Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
The last time the Cardinals had two losing seasons in a three-year span (before 2023-2025) was 1997-1999 when Mark "Big Mac" McGwire donned the "Birds on the Bat logo". That's a long time ago, which means this Cardinals team has been among the most successful teams in MLB for nearly three decades.
By the way fans of the team speak about them, though (looking at you, Matt Thompson), you would think they were a perennial bottom dweller in the NL Central. However, this stems from the expectation that this team should make the playoffs every season, and when they fail to do so, it's unacceptable. In the millennium of the 2000s, the Cards have a .550 winning percentage, which is third in all of baseball (Yankees .580, Dodgers .567), including 16 playoff appearances, 4 NL Pennants ('04, '06, '11, ‘13), and 2 World Series Championships ('06, '11).
The current state of the team is a mere shadow of the success they've had over the last quarter-century. The lineup lacks star power, the rotation lacks an ace, and the farm system lacks an impactful franchise-changing talent (but this could be changing). Don't misunderstand, though; there is talent up and down this roster, but it just hasn't come together in a meaningful way over the last three seasons. With Chaim Bloom now at the reins, the question will be, can he turn their fortunes around and get back to the Cardinals' winning way? Time will tell, but this offseason will give us many clues.
The offense is young, with some upside, but their two veteran bats, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras, might just end up being shipped out of town before we reach the 2026 season. There are some nice building blocks here, starting up the middle with Masyn Winn, the 2025 NL Gold Glove winner, who underwhelmed with the bat (91 wRC+), especially compared to expectations based on his solid 2024. Catcher Ivan Herrera was stellar at the plate all season for St. Louis, hitting 19 HR and posting an .837 OPS. What's interesting is that he might not be the catcher of the future for the Cardinals; more on that later. Alec Burleson won the Silver Slugger for the NL Utility player this season and could be a middle-of-the-order bat if they don't look to move him. Lars Nootbaar has all the tools to follow Burleson's lead, but he just hasn't been able to put it all together for a full season. Will 2026 be the season? Speaking of not being able to put it together, what do the Cardinals have with Jordan Walker and Victor Scott? Can they be regulars? Can they be stars? Can they be major leaguers? These are all realistic outcomes. We can't leave out All-Star Brendan Donovan, who is the glue that keeps this team together.
The pitching staff has been a curious puzzle for the last several seasons; the Cardinals have looked to corner the market on sinker-balling, ground-ball pitchers, and have been incredibly successful doing so. No doubt, they have had some solid big league performers in their rotation in recent seasons, but none have been that stopper that every team is looking for. This team needs to revamp the starting staff; they head into the offseason with a quintet of Sonny Gray, Matthew Liberatore, Andre Pallante, Michael McGreevy, and Kyle Leahy. Not exactly awe-inspiring. The bullpen lost its lockdown closer in Ryan Helsley (traded to the Mets), so they now have a collection of lesser-known hard-throwers, which includes Riley O'Brien and JoJo Romero, among others.
A couple of seasons ago, this farm system was in the bottom third of the league, lacking any significant impact talent. As we sit here in the 2025 offseason, there are at least three names that could really make a difference at the highest level and maybe more. JJ Wetherholt is a consensus Top 10 prospect who has as much bat-to-ball talent as anyone in the minors. He will probably not be their shortstop with Winn locking it down, but he could play third when Arenado vacates the position. Joshua Baez is another exciting young bat who has had quite a journey in the minors. Once a highly touted prospect, he struggled to the point of being irrelevant. However, in 2025, he turned it all around and shot up prospect lists, ending the season as our #45-ranked prospect. Rainiel Rodriguez might lay claim to the future at the catching position for the Cards (Jimmy Crooks will have something to say about this, also) with a bat that just hits, and with impact. If he can't hack it behind the plate, they will find a place for him. On the pitching side, first-round pick Liam Doyle gives the Cardinals the upside they've been sorely lacking in their rotation. He has the talent to have been a bullpen weapon right out of the draft, but the Cards have high hopes for the left-hander.
As disappointed as Cardinals fans are with their most recent track record, this is a team on the rise, with some exciting pieces in place (and more to come).
Dynasty Buys
Joshua Baez
This one almost feels cheap because of Baez’s rapidly rising dynasty stock, but there will still be some leagues where GMs aren’t fully caught up to the hype, especially earlier in the offseason. Ahead of spring training, this train will have long left the station - and the train is loaded with fantasy MVP potential. Baez completely flipped his profile in 2025, cutting the K’s while boosting the contact, all while mashing 20 homers and stealing 54 bases! There isn’t much higher upside than you’ll find with this 6’3 220lb beast who is just 22 years old, so see if you can land him ASAP.
Matthew Liberatore
Matthew Liberatore was a fun redemption story in the first couple of months of 2025, where he threw 64 IP and posted true staff-ace numbers. His heater’s velo was up, the command was crisp, the mound presence looked authoritative…and then he got tired. He left one start due to fatigue, and clearly wore down throughout the season while posting a career-high 151 IP. Most GMs won’t remember the good times and will instead assume he reverted to Libby’s prior status as a low-strikeout guy without upside. The dynasty cost will be very low compared to his SP2 upside, so I recommend throwing out some offers for the 2018 first-round pick who just turned 26 years old.
