Cardinals Predicted To Add Sweet-Swinging Lefty Shortstop

The St. Louis Cardinals are going to have a chance to add a big piece to the organization in 25 days.

The 2025 Major League Baseball Draft is just 25 days away now -- as of writing. St. Louis has the No. 5 pick and could go in a few different directions. Ethan Holliday is widely considered to be the No. 1 prospect in the draft class and it would be a pretty big shock if he were to fall into St. Louis' lap at No. 5.

Left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson is another guy who doesn't seem likely as of writing to be available for the Cardinals. But, it is the MLB Draft we're talking about and it's difficult to project. The top of the 2025 draft class is full of high school shortstops and college pitchers. It's going to be interesting to see how it all shakes out.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel shared his latest mock draft and had the Cardinals rolling with one of the high school shortstops in the form of JoJo Parker out of Mississippi.

"No. 5. St. Louis Cardinals," McDaniel said. "JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis HS (Mississippi). Top 150 rank: 9. This is right about where the consensus starts to open up. Names like Ike Irish, Willits, Parker and Billy Carlson come up here, and this is seen as a stopping point for Holliday, Anderson and Arnold if they get this far. Wake Forest shortstop Marek Houston's name has also come up.

"If Anderson, Arnold and Holliday are gone, this pick is seen as likely to be a position player -- probably the one the Cards think has the best hit tool of the group. Parker would most likely come with some (but not a lot of) savings if he went here and, of late, he has momentum to sneak ahead of Carlson and/or Willits. Some teams think Parker is actually the best hitter in the draft."

Parker currently is ranked at No. 10 on the draft board by MLB.com. The young infielder is projected to be a plus-hitter from the left side already at the next level at just 18 years old. He has good size at 6'2'' and 200 pounds.

No matter who the Cardinals take, there is some high-end talent on the way to the team in less than a month.