Cardinals Noncommittal on Former No. 1 Prospect Tink Hence's Role

One interesting storyline for St. Louis Cardinals fans to follow throughout the 2026 season that could help the club at some point this season is the progression of No. 15 prospect Tink Hence.

There was a time when Hence was the team's top prospect, but injuries negatively impacted his progression and momentum. Now, he's at No. 15 after only appearing in eight games in 2025. He did log a 2.95 ERA across 21 1/3 innings of work, including 10 2/3 innings at Double-A. Hence was in big league camp for a bit and got some action out of the bullpen. He was sent down to minor league camp, but his role moving forward is something worth watching. If he stays in the bullpen and can stay on the mound, he has the talent to make the jump to the big leagues this season. If they move him back to the rotation, the path to the big leagues is murkier.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch gave a brief update on Hence.

The Cardinals prospect will be someone to follow

Feb 20, 2025; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Tink Hence (30) poses for a photo during media day at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

"Drafted in 2020 along with Masyn Winn and Jordan Walker, Hence continues to have some of the best stuff in the organization," Goold wrote. "He’s had difficulty remaining in games. He added strength this offseason and altered his mechanics to maintain his pitches but aim for more durability. During major-league camp, the Cardinals shifted him to a reliever schedule to get him into more games and provide more game-speed opportunities for him to work on the new mechanics. Sent to minor-league camp, the Cardinals’ pitching and player development group discussed the plan for Hence there and opted to prioritize both appearances and recovery."

Also, Goold quoted Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom giving insight into how the organization is viewing Hence right now.

“We’re not thinking of him as a traditional reliever or a traditional starter,” Chaim Bloom said, as transcribed by Goold. “He’s in a really good spot in terms of both health and the stuff he’s bringing to the party. And we want him to get as much work as possible while we’re maintaining those two things.”

The future is still very bright. He is just 23 years old and has a 3.25 ERA overall in 75 total appearances down in the minors. Arguably, the best path forward would be the bullpen for now. After all of the moves of the offseason, there is a surplus of rotation options and more coming, like Liam Doyle. Hence has the stuff to get guys out at the big league level. If the Cardinals are concerned about durability, keep him in the bullpen and maybe even as a closer. The closer spot is a bit up in the air at the big league level. Maybe Hence could be the long-term answer.