Dynasty Sells
Rainiel Rodriguez
Congrats, Rainiel Rodriguez - you’re so exciting that we have to sell you in dynasty! This is not a condemnation of Mr. Rodriguez so much as it is advice to capitalize on hype versus the time it may take to see him in the big leagues. He’s only 18 years old and has played a grand total of 4 games at High-A, yet there are folks ranking him as high as a top-20 overall prospect! Keep in mind he’s currently developing as a catcher, a position that is notoriously rigorous and can slow down progress up the organizational ladder - especially with several catcher prospects ahead of him. It’s easy to imagine fatigue setting in on this high-upside kid, so you may want to sell now and consider buying back in later at a better value.
Tink Hence
We could have gone with Tekoah Roby or Cooper Hjerpe instead of Hence, but it seems like Hence has the biggest brand name - and if there’s a chance you can sell those brand-name fumes, go for it! There is a problem in that the majority of St. Louis’ prospects have question marks, so I wouldn’t characterize this as necessarily a great selling point, as much as it is pointing out their fragile durability. Hence, Roby or Hjerpe appear to have the stamina to last as a starter at this point, which means the team may decide to bring them up as relievers to get what they can out of their prospects at the major league level. Such a move would re-create potential high value for all three if they can become high-leverage RPs, but there would be a significant dynasty value dip first.
Top Fantasy Prospects
Players are in order of their fantasy prospect ranking from our September end of season list.
While there wasn't much room for Wetherholt to improve his stock from his preseason top 25 status, he did everything he needed to — and then some — on his way to becoming a borderline top 5 prospect in the game. His advanced plate discipline (18% chase rate and 12% walk rate in Triple-A) and contact skills (24% whiff rate and 15% K rate at the level) are his best offensive tools, but he's no slouch in the power or speed departments either. After hitting seven home runs in 62 Double-A contests (.166 ISO), he earned a promotion to Triple-A, where he started punishing the baseball on a more consistent basis, knocking 10 balls out of the park in 47 games and boosting his ISO to .249 over that span. Much like his power, his speed is more average to above-average than truly plus, but he's a smart baserunner and was able to swipe 23 bags on 26 attempts (88% success) between the two levels. At peak, he could be a 20 HR/20 SB asset with strong ratios that will make him a consistent fantasy contributor regardless of format. The only question will be his defensive home, with 2B looking most likely, though 3B remains an option depending on the status of Nolan Arenado. - Kyle Sonntag
Rainiel Rodriguez has gone from virtually unknown to possibly a Top-20 prospect depending on who you ask these days. That’s what happens when an eighteen-year-old smacks 20 homers in just 84 games of pro ball while taking a ton of walks and barely striking out. Frankly, we’re at the point where it is more beneficial to look for potential hurdles ahead of RR, given all the industry love for the kid. The biggest sign to tap the brakes would be that Rodriguez did the majority of his damage at Single-A, so while it is still an incredible display of power from such a young player, there’s still a long road ahead - especially if STL continues to develop him as a catcher. The 5’10 bowling ball is practically impossible to trade for at this point, so you might as well just hold tight and wait for some possible struggles if you’d like to get in on this virtually flawless profile. If you managed to grab hold of this lottery ticket, it could be a wise time to see what prospect-hound GMs are willing to offer! He may move off catching duties eventually, but it doesn’t matter with such a promising bat. - Darren Eisenhauer
Doyle concluded his transfer portal success story on Rocky Top, finishing his collegiate career with the University of Tennessee. Being a Volunteer clearly resonated with Doyle, who caught fire early in the 2025 campaign and battle-axed mid-week competition, posting double-digit strikeout results in nearly every start. Doyle lives on the success of his incredible fastball, a high-velocity (touching 99), high-ride offering with about 20” IVB, which he hammers into the top of the zone; Doyle went to the heater more than 1,000 times in 2025. Depending on the day or who you ask, Doyle’s key secondary could vary: The low-80s slider, high-70s splitter, a hard cutter, and a nascent curveball are all credible answers, though I am most drawn to his slider and splitter. Doyle is also notably intense on the mound, recently claiming the 2025 Pitching Ninja Psycho of the Year “Award.” The left-hander lives in the zone (some criticize and say ‘too much so’), challenging hitters with his overpowering arsenal, solid extension, and 5’9 release. There is certainly reliever risk in the profile, but Doyle has workable command for his on-mound formula; either way, he’s nothing short of electric on the field and would be an elite closer if he isn’t an SP2 at maturity. In just under four innings of pro ball last season, Doyle was as advertised, drawing 20% whiffs on 30 pitches in two scoreless innings at Double-A. The dynasty team ranked Doyle 41st of all prospects in September, third highest of all FYPD players; if I had the first pick, I’d only consider him or Tatsuya Imai, though, as Doyle is already one of the minor leagues’ finest left-handed pitchers. - Drew Wheeler
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
Dynasty player of 10+ years. Helping you find the building blocks of your championship rosters as a co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023, joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
Watch Path to the Show on Bally Sports Live & Stadium! | Amateur and Dynasty Team Writer/Podcaster | I love the Tennessee Volunteers, milk, pitchers, catchers, & you <3 P4:13
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Prospects| NPB| Pitching guy| Brandon Tew is an operations analyst for Sports Info Solutions, a sports analytics company that has been in business providing data to MLB teams and media since 2003. Visit their website at SportsInfoSolutions.com
