![\"2025](\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_4000,h_2250\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/GettyImages\/mmsport\/33\/01kdk7aywn3vm8xqahcd.jpg\")
President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom has revamped the St. Louis Cardinals\u2019 minor league system. We are now starting to see Bloom\u2019s plans come into action, as the Cardinals\u2019 farm system was\u00a0ranked the most improved by Baseball America. While Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson, and Ivan Herrera are poised to lead the Cardinals during this rebuild, there are young prospects from the minors who could be playing at Busch Stadium in 2026.<\/p>\n
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If you followed Wetherholt\u2019s career since he was drafted in 2024, you had a feeling Wetherholt would be a candidate to make his debut in 2026.\u00a0Wetherholt, the top prospect in the Cardinals\u2019 farm system, has been an on-base machine in the minor leagues, having posted an OBP over .400 at each level. After batting .300\/.425\/.466 with a 150 wRC+ in 62 games at Double-A Springfield, the former West Virginia Mountaineer was named the 2025 Texas League MVP.<\/p>\n
Last summer, Wetherholt was promoted to Triple-A Memphis and batted .314\/.416\/.562 in 47 games, generating more excitement among Cardinals fans. Now, MLB is taking notice, as Wetherholt was named the St. Louis Cardinals\u2019 prospect to watch in 2026. According to John Denton, Wetherholt \u201cis poised to make the Cards out of Spring Training.\u201d The only question will be Wetherholt\u2019s position on the infield, as he\u2019s played first base, second base, and shortstop in the minors.<\/p>\n
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Before the Cardinals drafted Liam Doyle this year, Mathews was the organization\u2019s top left-handed pitcher in the minors. It\u2019s easy to see why. In 2024, Mathews rose four levels, from Single-A Palm Beach to Memphis, while posting a 2.76 ERA and striking out 202 batters in 143 innings of minor league baseball. That earned him the 2024 MiLB Pitcher of the Year award and Minor League Debut of the Year.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, Mathews\u00a0failed to repeat the same success in 2025, as injuries at the beginning of the season directly affected Mathews\u2019 velocity and command. Despite finishing with a 3.93 ERA, Mathews had a 7.1 BB\/9 in 2025, the highest of his professional career. So, why do I believe he can make his MLB debut in 2026?<\/p>\n
Right now, the Cardinals’ rotation\u00a0has question marks, such as Dustin May\u2019s health and whether Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy, and Kyle Leahy can hold down starting spots. Should any of them fall and Mathews regain his command, expect the former Stanford Cardinal pitcher to receive a call-up.<\/p>\n
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On the subject of left-handed pitchers, Mautz, the 23rd-ranked prospect in the Cardinals system, is trending upward. Last season, the Cardinals named Mautz\u00a0their minor league pitcher of the year after he went 8-3 at Double-A with a 2.98 ERA and 134 strikeouts. Near the end of the regular season, Mautz was pitching at his best. From MLB:<\/p>\n
\u201cOver his final 12 regular season starts, Mautz went 7-1 while registering a 1.95 ERA (60.0 IP), striking out 69 batters and limiting opponents to a .201 batting average, highlighted by a 6.0 inning, one-hit performance with a season-high 10 strikeouts at San Antonio on August 8.\u201d<\/p>\n
This offseason, Mautz\u00a0is working with Tread Athletics to get ready for the 2026 season. With the question marks currently with the Cardinals\u2019 starting rotation, Mautz could receive a call-up should he perform well in Memphis in 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom has revamped the St. Louis Cardinals\u2019 minor league system. We are now starting to see Bloom\u2019s plans come into action, as… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":134365,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-134364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n