Why 22-Year-Old Outfielder Could Be Cardinals' Hidden Gem

The Cardinals need a lot of their top prospects to pan out if they want to sustain success...

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 are in the middle of a huge rebuild that's already seen six big trades over the last couple of months.

They been able to land a slew of talented prospects, which will be crucial toward getting this team back to the postseason.

The Cardinals need their top prospects to pan out this year. They have a few star youngsters who could begin the season in St. Louis after spending their career thus far in the minor leagues.

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Just Baseball's Adam Akbani recently listed Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez as a player that could impact the team as soon as this season.

Joshua Baez could be a hidden gem for the Cardinals

Peoria Chiefs outfielder Joshua Baez fields a hit to left field during a game against the Michigan Whitecaps on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at Dozer Park in Peoria. | MATT DAYHOFF/JOURNAL STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK

"The overwhelming changes in contact ability and barrel accuracy have landed him on top-100 prospect lists," Akbani wrote. "He has all the ingredients of a superstar if he continues putting it all together. He’ll likely begin 2026 at Triple-A Memphis, and if he picks up where he left off in 2025, an MLB debut will come much sooner rather than later.

"Even with the 2025 breakout, there’s still some helium in the Baez balloon. He may continue ascending lists if he proves his contact rates in 2025 weren’t a fluke, or if he makes even more contact than before. The Puerto Rican import is another Cardinal top-100 prospect (2-2.5 average WAR per season over the first six years of team control profiling as an average everyday right fielder."

Baez has begun flying up prospect rankings over the last year. He put together a huge campaign with an OPS of .884 across nearly 120 games last year.

The Cardinals are going to need their young outfielders to come take over in St. Louis over the next year or two. Jordan Walker is still young, but he's been tremendously disappointing in his big-league career so far.

Baez could come out and dominate the minor leagues again early this year. If he can do that, the Cardinals might fast track him to the big leagues in order to see what he can do at the highest level. He's seemingly a hidden gem in their farm system.

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