St. Louis Cardinals News

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Dustin May • SP • Cardinals

Dustin May a Must-Add Arm Ahead of Potential Breakout

Once considered a top prospect during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, current St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May has battled injuries and inconsistency throughout his career to this point. However, the 28-year-old looks like he may be putting it all together in 2026. Across 81 2/3 innings (14 starts) on the year, May has recorded a 5-6 record with a 3.75 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 75 strikeouts. He's been particularly dominant of late, recording 15 strikeouts across 15 scoreless innings over two starts against the New York Mets and San Diego Padres. May's average fastball velocity is back up to 97 miles per hour after it dipped to 95.5 mph in 2025. He generates a ton of ground balls (46.2% ground ball rate) and limits home runs (0.55 HR/9). Particularly given his pitcher-friendly home environment in St. Louis, May profiles as a must-add starting pitcher on the waiver wire ahead of what could be a breakout season.

Yesterday

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

When Will Joshua Baez Earn the Call to St. Louis?

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez has enjoyed an incredible stretch at the plate at Triple-A and is on the verge of earning the call to the big leagues. Through 64 total games with the Memphis Redbirds, the outfielder has held a dominant .275/.343/.628 line with 24 home runs and 12 stolen bases. Over his last 14 contests (since June 2), the outfielder has been even more impressive at the dish, launching eight of these home runs with a .368/.381/.877 line. On June 16, Baez made headlines across the minor leagues, slugging four long balls in a single game. However, despite this level of play, the Cardinals have yet to turn to him. Even though Lars Nootbaar and Nathan Church are both back in action, Baez's current production should pave the way for him to join the MLB roster before the end of the month, especially if they remain in the Wild Card race. He remains an elite prospect to stash in all standard leagues ahead of Week 13.

Yesterday

Quinn Mathews • RP • Cardinals

Quinn Mathews Quickly Emerging as Priority Stash Target?

St. Louis Cardinals left-handed pitching prospect Quinn Mathews has begun to turn the corner at Triple-A and is quickly emerging as a top prospect to stash among pitchers. Mathews turned in a dominant debut season in the St. Louis system in 2024 but has yet to return to that level of play. In 2025, he logged only 99 innings and saw those troubles linger early in 2026. Through his first 35 2/3 innings this season, the southpaw posted a hefty 5.55 ERA with a 1.63 WHIP. During this stint, Mathews posted a rough 44:30 K:BB. However, over his last 21 innings of work (four starts), the former Stanford standout has held a stellar 1.71 ERA with a much-improved 28:9 K:BB. While he may need to show this success over a longer stretch, he has a clear path to the majors given St. Louis' weak rotation. He is a viable target in the 12+ team leagues ahead of Week 13, but can quickly enter priority stash range if he turns in a strong conclusion to June.

Yesterday

Lars Nootbaar • LF • Cardinals

Lars Nootbaar a Waiver Option Despite Sitting Against Lefties?

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar didn't make his 2026 season debut until June 5 after having surgery on both of his heels in the offseason. The 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder has appeared in 12 games and has gone 11-for-41 (.268) with two home runs, two doubles, six RBI, seven runs scored, seven walks, and 13 strikeouts in his 49 plate appearances. He has only had nine plate appearances against lefty pitchers, though, and he was out of the starting lineup again on Thursday against the Kansas City Royals for the third time that the Cardinals have faced a traditional southpaw starter. Nootbaar has teased multi-category upside in his first five seasons in the big leagues, but injuries have held him back, and he's never exceeded 14 home runs, 48 RBI, or 11 stolen bases for the Red Birds. The Cardinals are most likely easing Nootbaar in this year after his long absence, so he won't necessarily be in a strict platoon going into the second half of the season. With better health in both of his feet, Nootbaar could finally be ready to break out the rest of the way, making him worth a waiver flier in deeper mixed fantasy leagues. He's rostered in just 5% of Yahoo leagues right now.

Yesterday

Max Rajcic • SP • Cardinals

Max Rajcic Called Up, is he a Viable Pickup After Strong Showing at Triple-A?

The St. Louis Cardinals are promoting pitching prospect Max Rajcic to the big leagues ahead of their game on Thursday against the Kansas City Royals, per Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat. Rajcic has been used almost exclusively as a reliever at Triple-A Memphis this season, recording a 4-2 record with a 2.88 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 46 strikeouts, and five saves across 40 2/3 innings (26 games). The 24-year-old opened the season in more of a bulk relief role, but he's gone exactly one inning in all but two appearances since May 16. Rajcic's strikeout stuff has played up out of the pen this season, as he's raised his strikeout rate from 18.4% in 2025 to 28.4%. St. Louis right-hander Riley O'Brien has taken over the team's closer role, but he's scuffled to a 6.00 ERA and 2.17 WHIP in June. If Rajcic continues to produce at the big league level, he could eventually see some save opportunities with the Cardinals.

