. The entire playing trade is constructed upon it. When the guide wins, they hold the earnings. When the gambler wins, that discovered cash will get rolled proper into the following day’s bets. On the sphere, Gomez hit 39 house runs in 120 video games cut up evenly throughout two ranges, and whereas he got here again to earth a bit at Triple-A, he nonetheless slashed .266/.340/.541 regardless of hanging out 34.4 % of time. As I prep this piece, we await the membership’s resolution on his 40-man standing, however it’s arduous to foretell they’ll let him stroll as a minor league free agent after such a robust season.
9. LHP Cooper Hjerpe | 22 | NA | 2025
I favored the Hjerpe decide on draft night time. Playing cards received him a 22 general after he dominated throughout his Junior season at Oregon state, hanging out 161 batters in 103.1 innings on the power of his plus command and misleading supply. Can form of hint a path from Liberatore to Hjerpe, who tops out within the low-90’s. Liberatore checks each 1990’s field, however the launch level and pitch shapes make him hittable. Hjerpe hasn’t debuted but, however I’m anticipating him to dominate the decrease ranges.
10. C Ivan Herrera | 22 | MLB |
Ivan’s been the Herrera obvious since they traded the final one, however his fantasy upside stays to be seen. Most catchers prepare dinner gradual, so it’s no shock he hasn’t dominated older gamers thus far, however it’s encouraging to see him usually maintain his personal. He controls the zone so nicely it could actually float the profile whereas he awaits an influence surge. He posted a 111 wRC+ in 65 video games at Triple-A regardless of a .396 slugging proportion, which was proper in keeping with his outcomes at his final couple stops.
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