Feb 27, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Nelson Velazquez (88) returns to the dugout against the New York Mets during the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Cardinals Spring Standout Might Not Be in MiLB Much Longer

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Apr 1, 2026 3:00 PM ET

One thing that was true across Spring Training for the St. Louis Cardinals was the fact that Nelson Velázquez stole the show.

The 27-year-old slugger signed a minor league deal with a non-roster invitation to Spring Training and made the most of it. Velázquez played in 15 games and slashed .357/.449/.667 with a 1.116 OPS. On top of this, Velázquez crushed four homers, drove in 10 runs and walked seven times. All in all, his Spring Training production was phenomenal for the Cardinals.

It led many, including us, to predict that Velázquez would make the Opening Day roster. Arguably, he did enough to earn a spot with the club. Especially as the Cardinals made it clear over and over throughout the offseason that they were looking for some right-handed pop for the outfield. Velázquez brings that. But he's down in Triple-A in part because he didn't have a 40-man roster spot. If the Cardinals were going to put him on the Opening Day roster, they would've had to remove someone else.

The Cardinals should give Nelson Velázquez a shot at some point

Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

On the bright side, Velázquez spoke to the media down in Triple-A and said that he believes that he will be in St. Louis soon, as seen in a clip shared to X by Grace Ybarra of KMOV.

"At the end of the day, you know they made the decision to send me to Triple-A," Velázquez said. "Keep playing here, you know. I think they have a plan to call me up at some point in the season. I think it's just about keep playing the game the right way like I was during Spring Training. I know there was a couple of fans that wanted me to be there. I know that. I think I will be there soon."

I asked Nelson Velázquez about starting the season in Triple-A after his awesome spring, and he emphasized it's part of the Cardinals' plan:

"I know there was a couple fans that want me to be there [St. Louis]. I think I will be there soon."@MatrixMidwest | #stlcards pic.twitter.com/0G6S3jSK2p
— Grace Ybarra (@gnybarra) March 31, 2026

St. Louis actually has been a bit surprising from a power perspective so far this season. The Cardinals are tied for seventh in the league with seven homers as a team through five games.

While this is the case, Velázquez arguably can help this team. His right-handed bat would help to balance the lineup. The three guys who made the team out of camp in left field were Nathan Church, who is slashing .188/.188/.188 in four games. Thomas Saggese has played in one game and went 0-for-3. José Fermín played in one game but hasn't had an at-bat yet.

At some point, Velázquez is going to earn his way to the big leagues if he can maintain his momentum from Spring Training. He arguably should be there right now, but his time will come.

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

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