Cardinals Pipeline Update: 2 Underrated Prospects to Watch in 2026

The Cardinals have a few underrated prospects to watch this season.

Worcester’s Blaze Jordan bats against Lehigh Valley at Polar Park July 29. | Rick Cinclair/Telegram & Gazette / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are winning a lot of games right now, but they're still in the middle of a rebuild. It's hard to imagine they'll be able to keep up in the National League across the full 162-game season. They have some talent, but not enough to truly contend. They're likely two or three years away from putting a true contender on the field.

And that's not a bad thing. They have some talent. Winning right now is good, but the focus is on the future, which should allow them to compete with the top teams around the league, including their division rival, the Milwaukee Brewers, for years to come. But they need their top prospects to pan out. They even need their middle-tier and long-shot prospects to begin showing signs of life. Fortunately for the Cardinals, there are some underrated prospects turning heads already this season.

Which underrated Cardinals prospects should fans keep an eye on this season?

1B/3B Blaze Jordan

Worcester third baseman Blaze Jordan runs off the field at Polar Park July 29. | Rick Cinclair/Telegram & Gazette / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Blaze Jordan was originally acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the trade that sent Steven Matz to Boston. Since then, he's been quite a pleasant surprise for the Cardinals. He's a bat-first prospect with the ability to be a slugger in the big leagues. Still only 23 years old, Jordan is slashing .333/.368/.583 with four home runs and six doubles in 18 games this season.

He slugged 19 home runs last season and 18 home runs in 2023. His ability to leave the yard is impressive. But the fact that he's hitting over .300 in 72 at-bats is even more promising. The Cardinals may want him to walk a little bit more, but that's a bit nitpicky. Jordan is certainly a prospect to keep an eye on this season.

LHP Mason Molina

Texas Tech's Mason Molina (21) pitches against Baylor in game one of their Big 12 baseball game, Friday, April 21, 2023, at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park. | Mark Rogers/For the Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Mason Molina, the Cardinals' No. 30-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline, is off to a solid start this season, too. He's tossed 14 1/3 innings across three starts and currently holds a 3.77 ERA. This comes after he posted a 3.10 ERA in nearly 100 innings last season.

The lefty has struck out 20 hitters and issued only five walks on the year. He has a plus fastball and a plus changeup. The breaking pitches are still developing, but he has the chance to develop a dominant four-pitch arsenal.