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My top four are the key to a great future lineup. The next five are serviceable enough for a good team if the top four hit. Long ways away, but, not much in our immediate future, anyways. I've got:
3B Wetherholt, RF Baez, 1B Ortiz, DH Rodriguez, LF Herrera/Walker,
C Bernal/Crooks, 2B Saggese/Gorman, SS Winn/Padilla, and CF VS II.

If, and, obviously, that's a big if, the top four pan out, we'll have legit 30 HR power in all four spots. Rodriguez probably 40 HR potential. A lot can, and will, change by 2028, so, there will be other names in play. But, JJ, Josh, Deni and Raini are poised to be big power players in the Cards future, IMO. Go Cards!

JJW will not be a perennial 30 HR guy. He may never hit 30 in a season. But, he will be the best player of this bunch.

good job mentioning Padilla, a lot of people/pundits are sleeping on him. He was on his way to a terrific FCL season and possibly a Palm Beach promotion, before a season ending injury. He's only 17, too. Next season, I think he and Ryan Mitchell will start in Palm Beach.

craviduce wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 08:12 am good job mentioning Padilla, a lot of people/pundits are sleeping on him. He was on his way to a terrific FCL season and possibly a Palm Beach promotion, before a season ending injury. He's only 17, too. Next season, I think he and Ryan Mitchell will start in Palm Beach.

Is he one of the more athletic pieces we have. Can he play CF also.

Looks like we have a lot of high upside 1B/DH/C power hitter types. Who are the best athletes we have that project at the up the middle positions?

Cardinal prospects. We still doing this?

Basil Shabazz wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 07:02 am JJW will not be a perennial 30 HR guy. He may never hit 30 in a season. But, he will be the best player of this bunch.

In actual yearly numbers I have Wetherholt, Baez and Ortiz with 25 each, and Rodriguez for 30. But, I think each of those players could easily hit 5 more in any given season. And, I definitely agree that Wetherholt will be the best of the bunch, overall.

craviduce wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 08:12 am good job mentioning Padilla, a lot of people/pundits are sleeping on him. He was on his way to a terrific FCL season and possibly a Palm Beach promotion, before a season ending injury. He's only 17, too. Next season, I think he and Ryan Mitchell will start in Palm Beach.

Very excited about Mitchell, have him slotted in for 2029. Considering all the money coming off the books, and, with a few quality Bloom signings, this team should be very good from 2028 on. Wish it was sooner, but, any playoff push before then will probably be short lived, anyways. Hopefully, Bloom has a couple aces developed by then, and Cardinal glory is restored. As excited I am for these young hitters, pitching is still the name of the game.

imadangman wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 08:51 am

craviduce wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 08:12 am good job mentioning Padilla, a lot of people/pundits are sleeping on him. He was on his way to a terrific FCL season and possibly a Palm Beach promotion, before a season ending injury. He's only 17, too. Next season, I think he and Ryan Mitchell will start in Palm Beach.

Is he one of the more athletic pieces we have. Can he play CF also.

Looks like we have a lot of high upside 1B/DH/C power hitter types. Who are the best athletes we have that project at the up the middle positions?

I believe CF'er is what they signed him as. Although, they will remain open to other options. That's what I read, anyways.

Yea, I'm hoping we might be better sooner than some people think. By 2027 we could have Liberatore, Doyle, McGreevy, and Mathews in the rotation. That's not a bad base. With guys like Pete Hansen, Ixan Henderson, and Brycen Mautz doing pretty well at AA, there's a bit more competition, or at least a bit of depth.

There's a bunch of money coming off the books next year. Even more in 2027. Even more in 2026 if Bloom can manage to trade Gray, Contreras, or Arenado. A free agent pickup hitter or pitcher could really change how things look. And there's always the possibility of a trade.

I mean, quite honestly, if ownership wanted to spend a bit of money, I think we could be pretty decent in 2026. But I don't know that we're going to be bad for that long.

