Cardinals Mock Draft: Electric TCU Outfielder Should Top St. Louis’ Draft Board

The St. Louis Cardinals will have a chance to add another elite prospect early in the 2026 MLB Draft.

Sep 17, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

While the last few years haven't been smooth for the St. Louis Cardinals in the standings, they have been excellent for the club in the Major League Baseball Draft.

St. Louis snatched JJ Wetherholt with the No. 7 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft and he already looks like a budding star in the majors at the young age of 23 years old. Last year, the Cardinals selected flamethrower Liam Doyle with the No. 5 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft and he is now the club's No. 1 overall prospect. These two are just biggest — and most recent — examples of success from the Cardinals early in the MLB Draft.

The 2026 MLB Draft is going to be here before you know it. It's going to be here in July and the Cardinals will be on the board first with the No. 13 overall pick. One thing that Chaim Bloom has shown throughout his career as an executive so far is that he knows how to build a strong and sustainable farm system. After all of the trades of the offseason, St. Louis already has transformed its farm system. The Cardinals entered the 2026 season with the No. 2 overall farm system in baseball, per Baseball America. The year before, the Cardinals came in at No. 18. So, Cardinals fans should be excited about this upcoming draft because Bloom will find a diamond somewhere.

The Cardinals Have The No. 13 Pick In The 2026 MLB Draft

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

On Thursday, MLB.com's Jim Callis dropped a mock draft that should have the Cardinals' attention. He projected TCU outfielder Sawyer Strosnider to the Cardinals at No. 13.

"No. 13. Cardinals: Sawyer Strosnider, OF, Texas Christian (No. 9)," Callis wrote. "Few collegians have better all-around tools than Strosnider, a 6-foot-2, 200-pounder with double-plus raw power and plus speed who one looked like a safe bet to go in the top 10 picks. But he has gone 13-for-72 (.181) with 18 strikeouts since the beginning of April, so he's trending down."

The Cardinals' farm system is loaded with catchers and pitchers. Plus, the infield is in a very position with Wetherholt and Masyn Winn being the middle infield of the future. Alec Burleson looks like a long-term fit at first base. Third base is a bit more up in the air. Outfield would be a good place to look early in the draft.

Strosnider has played in 47 games so far this season for TCU and is slashing .269/.419/.573 with a .992 OPS, 12 homers, 46 RBIs, 11 stolen bases, 10 doubles and three triples. Last year, he slashed .350/.420/.650 with 11 homers, 51 RBIs, 10 stolen bases, 13 doubles and 10 triples in 56 games played. Clearly, this guy has power and speed, two traits that would help the young Cardinals. He's also just 20 years old.

This is the type of move that would be a good one, at least on paper. But the MLB Draft is nearly impossible to predict. It is so volatile. Unlike other sports, even the No. 1 pick isn't a slam dunk every year. So, Strosnider is a prospect fans should know and watch, but again, the MLB Draft is unpredictable.