My first reaction here is that I absolutely love the Cardinals' first two picks. In Chase Davis, they got who I think might be one of the best hitters in the entire class, and in the third round they bought low on Travis Honeyman, one of the most dynamic bats in the class who lost draft stock during an up and down season. Those two alone could make this class for them. Later on, they pivoted to their usual strategy of grabbing pitchability types from the college ranks, prioritizing pitchers with deep arsenals and the ability to execute their pitches as opposed to flamethrowers. They also looked for power in their hitters as opposed to defensive versatility, which is fine by me, and came away with some of the better bats for their draft positions because of it. Interestingly, while some teams went all over the place with over and under slot bonuses galore (I just wrote about the Mariners who went to the extreme), the Cardinals stayed by the straight and narrow with their bonuses and never went more than $100,000 over or under slot value.
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Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.
1-21: OF Chase Davis, Arizona {video}
Slot value: $3.62 million. Signing bonus: $3.62 million.
My rank: #7. MLB Pipeline: #22. Baseball America: #28. Prospects Live: #20.
The Cardinals started the draft off with a bang, picking out what I see as a top ten talent here at 21st overall and signing him for slot value. Chase Davis was my #65 draft prospect out of Franklin High School in the Sacramento area in 2020, but turned down a chance to go in the top couple of rounds and instead enrolled at Arizona. He barely played as a freshman, re-established himself as an interesting draft prospect as a sophomore in 2022 (18 HR, .289/.414/.583), then broke out for a huge junior season in 2023 by slashing .362/.489/.742 with 21 home runs and a 40/43 strikeout to walk ratio over 57 games. Davis has long stood out for his lean, exceptionally muscular physique as well as his plus-plus raw power, showing the ability to absolutely demolish baseballs with the very best of them (see this gargantuan walk off home run for proof). With an elite 90th percentile exit velocity over 108, very few players in college baseball hit the ball as hard and as far as he can. However, it's the development of his hit tool that has brought him from a solid prospect to a potential star. He struck out in 34.3% of his plate appearances as a freshman, worked it down to 22.8% as a sophomore, then struck out just 14.4% of the time as a junior – for reference, that was lower than fourth overall pick Wyatt Langford (14.5%). He has done it by cutting his chases way down, consistently putting himself in the best position to do damage by attacking the right pitches. The next step in his development will be honing in his pure bat to ball ability, which is fringy, as he can swing and miss within the zone a little more than you'd like. He has begun to tone down the bat wrap he has long employed in his load, but you'd like to see it get smoothed out even a little more. From there, his hands are so fast and explosive that you could really see him pulling it all together. Davis is also an above average runner with a plus arm that could make him a weapon in right field, adding a bit to the profile. The Cardinals love that he's trending hard in the right direction and has a chance to be a middle of the order impact bat, though he's off to a slow start at Low A Palm Beach, slashing .219/.375/.250 with a 12/7 strikeout to walk ratio through ten games.
3-90: OF Travis Honeyman, Boston College {video}
Slot value: $759,600. Signing bonus: $700,000 ($59,600 below slot value).
My rank: #43. MLB Pipeline: #61. Baseball America: #93. Prospects Live: #70.
I love this pick in the third round, especially below slot value. Travis Honeyman broke out as a sophomore at Boston College last year (6 HR, .329/.402/.506) and really made a name for himself in the Cape Cod League, where he hit .289/.400/.530 with four home runs and an 18/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 24 games. He entered the spring with first round buzz and even cracked my top ten at one point, but he played to mixed results with a .304/.383/.534 line, six home runs, and a 21/13 strikeout to walk ratio over 39 games before missing the end of the season with a shoulder injury. When healthy, Honeyman can impact the game in many different ways. He's ultra aggressive at the plate, but makes it work because he makes a ton of contact from the right side. In fact, only 18.6% of his plate appearances in 2023 ended with a ball in the catcher's mitt, either from a strikeout or a walk. The ball is always in play, and he's not just a slap hitter, either. Honeyman ran a 90th percentile exit velocity over 105, which would be at least average raw power, tapped with elite hands in the box that help him get the barrel to the ball all over (and outside) the zone. He can turn on the ball for home run power to his pull side, but he prefers to smoke liners around the park. An above average runner, he's unremarkable defensively and may profile in left field in pro ball, which would put pressure on his bat. Overall, he fell because teams weren't sold on his overall impact in the box after that shoulder injury, with some perhaps viewing him as a tweener that wouldn't tap enough power to profile every day in left field. Personally, I see the electric hands, the ability to hit the ball hard, elite bat to ball ability, and track record in the ACC and on the Cape and I choose to believe that he's an every day outfielder that can hit for a high average and provide 15-20 home runs per season.
