Cardinals May Have Something Special Brewing in Double-A

Sep 17, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports USA TODAY Sports

Cardinals May Have Something Special Brewing in Double-A

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Aug 24, 2026 3:00 PM ET

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The future is bright for the St. Louis Cardinals, to say the least.

The Cardinals have the second-youngest roster in the majors with an average age of 27 years old. That in itself should be enough to get the fanbase excited. This core is just going to get better with age and experience. Guys like JJ Wetherholt, Jordan Walker , Alec Burleson, Masyn Winn , Iván Herrera, Joshua Báez, Michael McGreevy and Kyle Leahy are all legit building block pieces, among others.

There are more to come down in the minors as well. The Cardinals have the second-best farm system in baseball, per Baseball America. Naturally, prospects like Rainiel Rodriguez (No. 1), Liam Doyle (No. 2), Tanner Franklin (No. 5), Leo Bernal (No. 7) and Jurrangelo Cijntje (No. 12) have been the subject of plenty of positive buzz throughout the season to this point. No. 4 prospect Alexander Frias came to town ahead of the trade deadline. No. 6 prospect Trevor Condon was selected in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft.

Another Elite Cardinals Prospect

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The list goes on and on. The Cardinals' farm system is elite. So much so that a guy with 34 home runs and 91 RBIs isn't even a top-10 prospect in the system. 21-year-old infielder Jesús Báez came to town in 2025 when the Cardinals traded Ryan Helsley to the New York Mets and has done nothing but impress since.

He was good last year after coming over in the trade with New York. This year, he has taken his game to another level. Báez has played in 97 games so far across High-A and Double-A and is slashing .267/.312/.569 with an .881 OPS, 34 home runs, 91 RBIs, 16 doubles and 72 runs scored. His best day of the season came on Sunday as he blasted three homers in Double-A.

Another J. Báez three-homer game for the Cardinals!

This time it's @Cardinals No. 15 prospect Jesús Báez with a three-homer game (4-homer day!) for the Double-A @Sgf_Cardinals. pic.twitter.com/8sIo9XiCuk
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 23, 2026

Right now, Báez is the Cardinals' No. 15 overall prospect. How absurd is that? This is a 21-year-old prospect we're talking about who can play all over the infield and clearly has massive pop.

The future is bright in St. Louis. One thing that was said before the 2026 season was that the Cardinals needed more right-handed power. Joshua Báez just came up to the big leagues and he has already hit four long balls from the right side of the plate. Right now, Jesús Báez is two steps away from the majors, but when he gets his call, he could be another right-handed bat St. Louis needs. Third base has been a bit up in the air. Maybe Báez could be the long-term solution.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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