Cardinals Gamble on Elite Two-Way Prospect in 2026 MLB Mock Draft

The St. Louis Cardinals will make their first selection in the upcoming MLB Draft at No. 13.

Aug 28, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chaim Bloom, Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox on the field before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals certainly have struck gold over the last two years when it has come to the Major League Baseball Draft.

In 2024, the Cardinals selected infielder JJ Wetherholt and we all know how that pick has gone. Wetherholt is now in the majors and at the top of St. Louis' lineup in under two full years. So far this season, he's slashing .228/.376/.354 with three homers, 11 RBIs, four stolen bases, 14 walks, one double and 17 runs scored in 22 games played. Liam Doyle was selected by the Cardinals with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft and he's already up in Double-A. He had his best start of the season so far on Sunday as well as he went four innings against the Wichita Wind Surge and allowed just one earned run while striking out five batters.

St. Louis will have a chance to keep its hot streak going in the first round of the upcoming MLB Draft with the No. 13 overall pick. The draft won't be here until July. Over the next few months, we'll take a look at various prospects and mock drafts out there for the organization. One prospect we've already touched upon is Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick, who was mocked to St. Louis by Baseball America's Carlos Collazo. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel dropped an intriguing mock draft of his own and predicted that the Cardinals will land two-way high school prospect Jared Grindlinger.

This Would Be A Fun Move For St. Louis

Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

"No. 13. St. Louis Cardinals: Jared Grindlinger, RF/LHP, Huntington Beach HS (California)," McDaniel wrote. "I'll cut things off at this pick as the group of names in contention is ballooning. Grindlinger just turned 17 and is within a few weeks of being the youngest early-round prospect in the draft (just behind Rocco Maniscalco). He's a real first-round caliber outfielder with plus bat-to-ball ability and above-average power/speed potential, along with a pitching evaluation somewhere in the top two rounds.

"There is still some disagreement on this report and where he goes as Grindlinger was only seriously scouted starting this spring after he reclassified late in the process. By drafting him, a team would basically get two elite prospects in one and probably would let him do both (with a lean toward hitting) for a couple of seasons to see how things break."

Now, this would be an interesting move by St. Louis. There isn't another player out there who is like Shohei Ohtani. That goes without saying. But if the Cardinals could get an elite high school prospect with potential as both a hitter and a pitcher, that's worth exploring.

Again, it's early. The MLB Draft won't be here until July. But if the Cardinals have a shot at an elite, two-way prospect, you take that chance.