Fangraphs Ranks Cardinals system #1

[CCard]

So I have to ask myself, what changed? Not that long ago people were saying the minor leagues was awful and we didn't have enough coaching and we need to lose a lot of games. Now all of a sudden we're number 1? The ink is hardly dried on Bloom's transfer of power and now we're the toast of the town? Just goes to show you what a sham it all was.

[Adam2]

At this point i have absolutely zero confidence in Tink Hence as a starter. he can't handle a starters workload without injury. Just move him into a back end bullpen role and you might actually get some value out of him

[Talkin' Baseball]

At this point i have absolutely zero confidence in Tink Hence as a starter. he can't handle a starters workload without injury. Just move him into a back end bullpen role and you might actually get some value out of him

I'm not even sure of him as a pitcher. I'm beginning to wonder if he can even stay healthy enough to make the majors.

[rockondlouie]

FanGraphs has ranked the St. Louis Cardinals' minor league system as the #1 farm system in baseball. This high ranking is attributed to a combination of strong prospect ratings and the expected contribution from their talented minor league players.

The Cardinals have a deep and talented farm system, with FanGraphs identifying 49 prospects rated as 35 future value players or higher.
According to the rankings, the system includes two players rated as 55-grade prospects and five players rated as 50-grades.

This top ranking is also a result of recent moves at the trade deadline and success in the MLB Draft, which helped to restock the minor league system with talent.

The Cardinals' farm system is considered to be in the best shape it has been in years, with the new president of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom, set to oversee the organization's future.

https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/far ... m-rankings

Good. Now they can start spending and walking and chewing that gum at the same time!

That’s what everyone has been waiting for right?…Fix the minors first, then we can spend on some quality free agents. Well, here we are!

This is why I've always felt the "re-build" was well ahead of schedule and wasn't going to take 3-4 years like too many thought.

2026 will still be a throwaway season in BDWJr's mind because he's not going to spend heavily until the new CBA is in place.

But 2027 is when he better open the wallet and let C. Bloom have no less than the same payroll he always gave MO, somewhere in the $180+M range!

[rockondlouie]

FanGraphs has ranked the St. Louis Cardinals' minor league system as the #1 farm system in baseball. This high ranking is attributed to a combination of strong prospect ratings and the expected contribution from their talented minor league players.

The Cardinals have a deep and talented farm system, with FanGraphs identifying 49 prospects rated as 35 future value players or higher.
According to the rankings, the system includes two players rated as 55-grade prospects and five players rated as 50-grades.

This top ranking is also a result of recent moves at the trade deadline and success in the MLB Draft, which helped to restock the minor league system with talent.

The Cardinals' farm system is considered to be in the best shape it has been in years, with the new president of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom, set to oversee the organization's future.

https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/far ... m-rankings

That is overly generous. Other teams minors must really suck

I always follow duce when it comes to the minor league system scouty.

If he thinks this is accurate, then it may be there really are some quality players in the system and it's not other teams sucking!

[scoutyjones2]

FanGraphs has ranked the St. Louis Cardinals' minor league system as the #1 farm system in baseball. This high ranking is attributed to a combination of strong prospect ratings and the expected contribution from their talented minor league players.

The Cardinals have a deep and talented farm system, with FanGraphs identifying 49 prospects rated as 35 future value players or higher.
According to the rankings, the system includes two players rated as 55-grade prospects and five players rated as 50-grades.

This top ranking is also a result of recent moves at the trade deadline and success in the MLB Draft, which helped to restock the minor league system with talent.

The Cardinals' farm system is considered to be in the best shape it has been in years, with the new president of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom, set to oversee the organization's future.

https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/far ... m-rankings

That is overly generous. Other teams minors must really suck

I always follow duce when it comes to the minor league system scouty.

If he thinks this is accurate, then it may be there really are some quality players in the system and it's not other teams sucking!

What quality?

Believe Duce...but what quality? 2 players ready to play next year? JJ and Doyle? Anything else?

