Cardinals Trying Something New With No. 3 Prospect Rainiel Rodriguez

The St. Louis Cardinals phenom is expanding his game down in the minors right now.

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

It's still early, but St. Louis Cardinals fans should be very excited about No. 3 prospect Rainiel Rodriguez already.

Right now, he's the Cardinals' No. 3 prospect behind JJ Wetherholt and Liam Doyle. When Wetherholt graduates from prospect status, Doyle is likely to move up to No. 1 with Rodriguez moving up to No. 2 and he's barely scratching the surface.

This is a 19-year-old we're talking about here. He put himself on the map in 2025 as an 18-year-old between Rookie-Level, Class-A, and High-A. Overall, he played in 84 games and slashed .276/.399/.555 with 20 homers, 63 RBIs, 22 doubles and 54 walks. Right now, he's in High-A and it likely won't be for too long. He's played in two games and has gone 2-for-7 so far with a long homer.

Rainiel Rodriguez clubs his first homer of the season 💣

The @CardsPlayerDev No. 3 prospect impressed scouts this spring 👀

(🎥@peoriachiefs) pic.twitter.com/avKCRfHfGo

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) April 4, 2026

The Caridnals prospect is someone to watch

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

One thing that also stands out is the fact that Rodriguez got the start at a defensive position that wasn't catcher for the first time in his young professional career on Saturday. Rodriguez got the start at first base for High-A Peoria for the first time in his professional baseball career. This may not sound like much, but it is very important.

The reason for this is because of how stacked the catcher position is for St. Louis in the organization as a whole. In the majors, the Cardinals currently have Iván Herrera, Pedro Pagés and Yohel Pozo. In the minors right now, the Cardinals have Rodriguez, No. 6 prospect Leo Bernal and No. 8 prospect Jimmy Crooks.

Tough decisions will have to be made at some point. For the Cardinals, one that should come on the sooner side is giving Crooks a shot in the majors. There are few players more on fire right now than Crooks, who is down in the minors for the Cardinals. Plus, they need to see what they really have in Crooks because Bernal and Rodriguez are going to be coming sooner or later as well.

With Rodriguez getting a look at first base, that just increases his positional flexibility. It doesn't mean he's coming up to the majors tomorrow. The Cardinals have a very good first baseman in Alec Burleson. But it does add flexibility to Rodriguez's, which will come in handy when he is actually closer to the majors. The Cardinals have so much catching that everyone isn't going to get a shot. But adding more positions to Rodriguez's game is only going to get him closer to the big leagues quicker. It's important to note that out of all of St. Louis' catching prospects, there's a real argument that Rodriguez has the most offensive upside. So, making sure he's in the mix will be important.