St. Louis Cardinals Breakout MLB Prospects For 2025

Entering 2025, we’re projecting a number of Cardinals prospects to have the potential for a breakout season.

To qualify, a player must rank outside the organization’s Top 10 prospects entering the year. All scouting reports are from Baseball America’s 2025 Prospect handbook, which you can purchase here.

You can find Top 10 prospect rankings for all teams here and all breakout candidates here.

Rainiel Rodriguez, C

Preseason Rank: 11
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Signed in April of 2024 for $300,000, Rodriguez was born in the Dominican Republic but spent time at a Pennsylvania high school before moving back to the D.R. prior to signing. Rodriguez debuted in the Dominican Summer League and was one of its the top hitting prospects as he produced a .345/.462/.683 slash line with 10 home runs over 184 plate appearances. Rodriguez was selected to represent the National League in the DSL all-star game. He should debut stateside in the Florida Complex League to begin 2025.

Scouting Report: A physically mature, bat-first catching prospect with major defensive questions but huge upside at the plate, Rodriguez dominated Dominican Summer League pitching only months after signing. He used a powerful righthanded swing to barrel balls consistently. Rodriguez has average bat-to-ball skills with a balanced approach and rarely misses a chance to attack a fastball in the zone. Rodriguez has plus power projection, and his 103.2 mph 90th percentile exit velocity was plus for a 17-year-old. He shows the ability to consistently hit the ball in the air and has already developed power to his pull side. He’s a well below-average runner who will likely be limited defensively. Rodriguez is a major question to stick behind the plate due to a below-average arm. There’s a strong chance he ends up at first base.

The Future: Rodriguez is a prodigious hitter with defensive questions. He will face the challenge of the Florida Complex League in 2025.

Scouting Grades: HIT: 55. POW: 60. RUN: 30. FLD: 40. ARM: 40.

Branneli Franco, RHP

Preseason Rank: 17
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Franco was one of the most highly touted pitchers in the 2024 international market, and the $800,000 bonus he received was the highest of any pitcher in his class. Franco debuted in the Dominican Summer League. By the time Franco signed, he had gone from the mid 80s to the low 90s and saw another velocity jump in the DSL, where he sat 93-95 mph. Franco made 12 starts for the Cardinals’ DSL team going 0-3 with a 6.16 ERA and 37 strikeouts to 24 walks over 38 innings.

Scouting Report: Franco is 6-foot-3 and weighs 190 pounds with arm speed and physical projection in his lean, long-limbed frame. While Franco has already made a substantial velocity jump, he is expected to continue to grow. He has an easy delivery, good arm action and the ball comes out of his hand cleanly. While his results were poor in his pro debut, there’s lots of growth remaining for the 17-year-old. Franco sat 94-95 mph on his fastball with average ride and above-average run. His best secondary is a slurvy, low-to-mid-80s slider with plus sweep and spin rates up to 2,750 rpm. His changeup is a work in progress but shows good vertical separation off his fastball. Franco shows fringe-average command of his fastball but struggles to land his secondaries consistently. How he matures as a strike-thrower will determine whether he remains a starter.

The Future: Franco should make his stateside debut in 2025 looking to improve his strike-throwing.

Scouting Grades: FB: 60. SL: 60. CH: 45. CTL: 45.

Nelfy Ynfante, RHP

Preseason Rank: 21
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Ynfante signed with the Cardinals in 2022, then spent his first two professional seasons in the Dominican Summer League before moving to the U.S. this season. Performance-wise, he was one of the best arms in the league, leading the Florida Complex League in strikeouts (62) and innings pitched (52) while placing third in ERA (3.29) and fourth in WHIP (1.29). Ynfante made his full-season debut in 2024 with Low-A Palm Beach at the end of the season. He made eight appearances and posted a 2-0 record with a 2.70 ERA and 12 strikeouts to seven walks over 13.1 innings.

Scouting Report: The projectable righthander could stand to firm up his body a bit, but he has a three-pitch mix that he sequences well and possesses a solid feel to pitch. His fastball averages around 93 mph and tops at 96. He backs it with a slider and changeup. The fastball shows below-average ride but above-average armside run with raw spin rates up to 2,500 rpm. Ynfante’s slider sits in the low 80s with slurvy shape, and he shows above-average command of the pitch. His low-to-mid-80s changeup has tumble and fade. Ynfante shows above-average command of his fastball and slider but is still learning to gain feel for the changeup.

The Future: Ynfante is a projectable righthander who could make a jump with added velocity in the coming years.

Scouting Grades: FB: 45. SL: 55. CH: 40. CTL: 50.