The St. Louis Cardinals have been working behind the scenes to beef up their farm system and rebuild for the future. That means that they have had to put contending on the backburner, at least for now. This season, they are 66-66 and 5 1/2 games back of the third National League wild card spot.
However, they are getting some more clarity on what things will look like in the future and who will be part of their core for the next several years. Players like JJ Wetherholt, Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker have already established themselves as building blocks for the future, but there are still some things to figure out.
On Sunday, infield prospect Jesus Baez hit four home runs in a doubleheader, one in the first game and three in the second game. He can play multiple infield positions. Since trading Nolan Arenado, the Cardinals haven’t really had somebody emerge to take third base. But they might be getting more clarity on that soon as well with Baez.
St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Could Be the Answer at Third Base
In just 43 games at Double-A Springfield, Baez has already hit 20 home runs, which is a good sign for the Cardinals. They picked him up last year at the trade deadline in the deal that send All-Star closer Ryan Helsley to the New York Mets.
Baez started the 2026 season at Class-A Peoria and has worked his way to Springfield. Before long, he could potentially be on his way to Triple-A Memphis, which is just one stop away from St. Louis.
This season, the Cardinals have had a revolving door at third base, using Nolan Gorman, Jose Fermin and Blaze Jordan as the primary options. None of those three players have actually stuck.
But Baez might be the answer. He still may be a few years away from the major leagues, and Chaim Bloom and Oli Marmol will want to be careful not to rush him to the big leagues, as that typically doesn’t end well for players.
However, if he keeps hitting with such power and gets a promotion to Triple-A soon, perhaps he could end up being in their plans at third base for the 2027 season. The Cardinals are still a few years away from being a true contender, so it’s not something that is going to happen overnight. But now is the time for the Cardinals to figure out what they have in these young players, and Baez might turn out to be a hidden gem picked up in the Helsley trade last season.
Chaim Bloom’s Vision Coming to Life for St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals may still be a couple of years away, but that doesn’t mean that they haven’t made any progress. In fact, they have made quite a bit of progress in a short amount of time.
The young players Bloom has accumulated are showing signs of promise, and it may not be long before he has a better idea of what the future is going to look like in St. Louis and who will play where.
Cardinals Infield Prospect Could Be the Answer at Third Base