Cardinals 2026 Mock Draft: 2 Last-Minute Fits to Watch on Day 1

The St. Louis Cardinals are one day away from another big day for the organization.

When the Cardinals brought Chaim Bloom to the organization, it was known that he had success everywhere he had been building up farm systems. Before he was even the president of baseball operations, he was helping the Cardinals in player development in an advisor role. Now, he's in his first season as the president of baseball operations of the Cardinals and on Saturday, the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft begins.

The Cardinals are loaded with picks throughout the draft, in part because of the deal to send Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners. That deal brought back the No. 68 and No. 72 picks in the Competitive Balance Round B section of the draft. The Cardinals' first selection of the day on Saturday will be with the No. 13 overall pick.

When it gets here, who should the Cardinals take? Well, it depends on who you ask. The MLB Draft is chaotic and unpredictable. Outside of the first pick or two, it's almost impossible to predict the MLB Draft because there are so many players who could be taken early. Plus, you have to take into account the slot values. You'll see teams sometimes take a player who would've gone later so they can hand out less at that time and save some cash for later picks. Again, it's a complicated process.

When it comes to St. Louis, the biggest needs are starting pitching or arguably third base. You can never have enough starting pitching and St. Louis used the offseason to trade veterans away for pitching prospects. If the right hurler is available, it wouldn't be a bad move to take one here. If not a starter, a third baseman with pop would be another ideal fit.

One pitching fit would be 6'6'' righty Cameron Flukey out of Coastal Carolina and one third base fit would be third baseman Ace Reese out of Mississippi State.

Cameron Flukey, Coastal Carolina

Coastal Carolina Chanticleer's Cameron Flukey (2) pitches against Auburn during NCAA Baseball Super Regonal action at Plainsman Park on the Auburn University campus in Auburn, Ala., on Friday June 6, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Again, Flukey has great size at 6'6'', and he's ranked as the No. 15 overall prospect in the draft class by MLB.com. He has a 60-grade fastball that has reached the upper-90s. This season, he pitched in just seven games and had a 4.13 ERA. In 2025, he had a 3.19 ERA in 18 appearances. He has big league size and a legit fastball and is 21 years old. He's the type of hurler that could be developed into a front-of-the-rotation starter.

Ace Reese, Mississippi State

May 20, 2026; Hoover, AL, USA; Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese fields a ball and throws to first for an out in the SEC Tournament game between Georgia and Mississippi State at the Hoover Met. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

If you're looking for a third baseman with pop, Reese is the guy. He's ranked as the No. 18 prospect in the draft class and is coming off an excellent season. He played in 62 games for Mississippi State and clubbed 24 homers and drove in 74 runs while also batting .336. In 2025, he hit 21 homers, drove in 66 runs and batted .352.

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