[rockondlouie]

Baseball America ( a highly rated service by baseball people ) gave the Cardinals a B for their farm system . ( as of Sept. 2025 revised rankings )

Comments :

Grade: B

Chaim Bloom is quietly planting the seeds for a system that may start to—yes, you guessed it–bloom in 2026 and beyond. JJ Wetherholt has ascended to one of the game’s finest prospects, and Rainiel Rodriguez is now a Top 100 Prospect with plenty of thump in the lower minors. Reversing the slide of outfielder Joshua Baez is a huge win, too, and adding potential quick-moving fireballer Liam Doyle gives the Cardinals a new high-end arm to work with. Injuries to Tink Hence and Tekoah Roby hurt, but the Cardinals system is trending in the right direction.

An "A" from fangraphs + a "B" from Baseball America still equates to a "B+" which is great!

(And if those two (TH/TR) are finally healthy, then BA will be giving the Cardinals system and "A" by midseason)

[rockondlouie]

Fangraphs has 7 Cardinals in the top 100

9 JJ Wetherholt
19 Liam Doyle
40 Leonardo Bernal
71 Rainiel Rodriguez
77 Jimmy Crooks
83 Quinn Mathews
87 Tink Hence

Put me in the camp of I'll believe it when I see it after the flops of Carlson, Gorman and Walker.

Mo's gang icon, those players had inferior systems.

Many of these kids have now got two full years in the "Bloom System" which has been significantly upgraded over the outdated system Mo was running.

[rockondlouie]

I view these prospects as assets. Hold onto the ones that you think will fill a need or flip a player for a need.

^^^THIS^^^

If nothing else this rating gives C. Bloom some fangraph prospect cred when he goes to make deals.

The Dodgers have used these high rankings for years to acquire solid MLB players for prospects from their highly rated system.

Every front office in MLB has seen these ratings, great news when it comes trade time!

[rockondlouie]

At this point i have absolutely zero confidence in Tink Hence as a starter. he can't handle a starters workload without injury. Just move him into a back end bullpen role and you might actually get some value out of him

I've been saying for over two years now Adam, turn Hence into a CLOSER!

He's got an upper 90's fastball and a great changeup, think D. Williams type.

Hopefully C. Bloom and his people do this after they exhaust every opportunity (and they may already be there) for him to still start.

[rockondlouie]

FanGraphs has ranked the St. Louis Cardinals' minor league system as the #1 farm system in baseball. This high ranking is attributed to a combination of strong prospect ratings and the expected contribution from their talented minor league players.

The Cardinals have a deep and talented farm system, with FanGraphs identifying 49 prospects rated as 35 future value players or higher.
According to the rankings, the system includes two players rated as 55-grade prospects and five players rated as 50-grades.

This top ranking is also a result of recent moves at the trade deadline and success in the MLB Draft, which helped to restock the minor league system with talent.

The Cardinals' farm system is considered to be in the best shape it has been in years, with the new president of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom, set to oversee the organization's future.

https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/far ... m-rankings

That is overly generous. Other teams minors must really suck

I always follow duce when it comes to the minor league system scouty.

If he thinks this is accurate, then it may be there really are some quality players in the system and it's not other teams sucking!

What quality?

Believe Duce...but what quality? 2 players ready to play next year? JJ and Doyle? Anything else?

I'm waiting for duce to chime in, he's the CT guru when it comes to the kids.

[rockondlouie]

From Bernie if anyone is interested in listening he posted a 15+ minute video on this:

FanGraphs’ latest update just put the St. Louis Cardinals at No. 1 in MLB farm-system value. Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan’s board now features seven Cardinals in the Top 100: JJ Wetherholt, Liam Doyle, Rainiel Rodriguez, Leonardo Bernal, Quinn Mathews, Jimmy Crooks, Tink Hence. Bernie explains why it happened, who deserves credit (Chaim Bloom, Rob Cerfolio, Larry Day, Matt Pierpont, Randy Flores), and what this means for the rebuild timeline and trade flexibility.

https://www.stlsportscentral.com/2025/1 ... w-10-13-25

[sp25]

Fangraphs has 7 Cardinals in the top 100

9 JJ Wetherholt
19 Liam Doyle
40 Leonardo Bernal
71 Rainiel Rodriguez
77 Jimmy Crooks
83 Quinn Mathews
87 Tink Hence

Put me in the camp of I'll believe it when I see it after the flops of Carlson, Gorman and Walker.

