Cardinals' Top Prospect Pushing Way Toward Possible Triple-A Promotion with August Surge
Rainiel Rodriguez, the top-ranked prospect in the Cardinals' Minor League system, hit two more home runs on Sunday to wrap up the Texas League Player of the Week award. Rodriguez, 19, is hitting .324 with a .972 OPS, 17 homers, 21 doubles and 51 RBI for Double-A Springfield.
Video Transcript
Congratulations to the number one prospect in the Cardinals organization, Ra'nyel Rodriguez.
Had another great week.
The kid is just every-- He's living up to every description you can think of.
He is 19 years old, and he is killing it at double A.
Listen to Ra'nyel's week this week.
The Cardinals swept a six-game series from Arkansas.
Ra'nyel had 14 hits, 26 total bases, nine RBI.
He had two four-hit games, and he had one three-hit game.
He's had an RBI in five straight.
Now his-- listen to his numbers for the season.
This is just since he's been promoted to double A.
Keep in mind, he is the second youngest everyday position player in double A baseball.
He's hitting .324 with a .972 OPS, 21 doubles, 17 home run, 51 RBI.
Unbelievable stuff from, from Ra'nyel at 19 years old.
The Cardinals have monitored his playing time.
He hasn't caught more than three days in a row.
They sprinkled in some, some, first base to keep him fresh.
They've even talked about this all season, trying to teach him how to play third base, so they can possibly quicken his path to the big leagues.
And at this rate, you wonder if, if Ra'nyel might get promoted to Memphis before the end of the season.
I mean, listen what he's doing in August.
.456 batting average, a 1300 OPS, six home runs, 10 doubles, and 17 RBI.
That's just in August so far.
Jesse Bork with MLB Pipeline came up with a great stat.
This will put it into perspective just how good Ra'nyel Rodriguez is.
Since 2007, there are only six players who have at least 15 home runs at the double A level as a teenager.
Giancarlo Stanton, Yankee slugger, Fernando Tatis Jr., superstar player with the Padres, Jackson Chio, star player with the Brewers, Samuel Basallo, a good rookie catcher for the Orioles before hurting his shoulder, and then Leo Durais, the, the number two overall prospect in baseball, and then Ra'nyel Rodriguez has done that.
He, R-Rodriguez is up to 17 home runs now.
On Sunday, Rodriguez hit back-to-back home runs with Jesus Baez, the, another Baez in the Cardinal system, not the one who hit the three home runs on opening day.
Jesus Baez is 21 years old.
The Cardinals got him in the Ryan Helsley trade last year.
The Mets had really soured on him, but man, he is tearing it up in double A baseball.
Rodriguez and Baez went back-to-back twice on Sunday, for Springfield.
Baez, get this, in just 43 games at double A baseball so far, Baez has five doubles, 20 home runs, 50 RBI.
He's hitting .292 with a .999 OPS.
He-- Again, he's 21 years old.
He can play some short.
He can play some third.
He can play some second.
They bounced him around.
He's from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Rodriguez is from the DR as well.
So the Cardinals have two fast-rising prospects at the double A level.
I wouldn't be shocked if they're not promoted to triple A soon the way both of them are absolutely murdering the baseball in August.
Maybe they, you know, get to Memphis, and, and Memphis has already clinched a spot in the playoffs.
Maybe you, you know, inject those guys into the playoffs.
You know, the way the Cardinals had Josh Baez last year was in the playoffs with Springfield.
Liam Doyle got promoted, just to be in that environment.
So I wouldn't be surprised if Ra'nyel Rodriguez and Jesus Baez aren't promoted from Springfield soon to triple A Memphis to be a part of the playoffs, that, that go on later this season.
I'm John Denton with Round Table Sports, and that's your Cardinal Report.