2 days ago

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

Joshua Baez Goes Nuclear on Tuesday at Triple-A With Four Homers

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez continues to rake at Triple-A Memphis while pushing towards a debut in the big leagues in 2027. In a 12-5 win over the Triple-A Nashville Sounds on Tuesday, Baez went 4-for-5 at the plate with four home runs and seven RBI to boost his season batting average to .282 and his OPS to .976. The 22-year-old former second-round pick in 2021 is now hitting .282/.345/.631 with 23 home runs, 58 RBI, 12 stolen bases, and 52 runs scored in 62 games and 281 plate appearances with Memphis in 2026. It's hard to ignore what the 6-foot-3, 220-pound outfielder has done in the minors this year after hitting 20 bombs a year ago. Baez has been especially hot lately, clearing the fences 12 times in his last 18 games played. Per MLB Pipeline, he's St. Louis' No. 3 prospect, behind left-hander Liam Doyle and catcher Rainiel Rodriguez. Baez's raw power and 30-homer potential at the big-league level make him an obvious stash candidate now, perhaps even in mixed redraft formats.

3 days ago

Dustin May • SP • Cardinals

Is Dustin May a Top Pickup Ahead of Potential Post-Hype Breakout?

Across 81 2/3 innings (14 starts) in 2026, St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May has recorded a 5-6 record with a 3.75 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 75 strikeouts. The 28-year-old has been excellent in his last two times out, throwing 15 scoreless innings with 15 strikeouts while allowing just five hits across starts against the New York Mets and San Diego Padres. A former top prospect during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, May has largely struggled to live up to the hype throughout his MLB career to this point. However, the right-hander looks like he could finally be in the midst of a long-awaited breakout in 2026. May's average fastball velocity is back up to 97 miles per hour, and he owns a strong 16.4% K-BB rate. He's also logged a 46.2% ground ball rate and has been very difficult to take deep (0.55 HR/9). Given his recent success, May profiles as a priority waiver wire target for fantasy managers in need of pitching.

3 days ago

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

Joshua Baez a Must-Stash for Multi-Category Potential

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez remains one of the top bats to stash in fantasy for his multi-category potential whenever he makes it to the major leagues. The Cardinals' third-ranked prospect is hitting .370 (17-for-46) in June, with five doubles, three home runs, and a stolen base through 11 games this month. For the season, the former second-round draft pick is slashing .271/.337/.579, and his 19 home runs are tied for the Triple-A lead, while he's added 12 steals as well. The 6-foot-3 slugger is coming off a 2025 season in which he blasted 20 home runs and stole 54 bases in 117 games between High-A and Double-A. One area that needs improvement is his strikeout rate, which currently stands at 31.5 percent, and one would figure that would not improve at the major league level. Still, while the strikeouts may limit his batting average whenever he gets the call, the 22-year-old could still be a four-category contributor, and given the likelihood of a call-up within the next month or so, he is one of the few "must-stash" bats in most fantasy leagues.

3 days ago

Dustin May • SP • Cardinals

Dustin May Dominates Padres, Hurls Complete-Game Shutout

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Dustin May had all of his stuff working during his start at Busch Stadium on Monday night in the team's 3-0 victory. May threw a complete-game, nine-inning shutout with only one hit allowed, one walk, and nine strikeouts to win his fifth game of the year and lower his season ERA to 3.75. In his last two games, May has thrown 15 shutout innings with five hits allowed, two walks, and 15 strikeouts, so he's clearly been locked in the zone lately. The 28-year-old former third-rounder by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016 had a perfect game going against San Diego through six innings before walking outfielder/second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr. to start the seventh frame. Third baseman Manny Machado broke up the no-hitter later that same inning. Since May 27, May has given up three earned runs or fewer in four straight starts, which has built his case as a waiver-wire pickup in fantasy baseball. May could have another stellar start this weekend on Sunday against the Kansas City Royals. Run to the waiver wire and grab him. He's only rostered in 53% of Yahoo leagues.

4 days ago

Nolan Gorman • 3B • Cardinals

Cardinals Send Nolan Gorman to Triple-A

The St. Louis Cardinals optioned infielder Nolan Gorman to Triple-A Memphis on Friday, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals are changing things up in the infield. Gorman could probably use a reset offensively after slashing just .194/.279/.318 with a .598 OPS, seven home runs, 26 RBI, and 19 runs scored through 62 games and 229 plate appearances so far in 2026 in his fifth year in the big leagues. In addition to hardly producing at all for the Red Birds, Gorman is striking out at a 32.3% clip and has just three hits in his last 50 at-bats with 27 strikeouts and five walks over a span of 17 games. Gorman will head down to the farm to work on his approach at the plate, but it might already be too late for him to reclaim a starting role in St. Louis for the rest of the season. In Yahoo leagues, Gorman is rostered in just 3% of formats.

