RADIO
Joshua Baez Powering Up at Triple-A Memphis
Following a grand slam in a game for Triple-A Memphis over the weekend, St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez continued to build his case for a big league promotion. The power numbers for the talented outfielder look gaudy on the season for Memphis as he has racked up 29 homers and 79 RBI to go with 65 runs while hitting .245. Baez has a four-homer game to his name as he showed off his power potential. Baez, the No. 3 overall prospect in the Cardinals' system, could be a difference maker in fantasy circles over the second half of the season. The right-handed hitting, former second-round pick, is a proven power bat that can benefit the Cardinals and fantasy teams, he just needs an opportunity to play at the big-league level. If Baez is still available in your league, rush to the waiver wire to add him.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
JoJo Romero is Unlikely to Return in July
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher JoJo Romero (appendicitis) was placed on the 15-day Injured List on Friday. Romero is currently being treated for appendicitis and appears unlikely to return when first eligible. He could return on July 29, but it doesn't sound like he'll be ready to pitch until at least August. This news is probably going to impact his value ahead of the trade deadline on August 3. Romero has been arguably the best reliever in St. Louis this season. He owns a 3.35 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and a 43/16 K/BB ratio across 44 appearances this season. Due to his lack of saves, Romero isn't someone who needs to be rostered in most fantasy formats that don't count holds.
Source: stltoday.com
Source: stltoday.com
Target Quinn Mathews as a High-Upside Stash
St. Louis Cardinals left-handed pitching prospect Quinn Mathews is red-hot in July and is coming off an excellent pitching outing on Saturday for Triple-A Memphis. Mathews went six innings and allowed just one run on three hits with four strikeouts in a no-decision. With his start on Saturday, Mathews lowered his July ERA to 1.42 with a 0.74 WHIP in three starts during the month. Altogether in Memphis this year, Mathews is 4-3 overall with a 3.39 ERA and 1.16 WHIP and 101 strikeouts in 85 innings pitched. A fourth-round pick out of Stanford, Mathews has risen to the Cardinals' No. 6 overall prospect. The strikeout upside of Mathews makes him a tantalizing prospect on the waiver wire, and fantasy managers should act accordingly. His upside makes him worth an early shot, and he could pay off with a strong second half.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Joshua Baez's MLB Debut Remains Within Reach After 473-Foot Grand Slam
St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez turned in another show-stopping performance at Triple-A Memphis as his MLB debut approaches. On Friday evening, the young outfielder went 1-for-4 with a 473-foot grand slam against Iowa. While Baez has been very impressive at Triple-A this season, he has hit a somewhat cold slump at the plate. Over his last 15 contests (including Friday's game), Baez has posted a low .121/.200/.310 line with just three long balls and a stolen base. However, prior to this skid, the 23-year-old held a much-higher .275/.345/.634 line with 14 doubles, 26 home runs and 13 stolen bases. Even though there is not a clear spot for him in the St. Louis outfield, his high-end five-category potential makes him a priority stash across all formats ahead of Week 17.
Source: MLB Pipeline
Source: MLB Pipeline
JoJo Romero is Placed on 15-Day Injured List
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher JoJo Romero (appendicitis) was placed on the 15-day Injured List, retroactive to July 14. This is a tough blow to the Cardinals' bullpen to begin the second half of the season. Romero has been one of the best relievers on this roster. The southpaw has allowed one earned run over his last 10 innings of work. It's unclear how much time he'll need on the IL, but Romero will at least be sidelined until the end of July. In a corresponding move, reliever Scott Blewett has been recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Friday. Romero is worth holding in fantasy formats where holds matter. He figures to get back on the mound at the end of July or early August.
Source: John Denton
Source: John Denton
Michael McGreevy Gets the Nod on Friday
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy will take the ball for the second half opener versus the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. The right-hander is well deserving of the No. 1 starter role after posting a strong first half of the season. Through 18 starts, McGreevy posted a 3.01 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and a 66/23 K/BB ratio across 101.2 innings of work. The plan is for Dustin May to get the ball on Saturday, while Andre Pallante gets the series finale on Sunday. McGreevy didn't earn an All-Star nod, but could be a valuable fantasy asset in mixed leagues down the stretch of the season.