4-122: LHP Quinn Mathews, Stanford {video}
Slot value: $541,700. Signing bonus: $600,000 ($58,300 above slot value).
My rank: #153. MLB Pipeline: #86. Baseball America: #105. Prospects Live: #181.
Last year, the Cardinals spent their top three picks on pitchability college lefties Cooper Hjerpe, Brycen Mautz, and Pete Hansen, and it only took three picks for them to take another in 2023. Quinn Mathews was a four year starter at Stanford and was actually a 19th round pick as a junior a year ago, but returned to school with unfinished business. The move worked out for him as he took control of the Cardinal pitching staff as a senior, posting a 3.75 ERA and a 158/40 strikeout to walk ratio over 124.2 innings in a year where offense was extremely high. He earned national attention for a June 11th start against Texas in the Palo Alto Super Regional, where he threw a nine inning, sixteen strikeout, 156 pitch complete game to get the win (a week after throwing 178 pitches over a three day span). Fortunately, it appears the Cardinals are not terribly concerned with the overuse, and they feel they have a future back-end starter on their hands. Mathews sits in the low 90's with his fastball, topping out around 95. He drops in a big, sweeping slider with depth as well as a fringy, get-me-over curveball, but his best pitch is an above average changeup with great drop. Everything plays up because the lanky 6'5" lefty has a funky delivery and hides the ball well. He also has a deep understanding of pitching and sequences and executes his pitches well, which helps his average pure command play above average. Mathews likely won't throw much for the Cardinals this summer after leading all of Division I in innings pitched with the Cardinal, but once he's rested up and ready next year, he should move quickly and could be a #4 or #5 starter sooner rather than later.
5-158: OF Zach Levenson, Miami {video}
Slot value: $381,300. Signing bonus: $381,300.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #204. Baseball America: #221. Prospects Live: #168.
In the fifth round, the Cardinals picked up one of the better all-around bats still available. Zach Levenson spent a year at Seminole State JC in Florida before transferring to Miami, where he hit .295/.406/.545 with 21 home runs and an 87/52 strikeout to walk ratio over 114 games in two seasons. Levenson has plus raw power from the right side, a product of a strong 6'2" frame and great leverage in his swing. It's a fringe-average hit tool, with a solid approach and bat to ball skills, though he can get streaky at the plate and slumped in the second half of 2023. Defensively, the tools are average and he can make it work in either corner outfield spot, but won't necessarily provide positive value. Overall, it's likely a platoon profile, but he has a chance to swing his way into an everyday role if the hit tool plays up in pro ball, where he could hit 20+ home runs per season with decent on-base percentages. He's off to a hot start at Palm Beach, slashing .346/.387/.538 with a home run and a 9/3 strikeout to walk ratio through nine games.
6-185: RHP Jason Savacool, Maryland {video}
Slot value: $302,300. Signing bonus: $302,300.
My rank: #205. MLB Pipeline: #199. Baseball America: #134. Prospects Live: #350.
Jason Savacool, like Chase Davis, was a serious draft prospect out of Baker High School just outside of Syracuse, but made it to campus at Maryland and spent all three seasons in the weekend rotation. He was at his best in 2022 (2.93 ERA, 123/28 K/BB) but took a bit of a step back in 2023, finishing with a 4.22 ERA and a 95/39 strikeout to walk ratio over 96 innings as his strikeout rate fell from 28.5% to 22.6% and his walk rate rose from 6.5% to 9.3%. Savacool sits in the low 90's, topping out around 93 with average movement on his fastball. His best pitch is an above average slider, which he can also work into a distinct curveball to steal strikes, and he adds an average changeup. He lacks any plus pitches and really only has one above average pitch, but it's a deep arsenal of usable tools to work through professional lineups. The 6'1", physically maxed out righty also shows average command from a fairly stiff delivery, which may limit his potential upside in terms of adding velocity and power to his stuff. If Savacool can sequence and execute his pitches just well enough to stay off of barrels in pro ball, he has a shot to be a #4 or #5 starter, though I struggle to see much upside here beyond that and I wouldn't call him a particularly safe bet either. My ranking of #205 might make it seem like I'm more or less on board with this pick at #185, but my list only went to 209. In his first appearance at Palm Beach, he allowed two runs, walked two, and struck out one over one inning.
8-245: LHP Ixan Henderson, Fresno State {video}
Slot value: $193,800. Signing bonus: $230,000 ($36,20 above slot value).
My rank: #206. MLB Pipeline: #166. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: #387.