7 days ago

Blaze Jordan • 3B • Cardinals

Blaze Jordan Earns Call to Majors, a Priority Add in All Leagues?

The St. Louis Cardinals are promoting infield prospect Blaze Jordan to the MLB roster ahead of Friday's contest against the Minnesota Twins. Jordan is currently ranked as the team's No. 25-ranked prospect on MLB.com, but he has been among the top hitters at the Triple-A level this season. Through 57 contests at Triple-A, the first/third baseman has posted an impressive .313/.373/.548 line with a stellar .921 OPS. During this stretch, Jordan has hit 19 doubles and launched 11 long balls while swiping two bags. This is worth noting as Jordan stumbled during his first stint with Memphis last summer, posting a low .198/.242/.366 line over a 41-game stint. Given that Nolan Gorman has struggled at the plate this season and was sent to Triple-A in a corresponding move, Jordan has a clear path to carve out an everyday role at the hot corner. For now, he is worth picking up all 12+ team leagues ahead of his MLB debut.

7 days ago

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

Joshua Baez Holds Highest Upside Among Prospects to Stash?

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez has been flashing his elite raw power over the past month at Triple-A and is now firmly on the verge of making his MLB debut. Even with Lars Nootbaar and Nathan Church returning from their injured list, Baez has shown more than enough upside at the Triple-A level to join the MLB roster and take on a starting role. Over his last 22 games with the Memphis Redbirds, the slugging outfielder has launched an impressive 10 long balls with seven doubles, two triples, and four stolen bases while carrying a .326/.390/.787 line. The lone knock on his profile has been the hefty 30.0% K% he has maintained over this power surge. While his high swing and miss tendencies hurt his profile in points leagues, he is one of the few prospects in the minors who possesses immense upside across the five standard categories, making him a top stash target ahead of his debut.

Jun 12

Quinn Mathews • RP • Cardinals

Quinn Mathews Finding His Footing at Triple-A, Worth Stashing Ahead of Debut?

St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect Quinn Mathews has started to turn it on over his last two starts with Triple-A Memphis, allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out 15 across 12 scoreless innings. The 25-year-old's overall line for the season is less appealing, as he's pitched to a 4.01 ERA with a 15.8% walk rate across 51 2/3 innings (12 starts). Still, Mathews is considered to be one of the top pitching prospects in the Cardinals' system and could be proving that he's figured something out with his recent performance. With St. Louis in the thick of the National League playoff picture and searching for high-end starting pitching at the big-league level, it could be only a matter of time before Mathews is called up for his MLB debut. In deeper leagues, fantasy managers may want to consider stashing Mathews off the waiver wire.

Jun 11

Blaze Jordan • 3B • Cardinals

Blaze Jordan Dominating at Triple-A, On the Verge of Earning the Call?

St. Louis Cardinals infield prospect Blaze Jordan has put together a strong start to the Triple-A regular season and has made a strong case to earn the call to the majors before the end of the first half. Jordan was initially selected in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. He eventually joined the Cardinals in the trade that sent Steven Matz to the Red Sox last summer. With Triple-A Memphis this season, Jordan has looked more than comfortable, carrying a stellar .309/.369/.529 slash line with 17 doubles, 10 home runs, and two stolen bases. This is a stark improvement compared to the low .198/.242/.366 line he posted during his first stint with the Redbirds last summer. While Alec Burleson remains the team's primary first baseman, Jordan could carve out a role at the hot corner given Nolan Gorman's inconsistencies. For now, he is worth stashing in deeper 12+ team leagues with multiple N/A spots as his MLB debut continues to loom closer.

Jun 10

Matthew Liberatore • SP • Cardinals

Is Matthew Liberatore a Viable Deep-League Streamer?

Across 66 1/3 innings (13 starts) in 2026, St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore has recorded a 3-3 record with a 4.48 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts. While Liberatore's top-line numbers don't leap off the page, he's been a bit better of late. Over his last four starts (19 1/3 innings), the 26-year-old owns a 31.4% strikeout rate. Liberatore's overall K-BB rate for the season remains an unimpressive 12.1%, and his xERA is 5.19, so his fantasy upside appears limited. Still, the left-hander is locked into a rotation spot in St. Louis and has begun to demonstrate some strikeout upside. In deeper leagues, Liberatore could be a worthy starting pitcher streamer to target on the waiver wire in the right matchups. Liberatore's next scheduled start is on Saturday in Minnesota against the Twins.

Jun 10

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

Can Joshua Baez Slug His Way to a Major-League Debut?

