Inside The Cardinals

JJ Wetherholt Isn't Cardinals' Only Prospect Pushing For Promotion

Who is next to come up to the big leagues?
Patrick McAvoy|
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
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

In this story:

St. Louis Cardinals

If you have been following along over the last few weeks, you’ve surely heard a lot about St. Louis Cardinals top prospects.

For the Cardinals, most of the chatter has been about infielder and No. 1 prospect JJ Wetherholt. It’s warranted. He’s at Triple-A and has been phenomenal. He has been so good that there are plenty of people out there right now so think the Cardinals should called him up to the big leagues.

This is all true. There’s going to be plenty of Wetherholt talk, but there are other prospects making some noise down in the minors as well. One who had a big day this week was catcher Jimmy Crooks. He logged four hits on Wednesday for his fourth-career four-hit game and has been red-hot lately.

Who will come up to the big leagues next for St. Louis?

St. Louis Cardinals players hats
Apr 24, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of St. Louis Cardinals players hats and gloves in the dugout during a game with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-Imagn Images | David Kohl-Imagn Images

"C Jimmy Crooks (AAA) tallied his 4th career 4-hit game last night, going 4-for-5 with two doubles," the Cardinals shared on social media. "The reigning Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year is riding a 9-game hitting and 18-game on-base streak and has slashed .331/.392/.462 over his last 33 games since July 1."

Right now, Crooks is ranked as the Cardinals' No. 6 prospect. He is having a big year and is slashing .276/.341/.437 with 13 home runs, 75 RBIs, 19 doubles, and 58 runs scored in 94 games played. There's a real argument that the Cardinals should give him a shot in the near future to see if he's potentially building around at the catcher position. Right now, the Cardinals have Iván Herrera in the big leagues along with Pedro Pagés and Yohel Pozo. With all of the Cardinals' top catching prospects, they're going to have to make a move at some point.

The Cardinals haven't really used Herrera much at catcher, but have with Pagés and Pozo. Three of the Cardinals' top six prospects are catchers and Crooks is the closest to the big leagues. Why not give him a shot down the stretch to see if he can help next year?

More MLB: Cardinals Land 5 On ESPN's Top-100 List; One Approaching MLB

Published
Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

Home/St. Louis Cardinals News