The Cardinals grabbed another pitchability lefty to join Quinn Mathews, a fellow Californian in Fresno State ace Ixan Henderson (pronounced E-Shawn). He had his best year yet in 2023, posting a 3.74 ERA and a 100/34 strikeout to walk ratio over 89 innings, quietly moving up boards to establish himself as one of the better lefties on the West Coast. The stuff isn't all that loud, with a fastball that sits in the low 90's and gets up to 94 with average movement with a full arsenal behind it. Like Jason Savacool, his slider is his best pitch, though it plays closer to average while his curveball and changeup are fringy pitches. Because his slider is his lone pitch likely to miss bats in pro ball, he'll likely lean on it more going forward while he fine tunes the rest of his arsenal. All of Henderson's stuff plays up because he hides the ball well and shows solid average command, with a loose, easy delivery that could help him get to above average in pro ball. The 6'2" lefty has some projection remaining and might come with a little more upside than Savacool, but his offspeed stuff is a tick behind and he'll really need something to take a step forward. It's a nice back-end starter profile here in the eighth round for a little above slot value.
9-275: RHP Christian Worley, Virginia Tech {video}
Slot value: $175,600. Signing bonus: $200,000 ($24,400 above slot value).
My rank: #186. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: #310.
Christian Worley is a nice sleeper for the Cardinals, one who has thrown just 36.2 innings over 26 relief appearances in his three years at Virginia Tech. He managed just five of those appearances in 2023, when he had a 2.70 ERA and a 15/2 strikeout to walk ratio over ten innings, but made enough of an impression for the Cardinals to hand him $200,000. What he lacks in track record, he makes up for in stuff. Worley's fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and gets up to 96, playing up further with riding action. He works in a sharp, late breaking slider that he can also shorten up into a cutter, giving him a dynamic, bat-missing offspeed pitch. Without much of a changeup or a curveball, especially given his durability questions, he likely profiles in the bullpen long term but he could thrive there. The 6'1" righty is very athletic on the mound with some projection remaining and a late birthday (he only turned 21 in June), and if he can stay healthy for longer stretches of time, he could start running his fastball more consistently into the mid 90's. He features a drop and drive delivery and does throw with some effort, but his athleticism helps him repeat it well and gives him average command.
12-365: OF Brayden Jobert, Louisiana State {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #436. Prospects Live: unranked.
You don't get much more Louisiana than Brayden Jobert (pronounced "jo-bair"). Originally from Slidell across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans, he began his career at Nicholls State way down in Thibodaux, transferred to Delgado JC in New Orleans, then finally made his way to his dream school of LSU for his final two years, where he was roommates with #2 overall pick Dylan Crews. After crushing 18 home runs and hitting for a low (.246) average in 2022, he put up a much more well-rounded season in 2023 by slashing .301/.409/.596 with 14 home runs and a 59/22 strikeout to walk ratio over 60 games for the national champion Tigers. Jobert takes big, powerful hacks from the left side, effectively channeling his strong 6'2" frame into above average raw power that he tapped against good pitching in the SEC. However, he's an aggressive hitter that does not control the zone well, leading to elevated swing and miss rates and making for an uphill climb in pro ball. He made his approach work against quality pitching in the SEC, which is a great sign, but he'll also turn 23 shortly after the minor league season ends and won't have as much slack to transition. He's also a below average defender that spent most of the 2022 season as LSU's DH before before playing primarily left field in 2023. He's not a great runner and will have to work hard to make a corner outfield spot work, otherwise he'll end up at first base or as a DH in pro ball. That puts more pressure on the bat, but it's hard not to like a guy who clubbed 32 home runs in two years in the SEC while running an on-base percentage near .400. He's off to a bit of a slow start at Palm Beach, where he's slashing .182/.296/.273 with an 8/3 strikeout to walk ratio over nine games.
20-605: LHP Cameron Johnson, IMG Academy {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: did not sign.
My rank: #52. MLB Pipeline: #42. Baseball America: #43. Prospects Live: #46.
He didn't sign here, so I won't go into too much detail, but I did want to touch on Cameron Johnson. Johnson has one of the most electric arms in the prep class and had first round buzz at times during the draft cycle, but instead he'll head to LSU to try to help the Tigers repeat as National Champions. He's a big, physical, 6'5" lefthander that sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and is closing in on triple digits at his peak. The fastball runs and sinks as well from a three quarter slot, helping him avoid flush contact when hitters time it up. He also misses bats with an above average slider, though his changeup is a distant third pitch at this point. Johnson can lose his release point when he gets tired and that will impact his command, so at LSU he'll focus on endurance and better repeating his mechanics in order to crack into that weekend rotation. His delivery looked a bit cleaner in 2023 and that had him moving up boards, but he also ran into some elbow problems towards the end of the season and that's likely why nobody met his signing bonus demands.