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez continued his power surge on Tuesday, slugging his 18th home run of the season. Over his last 12 games, the Cards' third-ranked prospect is 23-for-58 (.397) with five doubles, two triples, and seven home runs. The former second-round draft pick hasn't shown off his wheels during this hot stretch, but perhaps that is because many of his hits are going for extra bases, and he isn't drawing many walks (three). For the season, the 6-foot-3 slugger is slashing .274/.346/.591, and on top of his 18 home runs, he has 11 steals. With the power comes a high strikeout rate of 32.1 percent, but it was better during the recent 12-game span, down to 25.9 percent. The power and ability to steal bases (he had 54 steals in 2025) are enticing for fantasy, and it is what should earn him a debut by the All-Star break. With multi-category upside, the 22-year-old remains a must-stash in most leagues.

Jun 10

Dustin May • SP • Cardinals

Dustin May Has Another Solid Outing on Tuesday, Priority Target Off the Waiver Wire

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Dustin May continued his hot stretch on Tuesday, as he went six innings, allowing four hits, no runs, one walk, and struck out six. Over two starts in June, he has a 2.31 ERA, and has lowered his season ERA down to 4.21 with a 1.25 WHIP and 66 strikeouts in 72 2/3 innings pitched. The 4.21 ERA doesn't tell the whole story for May, as he allowed 13 earned runs in his first two starts of the season, and since then, has been rock solid, which is evident by his 3.63 xERA, which is closer aligned to his career ERA (3.93) compared to his surface line stats. May has been leaning on his four-seamer and cutter more this year and less on his sweeper and sinker, and it has generated strong results for him. His fastball velocity is up 1.3 mph on the season, and his walk rate is down compared to his career 8.0 percent mark (6.6 percent in 2026). Additionally, he is still generating a healthy groundball rate (45.5 percent). May is a much stronger candidate in points and quality start leagues, as he has demonstrated the ability to work deeper into games, while he is averaging under a strikeout per inning with an average WHIP. Regardless, May has put together a nice stretch over his past 11 starts, and fantasy managers should target him if he is available.

Jun 10

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

Joshua Baez Maintaining Elite Stash Value with Five-Category Skill Set

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez remains on the verge of his MLB debut and holds a high-end stash upside among hitting prospects. Through his first 56 games at the Triple-A level, the outfielder has flashed both power and speed upside, hitting 17 home runs and stealing 11 bases. Overall, he carries a .276/.349/.587 line with a stellar .936 OPS. He has looked even more comfortable as of late, carrying a dominant 1.160 OPS with 10 of his home runs over his last 22 games. Last summer, Baez split his time at High-A and Double-A and held a .287/.384/.500 line with 20 home runs and 54 stolen bases. Even with Lars Nootbaar back in action, Baez has a path to carving out a role in the St. Louis offense in the near future, given how well he has performed at the top club in the minor leagues. His five-category upside makes him a priority target in all standard leagues.

Jun 8

JJ Wetherholt • 2B • Cardinals

JJ Wetherholt Returns From Groin Injury on Sunday

St. Louis Cardinals rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt (groin) is starting at second base and is batting leadoff for the Red Birds in Sunday's series finale at Busch Stadium against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Rhett Loweder, according to MLB.com. Wetherholt is back on the diamond after missing the last three games due to a groin injury. The 23-year-old former seventh overall pick from West Virginia University is the Cardinals' starting second baseman in his first year in the major leagues, and he has held his own through 225 at-bats to this point with a .249/.357/.400 slash line, .757 OPS, nine home runs, 25 RBI, seven stolen bases, and 40 runs scored in 58 games and 266 plate appearances. Wetherholt has been even better in his last 13 ballgames, going 16-for-53 (.302) at the plate with a homer, two doubles, three RBI, two stolen bases, and seven runs scored for St. Louis. Get the young infielder back into your starting lineups in traditional leagues against a young pitcher coming off a three-week stay on the injured list.

Jun 7

JJ Wetherholt • 2B • Cardinals

JJ Wetherholt Remains Sidelined With Groin Injury

St. Louis Cardinals rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt (groin) continues to sit out Saturday's game at Busch Stadium against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds, according to MLB.com. Bryan Torres will make another start at the keystone for the Cards and will bat seventh against Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo. Wetherholt is missing a second straight game due to groin soreness. The injury isn't considered serious, so Wetherholt could be back in the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale. The 23-year-old former seventh overall pick out of West Virginia University in 2024 has been a full-time starter for St. Louis at the keystone in his first year in the big leagues, and he hasn't disappointed. Wetherholt is currently slashing .249/.357/.400 with a .757 OPS, nine home runs, 25 RBI, 40 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in his first 225 MLB at-bats. The young infielder has been even better in his last 13 games since May 19, too, batting .302 (16-for-53) with a homer, two doubles, three RBI, seven runs scored, and two stolen bases, so fantasy managers are hoping he can return this weekend.

Jun 6

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