Source: John Denton
Source: John Denton
Rainiel Rodriguez Resolidifying Status as Strong Dynasty Asset
St. Louis Cardinals catching prospect Rainiel Rodriguez put an exclamation point on the end of a strong first half by blasting another home run at Double-A Springfield in his last game before the break. The Cards' top-ranked prospect (MLB No. 12) was promoted to Double-A in mid-May and really found his footing there over the last month. From June 10 through July 10, the 5-foot-10 Dominican went 31-for-95 (.326) with five doubles, seven home runs, and four stolen bases in 23 games. The 19-year-old is slashing .262/.361/.436 overall at Double-A with eight home runs in a total of 44 games there, an impressive feat for one of the youngest players at that level, joining MLB's No. 1 and No. 2 prospects, Jesus Made and Leo De Vries, as the only players under the age of 20 at Double-A. Look for a strong second half from the young backstop, with a potential late-season promotion to Triple-A, and he could be knocking on the door to the majors in 2027, so even redraft fantasy managers should be familiar with the name.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Is Ivan Herrera a Buy-Low Target Behind the Plate for the Second Half?
St. Louis Cardinals catcher/designated hitter Ivan Herrera has improved his plate discipline in the first half of the season, cutting down on his strikeout rate and increasing his walk rate. His batting average has dropped as well, though, and his ISO and SLG are both below his numbers from the last two years. The Cardinals have tried to keep the 26-year-old fresh by playing him just 36 games behind the plate and 59 games at designated hitter. Hopefully, his fresher legs will lead to more power in the second half, but he struggled over the past 20 games, with just a .183 batting average and 26.8% hard-hit rate. His track record over the last few seasons does give him upside in the second half. After the All-Star break last season, he hit .260 with 11 homers and a .344 wOBA. Since he's in a prime lineup spot, hitting second for the Cardinals, he has the potential for a nice bounce-back in the second half and could be a nice pickup if his current manager is down on him due to his slump.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Does Triple-A Call Up Mean Chase Davis is Inching his Way Toward Majors?
St. Louis Cardinals prospect Chase Davis has done most of his damage this year at Double-A Springfield with eight homers and 24 RBI to go with 24 runs scored and nine stolen bases, but he just recently got the call-up to Triple-A Memphis. The first-round pick out of Arizona has spent a bit of time this year injured and has rehabbed at High-A and Rookie ball. He has shown off the speed that makes him a five-tool contributor. The 24-year-old outfielder is not ranked among St. Louis' top overall prospects, but he was the No. 21 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. The left-handed hitter is putting up solid numbers in the minors but will have to prove himself at Triple-A before he can put his best foot forward towards a big league call-up. The St. Louis outfield of Jordan Walker, Nathan Church, and Lars Nootbaar seems pretty set, but if Davis continues to make waves, he could force his way to the majors.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Alec Burleson Is a Top Second-Half Power Buy
St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson reached the break at .273/.337/.468 with 15 home runs and 67 RBI, and the damage could have been worse. Statcast has him at a .294 expected average and .540 expected slugging percentage. He also finished with 19.7 expected homers, nearly five more than the real total. That is a loud gap for a hitter already producing. Burleson has not sold out to get there. His strikeout rate sits at 15.1%, while the hard-hit rate jumped to 48.7% and the barrel rate to 11.6%, both career highs. Left-handers are still the problem, holding him to a .195 average, but St. Louis kept him in the lineup and used him at first base in 91 of 94 games. The profile says hold, or buy before the power catches up. A bigger second half is very much in play.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Masyn Winn Remains a Viable Deep-League Waiver-Wire Target
Across 357 plate appearances in 2026, St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn is hitting .243/.314/.331 with four home runs, 38 RBI, 39 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. The 24-year-old's underlying quality of contact metrics leave a lot to be desired, as he's logged just a 3.2% barrel rate and a 35.3% hard-hit rate. Winn's plate skills are decent, but his 19.8% strikeout rate does not point to a significant batting average ceiling when paired with his tendency to make weak contact. Still, Winn is an elite defender at shortstop, which guarantees him a safe playing time floor in St. Louis. In deeper league formats, Winn's ability to compile slightly below-average production across all five categories has value. Fantasy managers in need of middle infield depth should consider targeting Winn on the waiver wire.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jordan Walker Disappoints Philly Crowd, Wins 2026 Home Run Derby
