Cardinals Prediction Pointing Toward New Phenom Shortstop

What’s next for the St. Louis Cardinals?

Most of the buzz around the Cardinals has been about the upcoming Major League Baseball trade deadline, but that’s not going to be the only opportunity for the Cardinals to add significant talent.

The 2025 MLB Draft is less than two weeks away and the Cardinals fortunately landed the No. 5 pick. Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo predicted that the Cardinals are going to take high school shortstop Eli Willits out of Oklahoma.

"No. 5. Cardinals — Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton (Okla.) HS," Collazo said. "There could be a run on high school shortstops starting here, and Willits is consistently the top name of the group after Holliday and a common link to the Cardinals. If he doesn’t go here, he has real landing spots with the (Pittsburgh Pirates), (Miami Marlins), and (Toronto Blue Jays). This also sounds like a potential landing spot for Arnold, giving the draft a real chance to see three college lefties taken in the first five picks."

As mock drafts have started popping up left and right, Willits has been a popular name thrown around for St. Louis. He's one of the top overall prospects and landing a high school shortstop certainly doesn't hurt. It would give the team years to get him ready for the big leagues and if you are good at shortstop, typically, you're a very solid athlete and have an easier time adjusting to other positions.

The Cardinals are set at shortstop right now in the majors with Masyn Winn, but Willits would be a big get at No. 5.