DewittDaman11 wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 12:53 pm

imadangman wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 08:51 am

craviduce wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 08:12 am good job mentioning Padilla, a lot of people/pundits are sleeping on him. He was on his way to a terrific FCL season and possibly a Palm Beach promotion, before a season ending injury. He's only 17, too. Next season, I think he and Ryan Mitchell will start in Palm Beach.

Is he one of the more athletic pieces we have. Can he play CF also.

Looks like we have a lot of high upside 1B/DH/C power hitter types. Who are the best athletes we have that project at the up the middle positions?

I believe CF'er is what they signed him as. Although, they will remain open to other options. That's what I read, anyways.

Oops, imadangman, just realized you were asking about Padilla, and, I answered about Mitchell. Sorry about that, lol. Although, Padilla could probably play CF, too.

DewittDaman11 wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 14:35 pm

DewittDaman11 wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 12:53 pm

imadangman wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 08:51 am

craviduce wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 08:12 am good job mentioning Padilla, a lot of people/pundits are sleeping on him. He was on his way to a terrific FCL season and possibly a Palm Beach promotion, before a season ending injury. He's only 17, too. Next season, I think he and Ryan Mitchell will start in Palm Beach.

Is he one of the more athletic pieces we have. Can he play CF also.

Looks like we have a lot of high upside 1B/DH/C power hitter types. Who are the best athletes we have that project at the up the middle positions?

I believe CF'er is what they signed him as. Although, they will remain open to other options. That's what I read, anyways.

Oops, imadangman, just realized you were asking about Padilla, and, I answered about Mitchell. Sorry about that, lol. Although, Padilla could probably play CF, too.

I'll have to familiarize myself with Ryan Mitchell more. Yeah I should have said Padilla. I've heard the most buzz about Padilla.

imadangman wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 14:36 pm

DewittDaman11 wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 14:35 pm

DewittDaman11 wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 12:53 pm

imadangman wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 08:51 am

craviduce wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 08:12 am good job mentioning Padilla, a lot of people/pundits are sleeping on him. He was on his way to a terrific FCL season and possibly a Palm Beach promotion, before a season ending injury. He's only 17, too. Next season, I think he and Ryan Mitchell will start in Palm Beach.

Is he one of the more athletic pieces we have. Can he play CF also.

Looks like we have a lot of high upside 1B/DH/C power hitter types. Who are the best athletes we have that project at the up the middle positions?

I believe CF'er is what they signed him as. Although, they will remain open to other options. That's what I read, anyways.

Oops, imadangman, just realized you were asking about Padilla, and, I answered about Mitchell. Sorry about that, lol. Although, Padilla could probably play CF, too.

I'll have to familiarize myself with Ryan Mitchell more. Yeah I should have said Padilla. I've heard the most buzz about Padilla.

both should be able to man CF...as DD11 said, Mitchell drafted/signed as such. Padilla is athletic enough to move anywhere.

DewittDaman11 wrote: ↑31 Aug 2025 22:18 pm My top four are the key to a great future lineup. The next five are serviceable enough for a good team if the top four hit. Long ways away, but, not much in our immediate future, anyways. I've got:
3B Wetherholt, RF Baez, 1B Ortiz, DH Rodriguez, LF Herrera/Walker,
C Bernal/Crooks, 2B Saggese/Gorman, SS Winn/Padilla, and CF VS II.

If, and, obviously, that's a big if, the top four pan out, we'll have legit 30 HR power in all four spots. Rodriguez probably 40 HR potential. A lot can, and will, change by 2028, so, there will be other names in play. But, JJ, Josh, Deni and Raini are poised to be big power players in the Cards future, IMO. Go Cards!

Just wish this was in Memphis. Be nice watching major league talent at the major league level. But it is the new Pirates.

I bet other than JJ none of them have good career numbers and JJ will never be a consistent power threat. My prediction has a far better chance of happening than what you projected for those players.

Absolut wrote: ↑01 Sep 2025 08:53 am Cardinal prospects. We still doing this?

Cardinal suspects