3 Cardinals Prospects Who Could Debut Some Time This Season

Feb 20, 2025; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Quinn Matthews (60). Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals traded away a few key pieces of the organization this past offseason, but that doesn’t mean the 2026 season isn’t going to be exciting.

St. Louis is building towards the future and has a very young roster. Even if the Cardinals struggle in the standings in 2026, this season is going to be very important because it’s the building block for the next era of Cardinals baseball. Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom already has put his stamp on the organization. Now, we’re roughly one month away from Opening Day and the season will be about development.

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With that being said, here are three prospects to keep a close eye on for the 2026 season.

The Cardinals have a lot of firepower in the minors

Tennessee’s Liam Doyle (12) throws the ball during a NCAA Baseball Tournament Knoxville Regional game between Tennessee and Miami Ohio on May 30, 2025. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

JJ Wetherholt – Infielder (No. 1 Prospect)
This one is the easiest one for the organization. Wetherholt is in big league camp with St. Louis and appears to have the inside track to the starting second base job. Wetherholt is one of the top overall prospects in baseball and is the most exciting player in the club’s farm system. The hype is loud around Wetherholt and it is all warranted. He has all of the makings of a future star in the majors and his time is coming. Potentially on Opening Day.

Liam Doyle – Starting Pitcher (No. 2 Prospect)
Unlike Wetherholt, Doyle isn’t likely to be with the club on Opening Day. While this is the case, the fanbase should keep a close eye on him in 2026 because he’s someone who could be fast-tracked. Doyle made two professional appearances in 2025 after being selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. St. Louis views him highly enough that it promoted him to Double-A already. If he can have a good 2026 season, don’t be shocked if he lands a late-season promotion.

Quinn Mathews – Starting Pitcher (No. 6 Prospect)
Matthews is another starter who could get some time in the majors in 2025. He made 24 starts in the minors in 2025, including 22 starts in Triple-A. He logged a 3.73 ERA overall in the 2024 starts.