JUPITER Fla. — A successful franchise can sometimes be equated with a successful player-development system.
First-year Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol knows it.
“That’s the lifeblood of the next few years. … We’ve done a good job within this organization of promoting from within and getting guys ready,” said Marmol, who once was a Cardinals minor leaguer himself.
Some prospects in St. Louis’ system will make their major-league debuts this year. Other intriguing prospects are lower in the pipeline.
From Low-A Palm Beach to Triple-A Memphis, here are some intriguing Cardinals prospects:
2021 record: 61-67
Top prospects: Infielder Nolan Gorman, utilityman Brendan Donovan, outfielder Alec Burleson, infielder Juan Yepez, catcher Ivan Herrera, right-handed pitcher Zack Thompson, left-handed pitcher Matthew Liberatore
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LHP Connor Thomas: Behind Liberatore, Thomas pitched the second-most innings (101 2/3) for Memphis in 2021.