Cardinals May Already Have Next Star Slugger in Their Organization

The Cardinals should be very happy with the way prospect Rainiel Rodriguez has looked...

Apr 21, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals came into the offseason with a lot more questions than answers. But they didn't take long to answer these questions, as they quickly kicked off a rebuild that included four massive trades over the course of a few months.

To begin the offseason, the Cardinals traded their ace, Sonny Gray, to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for some prospects. Soon after, the Cardinals sent Willson Contreras to the Red Sox in a separate deal to snag more prospects from Boston. They also sent Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks before sending Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners in a three-team blockbuster.

These trades have helped build the future of the organization. They've managed to land a slew of prospects who could help the team in the future. There are also multiple top prospects who have been in the organization for years who could step up as stars within the next four or five seasons.

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Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently listed Cardinals catching prospect Rainiel Rodriguez as the team's best power prospect heading into the 2026 season.

Rainiel Rodriguez is a star in the making for the Cardinals

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

"Signed for a modest $300,000 in 2024, Rodriguez posted a 1.145 OPS with 10 home runs in 42 games in his pro debut, and proved that loud performance was legitimate with a terrific transition stateside last year," Reuter wrote. "He hit .276/.399/.555 with 22 doubles and 20 home runs in 84 games, and after opening the year in rookie ball, he climbed to High-A before his age-18 season ended."

Rodriguez has quietly been one of the best catching prospects in baseball for the last year, but he's only just beginning to garner the credit he deserves.

He dominated rookie ball in 2024, which began to put himself on the map, but his age 18 season last year skyrocketed him up prospect rankings. The teenage catcher slugged 43 extra base hits in 84 games split between rookie ball, Low-A, and High-A last season. He's looked good all offseason, too.

The Cardinals could have a real slugger on their hands. The youngster is only 19 years old and has already proven he can slug with the best sluggers in St. Louis' farm system. Assuming he makes another leap in development this year, the Cardinals could be watching a true superstar form before their eyes.