10 St. Louis Cardinals Prospects To Know Beyond The Top 30 in 2024
Baseball America’s Top 30 St. Louis Cardinals Prospects entering 2024 are here exclusively for subscribers. The list includes updated scouting reports, BA grades and tool grade projections for every player.
Inevitably, there are players every year who barely miss the cut when we narrow down the list. These players are all worth monitoring for various reasons and it’s likely some will either reach the big leagues in 2024 or enjoy breakout seasons lower in the minors.
Here are next 10 players to know in the Cardinals system beyond their Top 30.
31. William Sullivan, 1B
A popup name from the Cardinals 2023 draft class, Sullivan has impressed in offseason development camps, with exit velocities as high as 115 mph. Sullivan hit .310/.416/.625 with 17 home runs during a breakout fourth season at Troy. Sullivan had a strong 32 game debut with Low-A Palm Beach hitting .308/.395/.433. Sullivan shows strong bat-to-ball skills with easy plus raw power, his level swing will need to add some loft in order to optimize his in-game power. In Sullivan’s brief pro debut he showed an exit velocity average (89.4 mph) and 90th percentile EV (107.6 mph) above major league average.
32. Joshua Baez, OF
Baez got national recognition as a two-way talent with loud tools including huge raw power and a fastball up to 97 mph. After concerns around his hit tool dropped him out of the first round, the Cardinals swooped in and selected Baez in the second round of the 2021 draft. Since that time Baez’s struggles to make consistent contact have plagued him, but he showed signs of improvement in 2023. His swing-and-miss issues are rooted in his difficulty tracking pitches and adjusting his swing to make contact. When Baez does make contact he has the ability to put the ball out to all parts of the field with bat speed and a leveraged swing that has an upward path.
33. Andre Granillo, RHP
Drafted in the 14th round out of UC Riverside in 2021, Granillo has established himself as one of the better relief prospects in the organization. He mixes a slider at 82-84 mph with heavy cut that generates lots of whiffs in and out of the zone, with a four-seam fastball at 96-98 mph with moderate ride. He saw heavy work in a closer’s role over the last two seasons and has middle relief upside.
34. Ian Bedell, RHP
Bedell missed most of his first two professional seasons after having Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2023 making 19 starts and 27 appearances for High-A Peoria. He mixes four pitches but his primary mix is a fastball at 92-93 mph, a gyro slider at 82-83 mph and a mid-80s changeup. He performed well in 2023, but the true test will come against upper-level competition.
35. Matt Koperniak, OF
Koperniak was signed out of DIII Trinity as a nondrafted free agent following the 2020 draft. The outfielder has performed well over his three seasons with the Cardinals, hitting .293/.375/.441 over 332 professional games. Koperniak stared with Great Britain’s WBC team before spending a majority of his season with Triple-A Memphis where he produced a league average line. Koperniak was left unprotected for the 2023 Rule 5 draft and went unselected. He possesses strong bat-to-ball skills and solid approach with the ability to handle an outfield corner.
36. Jonathan Mejia, SS
Signed for $2 million hiring the 2022 international signing class, Mejia enjoyed a strong debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2022 hitting .268/.418/.479 over 46 games. Assigned to Low-A Palm Beach in late May, Mejia spent six games (and a stint on the dev list) with Palm Beach before he was demoted to the Florida Complex League. Mejia struggled at both stops with swing and miss and showed very little impact. He does show feel for the barrel and solid average plate discipline.
37. Jason Savacool, RHP
Savacool ranked just outside the Top 100 draft prospects for 2020 and went undrafted in the five round draft. After a strong sophomore season that earned Savacool all-Big Ten first team, he struggled during his junior season. Savacool mixes two variations of his fastball, a slurvy slider, an upper-70s curveball and a changeup. Savacool has the starter traits typical of Cardinals college draft picks.
38. Alex Iadisernia, OF
Drafted in the 7th round of the 2022 draft out of Elon, Iadisernia hit .233/.331/.435 with 18 home runs in 2023 across both levels of Class A. While Iadisernia’s season line was solid, his underlying data is strong. He makes an average rate of contact with average swing decisions and exit velocity data. Iadisernia has excellent feel for the barrel and shows the ability to get the most out of his best struck drives.
39. Mike Antico, OF
Antico spent four seasons at St. John’s before transferring to Texas for his fifth season where he hit .273/.437/.489. The Cardinals selected him in the 8th round in 2021 and he’s spent the majority of the last two seasons at Double-A. Antico is a centerfielder with plus-plus speed, on-base skills and average power. He profiles as a bench outfielder long term.
40. Austin Love, RHP
A third-round pick out of North Carolina in 2021, Love had Tommy John Surgery in June of 2023 and will likely miss all of 2024. When healthy Love mixes a four-seam fastball at 92-94 mph touching 97 mph at peak with a slider, changeup and curveball. Love could be moved to the bullpen upon his return where his stuff could play up.