In a stunning final round of the 2026 Home Run Derby in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park on Monday night, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker came back to stun Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber to win the event on his final swing, according to MLB.com's Theo DeRosa and Brent Maguire. Walker silenced the relentless Philly crowd by homering on each of his final four do-or-die swings to take home the title, his first ever. The 24-year-old right-handed slugger crushed a dozen homers in the final round to win it, homering on his final six swings to stun the hometown crowd. Walker entered this year's Home Run Derby as one of the biggest underdogs in the field, having never competed in the HR Derby. On 27 total swings on the night, he hit 19 homers, including 13 in the first round. In the process, he became the first Cardinals player ever to win a HR Derby. After teasing high-end power upside for years as one of the top prospects in baseball, Walker has finally put it all together in 2026, batting .294/.354/.532 with an .887 OPS, 22 home runs, 74 RBI, 62 runs, and 13 stolen bases in his 357 at-bats in the first half of 2026.
Source: MLB.com - Theo DeRosa and Brent Maguire
Source: MLB.com - Theo DeRosa and Brent Maguire
Strikeout Upside Makes Quinn Mathews a Promising Stash Target
St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect Quinn Mathews has been striking out batters at a high rate all season in Triple-A Memphis, making him a high-upside option on the waiver wire. Mathews has punched out 97 batters over 79 innings pitched at Memphis this season, compiling a 3.53 ERA and 1.20 WHIP as he continues to make a case to join the St. Louis rotation. The left-hander is the No. 6 overall prospect for the Cardinals, so he has the pedigree; he is just waiting for an opening at the major league level. But now might be the time to act for fantasy managers, as his high strikeout upside makes him a desirable pitcher on the free-agent market. In June, Mathews posted a 2.05 ERA over five starts, and so far in July, he has posted a 1.38 ERA over two starts. He has been picking things up lately at Triple-A and proving he could be ready for a shot with the Cardinals. At 25 years old, his time might be now for fantasy, and he has solidified himself as a top stash target among pitching prospects.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Joshua Baez Still Worth a Stash Despite Decreased Power Output?
St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez remains a priority name to monitor in fantasy circles even as his batting average has taken a bit of a dive in July, along with his power output. Nonetheless, Baez still has 28 homers and 69 RBI for Triple-A Memphis this season, despite a July in which he hit just .147 over 34 at-bats with two homers, both of which came in the same game. The slow July has come as a bit of a surprise to Baez, who has consistently hit with power at Memphis all season. Baez has posted an OPS of .894, the best of his minor league career, and remains a name worth paying attention to over the second half of the season. The Cardinals outfield of Jordan Walker, Nathan Church, and Lars Nootbaar is pretty steady, but Baez, the Cardinals' No. 3 overall prospect, could add some depth and punch to the lineup. If and when Baez gets the call to the big leagues, the power and speed should translate for fantasy managers, making him a priority stash in all standard leagues.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Liam Doyle Emerging as Potential Late-Season Call-Up?
St. Louis Cardinals top pitching prospect Liam Doyle appeared in a relief role during the Futures Game. Doyle tossed an inning where he struck out two hitters and served up two free passes. He did not allow a run. Doyle was selected by the Cardinals with the No. 5 overall pick in last year's MLB Draft and has spent the 2026 season at Double-A. While he has struggled at times, the former Tennessee Volunteer has begun to find his footing and is putting himself in position for a late-season call-up. Over his last two Double-A starts, Doyle has logged 8 2/3 innings with two earned runs and an 11:6 K:BB. His command has been an issue this season, but he has managed to strike out 75 hitters in just 56 frames. If he can carry this success into the early part of the second half, a late-season cup of coffee with the MLB roster will not be out of the question.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
