The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system struggled in 2021. The Memphis Redbirds had the best record in the system at 61-67. No other full season affiliate had a winning percentage above .375. While this may be concerning in a normal situation, it does not mean the system is bad. In fact, there was a group of prospects who distinguished themselves at the upper levels of the minors this season. The problem was that the system was young, and that the lost 2020 minor league season cost players a year of game experience.
For instance, Peoria had the second youngest group of hitters in the league.