+1
And don't forget Alex Reyes.

Reyes was the real deal IMO, but his injuries derailed him. The other 3 have underperformed.

[Alex Reyes Cy Young]

Fangraphs has 7 Cardinals in the top 100

9 JJ Wetherholt
19 Liam Doyle
40 Leonardo Bernal
71 Rainiel Rodriguez
77 Jimmy Crooks
83 Quinn Mathews
87 Tink Hence

Put me in the camp of I'll believe it when I see it after the flops of Carlson, Gorman and Walker.

Big (bleep) flops. Hope this next crop reverts to a bullish development sentiment.

[craviduce]

several things (early apologies for length) :

1) Jimmy Crooks III, Tink Hence and Quinn Mathews in the Top 100...should tell you a lot about it: Fangraphs' lazy/poor ranking system, and/or the quality of prospects in all of the minor leagues (all 30 orgs)...I'll let you choose...but the right answer is : a bit of both...but leaning towards "Crooks, Hence, Mathews"....come on, they shouldn't be in the Top 100...Fangraphs missed big time there...no one else has them ranked Top 100.

2) Trades in the last 3 seasons have been a huge reason for our rise....specifically, and I've been arguing/shouting this for it seems like a decade : Our mid tier or "C" Tier propects (35, 35+, 40, and 40+) prospects have been sorely lacking. Even when we were severely top heavy and ranked a Top 10 farm system in 2021 with Walker, Winn, Donovan, Hence we were starving for mid tier prospects. Crooks, Hjerpe, Bernal helped ...but 2 of those graduated to B tier and B+tier, while the other became "The Elbow". We also had several high prospects flounder or graduate and no one was there to take their place...that happens in every system (most notably the Cubs the last 2 seasons, extremely top heavy and no one to take their Super 7's place in the rankings)

Like I said "Trades"....we picked up Roby, Saggese (graduated), Jesus Baez, Blaze Jordan, Mason Molina, Nate Dohm, Robberse, Rom, Svanson.....that was a large chunk of Mid Tier prospects injected to our system the last 3 seasons.

3) Rule 5 drafting got MUCH better...Ryan Fernandez, Miguel Ugueto, Ricardo Velez, etc

4) Steady train of QUALITY DSL prospects coming stateside....and we didn't overspend to do it...save Strop, we did pay a pretty penny for him. Hunter, De Los Santos, Padilla and Rodriguez ....The Brewers' recent MLB success and Prospect Rankings are highly attributed to 2-3 DSL players making the Bigs and climbing the Prospect rankings every 2-3 seasons...we're starting to see that with the Cards. Oh....and their DSL pitching is about to get a smidge better.... Branneli Franco's 2nd season was a vast improvement over his first season...he's probably stateside in the FCL next year. Leonel Sequera was a surprising gem with Palm Beach this year....Peoria test coming up, we'll see how the 6'0" does.

5) Lastly...remarkable improvement the last 2 years on the developmental side (only thing I can HONESTLY give credit to Bloom and Bloom alone).... the likes of Church, Mautz, Hansen, Josh Baez, Mathews (gaining 3 MPH on FB, in 2024 vs. College) improving significantly the last 2 years that all helped.

Give credit to Mo for Rule 5 drafting, Bloom for the R&D part, Mo for the Trades from 2023-2025, and someone needs credit for the Sudden influx of quality talent from the DSL since 2024...not sure what happened there....we had a LONG drought from there...all the hitters turned into 600 OPS free swingers, or crashed and burned as pitchers in Peoria.

we still need HUGE help in drafting...the scouting department needs an overhaul...we've had a few gems like Mathews and Ortiz the last two drafts (23,24)....it's not hard to draft JJ and Doyle when you have Top 10 picks...picking for Dummies, anyone can do that. But we've had too many Hjerpe, Davis, Holiday, Honeywell, Campos, etc for me to stomach

[craviduce]

In short...do I think we're #1? No....Do I think we're Top 10? Yes, definitely. Probably closer to 5 than 10.

Seattle and Detroit are Top tier...we're not there yet. But we're almost there...and that's saying a lot.

It starts with the "C" tier prospects....get more of those, then you're a healthy farm system.