​Let’s explore a few angles. What should I write about? Jordan Walker and the HR Derby? JJ Wetherholt and his extension, or his MVP/ROY runs, or perhaps all three? Or maybe a note on the Cardinals as a team—remarkably, they’re exactly where they were at this time in 2024 and 2025, albeit by different paths. What about the 2026 Amateur Draft? So many potential topics, and yet they’ve all been covered extensively, so as usual I’ll zig when others zag.
This article is one I’ve been weighing for a few weeks, and I’m putting the final touches on it as the Cardinals head into the All-Star Break. The end of the Cubs series and the start of the Brewers series hit hard, exposing the pitching staff, especially the bullpen. Rather than dwelling on an outcome that felt predictable, I’m shifting my gaze from the present to a longer view. After all, this is a rebuild year, isn’t it?
As always, the premise grows from a thread of curiosity I’m eager to chase and then translate into words. Last week I surveyed the Cardinals’ overall MiLB system. Today, I’ve narrowed the focus to the various starters spread across the organization and examined them from a depth and positional perspective. Why am I pursuing these questions?
– If the Cardinals decide to sell, at least in part, what kind of pitching prospect might they target to add to the system?
– Where could such an acquisition slot in organizationally?
– How will they manage the starters already in the pipeline?
– When and where does “reliever risk” surface? Can it be anticipated, or does it arise organically?
To start, I built a comprehensive table of all the starting pitchers across the organization. Without it, keeping all the pitching prospects straight becomes unwieldy. The upside is that there are intriguing arms at every level. Since I created a table, you’ll be reading one now.
Level-by-level, I laid out the pitchers (MLB, AAA, and so on) and then arranged each pitcher into a column (1 through 6) according to my rough sense of their rank within their rotation. It’s not a scientific exercise—just a snapshot based on usage patterns. A note: this table reflects the roster as of July 6. I fully expect some movement between now and publication, and I’ll do my best to keep it current.
Author’s note: true to form, even as I draft, the Cardinals are shuffling—moving Zimm to MLB and then to limbo, sending Aita to AA, and placing Cijntje in AAA. I’m leaving the table as is for now because I’m not sure how these changes will map out. Who will drop from the AAA rotation? Who will step into the High-A rotation? These developments hint at further updates for better SEO and a richer read.