The St. Louis Cardinals have a new outfielder in town in Everson Pereira and there's a lot to be excited about with him.
St. Louis claimed Pereira off waivers from the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. The current expectation is that the Cardinals will be moving on from outfielder Nelson Velzquez to make room on the roster for Pereira.
With that being said, what exactly are the Cardinals getting in the 25-year-old? A former top prospect with big-time potential, despite limited big league action.
In 2024, Pereira was the 42nd-ranked prospect in baseball, per Baseball America . It hasn't been very long since then and it's not as if he has just struggled, or something of that nature. In 2024, he slashed .265/.346/.512 down in the minors in the New York Yankees ' system with 10 homers and 27 RBIs in 40 games in Triple-A.
Arguably, the biggest reason why Pereira is so interesting as an addition for St. Louis is what he did down in the minors in 2025. He played in 78 games in the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays ' systems at the Triple-A level. Over that stretch, he slashed .256/.359/.508 with an .868 OPS, 21 homers, 57 RBIs, nine stolen bases, 10 doubles and 71 runs scored.
Apr 19, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Chicago White Sox designated hitter Everson Pereira (28) bats during the seventh inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He has played in just 77 total games in the majors throughout his young career to this point, but if he can tap into what he did in Triple-A up in the majors, he will make a big impact. Pereira is just 25 years old and has some serious right-handed pop. Last year, he hit 21 home runs in 78 games in Triple-A. That's a pace of 43 home runs in 162 games.
This season, the Cardinals have found a way to unlock Jordan Walker , a fellow former top prospect who didn't live up to the hype early on in his professional career. Now, he's a star . Walker has much more big-league experience than Pereira. He's in his fourth season and has played in 391 total big league games, versus just the 77 games played by Pereira. That's such a small sample size that it's way too early to think of him as a bust.
The Cardinals have Chaim Bloom leading the organization as the president of baseball operations. Throughout his career, he has done wonders with the development of young guys in an organization. If the Cardinals can unlock Pereira, he's someone who could add a power bat to the lineup at a low cost. His advanced metrics have been promising, especially bat speed, hard-hit rate, and barrel rate. Plus, he's in the 91st percentile in arm strength. At the very least, the Cardinals are adding a former top prospect as outfield depth. But there's potential for much more.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/cardinals/onsi as What to Know About Cardinals New Outfielder Everson Pereira .
