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FanSided 15 MLB prospect rankings: Jordan Walker a bright spot for Cardinals

By Roger Castillo

Apr 19, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) hits a one run single against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 19, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) hits a one run single against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Marcelo Mayer, Red Sox
BOSTON, MA – JULY 22: Boston Red Sox 2021 first round draft pick Marcelo Mayer throws as he takes ground balls after signing a contract with the club on July 22, 2021 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

08: SS Marcelo Mayer, Red Sox

Baseball America: 9 | MLB Pipeline: 7

Mayer is another shortstop from the 2021 draft class and if you are a Tigers fan reading this, you may want to look away. So far at High-A, he is hitting .337/.414/.582 with a healthy walk rate of 11.7. He was considered the best bat and defender in that draft and you can see why. He plays a smooth infield with a good, compact stroke. He has three home runs in his first five games. Would not surprise me if he was in Double-A Portland by mid-June at this clip.

07: RHP Andrew Painter, Phillies

Baseball America:9 |MLB Pipeline:4

Painter is currently rehabbing a sprained UCL. Back in spring training, he turned some heads as he had a legit shot on making the starting rotation, throwing 98-99, having no issues against major league regulars.

06: RHP Grayson Rodriguez, Orioles

Baseball America:7 | MLB Pipeline: 5

Rodriguez made his major league debut on April 5, making a solid debut against the Rangers. He carved up the Tigers in back-to-back starts, striking out six in his first then nine in his second, allowing just a pair of hits. His second major league win was huge, as he beat the Rays on Tuesday, pitching into the sixth for the first time. He has the makeup to be a frontline starter for Baltimore.

05: SS Elly De La Cruz Reds

Baseball America: 3 | MLB Pipeline: 8

Similar to Oneil Cruz, De La Cruz just hits balls really hard. The switch-hitting shortstop hit a line drive for an out at 113.8 MPH today. Nice, right? But hang on, per JJ Cooper of Baseball America, six MLB teams have not yet hit a ball 113+ this year. Three MLB teams never hit a ball 113+ last year. Oh, and it’s De La Cruz’s fourth-hardest hit ball in the past 24 hours.

The Reds have him down in Triple-A to keep perhaps the Louisville Bats competitive, but you would like to see the strikeout number down a bit (32.1%). He may join two of the other names in our Top 4 left in the majors soon enough.

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