Surging St. Louis Cardinals Top Prospect Looks MLB-Ready

Should the St. Louis Cardinals give the young slugger a shot in the near future?

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

The St. Louis Cardinals have some serious firepower down with Triple-A Memphis right now.

The last few seasons have been a struggle, and the Cardinals have been building up the farm system as a result. You can't sustainably win in a smaller market if you don't have homegrown talent all over the place. That's been a staple of the Cardinals over the years. Sure, you can go out and sign free agents and trade for guys, but you can't build a team with free agents and trade additions as the focus. A team like the Los Angeles Dodgers can because they seemingly just print money.

St. Louis has to be a bit more strategic and that has been a big point for the club over the years. The last three seasons have been tough, but the farm system is trending up and the young roster in the majors has outperformed expectations so far this season. If these trends continue, the Cardinals are going to be contenders in the National League again in no time.

If you're a Cardinals fan, you're likely having a good start to the spring. The club is playing well in the majors and the vibes are off the charts, thanks in large part to the Stephen F. Austin club baseball team and a wild weekend over at Busch Stadium.

But there's more to be happy about down in the minors right now as well. Of course, Lars Nootbaar is on a minor league rehab assignment. Cardinals No. 7 prospect Jimmy Crooks has gotten a lot of buzz this season because he has been able to tear the cover off the ball. He should get a shot in the majors at some point in the near future. But he may not be the most MLB-ready prospect down in Triple-A. Arguably, that title should belong to No. 3 prospect Joshua Báez.

Joshua Báez Is Crushing Right Now

Mar 7, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Joshua Baez (22) rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the second inning against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Unlike Crooks, he hasn't made his big league debut before, but he's playing so well right now that it's going to be hard for the Cardinals to keep him down in Triple-A for too much longer. The 22-year-old has played in 39 games and is slashing .232/.304/.497 with an .801 OPS, 11 homers, 27 RBIs, six doubles and one triple. His batting average has taken a hit from 2025 (.287 last year to .232 in 2026) but he is tearing the cover off the ball as well.

OF Joshua Báez (AAA) smashes this ball 438 ft. for his 11th HR of the season.

The #STLCards No. 3 prospect has hit 5 HR over 425 ft. this year. pic.twitter.com/yLs1S9djkC

— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) May 17, 2026

This isn't an anomaly. Báez was crushing throughout Spring Training as well and put his name on the map. The Cardinals started him down in Triple-A, though, to kick off the season. Now, he has 11 homers on the season. Imagine if he could carry that power over to the majors? Jordan Walker is leading the Cardinals with 13 homers. JJ Wetherholt is in second place with eight long balls.

The Cardinals are tied for 12th in the league right now with 51 homers as a team. Báez is someone who could seemingly come in and help with that right away.

Nootbaar will be in the majors soon. That will already give the Cardinals an outfield decision to make. Walker isn't going anywhere, obviously. Nathan Church has played well but Victor Scott II has struggled offensively. The most likely solution seems to be a consistent outfield with Nootbaar, Church and Walker. But Báez should get a shot in the near future as well. There are few guys in the organization that can boast this much power.