The St. Louis Cardinals are staring down the barrel of a rebuild, and while it looks to be a long process, the Cardinals have a couple of young pieces that look promising as the new era begins. Top prospect JJ Wetherholt exploded on the scene last season, slashing .306/.421/.510 in Double-A and Triple-A. With the trades of infielders Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado, the playing time has opened up for MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 overall prospect.

While Wetherholt is not the only young prospect in the Cardinals system surging through the ranks, he certainly is the most noteworthy. Formerly regarded as a potential No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 MLB Draft, Wetherholt fell into the Cardinals' lap at the seventh pick. Wetherholt smashed 16 homers in 55 games during his sophomore campaign at West Virginia. His numbers and draft stock slipped in his junior year after getting injured in late February and missing the whole month of March. That did not stop the Cardinals from jumping at the chance to take him in the first round that summer, and he looks to be the homegrown superstar that the Cardinals desperately need.

Wetherholt is a top pick to win the National League Rookie of the Year award this season; ahead of Wednesday’s game, the Cardinals star is hitless in his four plate appearances thus far but has worked three walks. While Cardinals fans are waiting for the offensive prowess to arrive in the spring, being a good hitter comes with knowing your zone and not doing too much, so while the explosive bat has yet to show for Wetherholt just yet, one can only think that it is on the horizon as spring training rolls on in the Grapefruit League.

Along with Wetherholt, the Cardinals have a pair of young catching prospects in the MLB Pipeline top-100 in Rainel Rodriguez and last season’s Minor League Gold Glove Award Winner Leonardo Bernal. Neither prospect is expected to make their debuts this season, but both are names to watch as the season rolls on. With the Cardinals catching depth in the majors, including Ivan Herrera, Yohel Pozo, Pedro Pages, and Jimmy Crooks on the cusp, the team will have to make decisions in the coming years on who remains within the organization.

It is way too early in spring to begin to decide whether or not either of the two has opportunities to make it to the big leagues this season, and a lot of that could rely on the health of those in front of them.

Rodriguez graded out with a 65 power rating on MLB Pipeline, and with the Cardinals' offense lacking a bat that drives fear into opposing pitching. His time could come faster if he can soak in the knowledge that former Cardinals backstop Yadier Molina can give him. Molina will work with the minor league catchers during the season after spending a couple of series with the major league club, according to Molina’s interview with Tamar Sher of KMOV 4 in St. Louis.

While not as prominent an offensive threat, Bernal still brings value in stabilization, hitting .247 with 13 home runs last season in Double-A. He was also the best defensive catcher in the minor leagues. There is something about being in St. Louis and the way the organization values a defense-first catcher as they did with Molina; handling a pitching staff and controlling the run game was not the only aspect of Molina’s game. He was a leader in the locker room, and while it is difficult to say for sure that Bernal could one day be that leader, with such a young roster, somebody is going to have to step up into a leadership role in the future.

The road is rocky and will be a test of will for many Cardinals players, but at the end of the road, the Cardinals look to usher in the next wave of St. Louis superstars.