My passion for prospects and the fun that comes with following the Minor Leagues can be summed up by one name: Jason Simontacchi. On May 4th, 2002, The Cardinals called up a 28-year-old right-handed pitcher to make his Major League debut. Simontacchi was a 21st-round Draft pick in the 1996 Draft by the Kansas City Royals. Simontacchi never made it out of Single-A with the Royals before bouncing around the Minors in both the Pirates and Twins organizations. Simontacchi signed a Minor League contract with the Cardinals prior to the 2002 season. He was a long shot to ever make a Major League debut. Yet, on May 4th, 2002, that’s exactly what he did. There was never any hype around Simontacchi. He never made a Top 30 Prospects list. Yet, over three years, spanning the 2002-04 seasons, Simontacchi played varying roles on the Cardinals’ Major League pitching staff. I was 15 years old back then. I was aware of the early Draft picks and the highly touted prospects, but Simontacchi made my synapses fire. I scoured every corner of the world to find information about this no-name, non-hyped right-handed pitcher. Baseball is beautiful because everyone has a chance. With hard work, focus and the ability to adjust, every player in the Minor Leagues has the chance to make a Major League debut. I’ve always been as fascinated with the prospects in the periphery as those in the forefront, and Jason Simontacchi is to thank for that. So, with “Simo-Man” in mind, let’s focus on the sleeper prospects at Triple-A Memphis that might slip their way into the Majors just like Simontacchi. The Memphis roster has an abundance of MLB Pipeline Top 30 prospects and potential Major League contributors. Here are three underrated prospects that might join those ranks. |
|
|
Infielder Ramon Mendoza Ramon Mendoza was signed as a 17-year-old international free agent from Mexico in April of 2018. Now 25 years old, Mendoza is entering his 8th season in the Cardinals’ organization. Mendoza was known more for his skilled work on the infield than his prowess at the plate early in his career. However, over the last three seasons, he’s really grown into his 5-foot-11, 174-pound frame. Bulking up and committing to the intent to do damage with his swing helped to propel Mendoza to a career-high 14 home runs over 404 plate appearances during his 2025 Double-A season. In another positive trend, Mendoza dropped his strikeout rate of 22.7% in 2024 to 19.8% in 2025 while increasing his walk rate from 11.6% to 14.9%. These positive developments, coupled with a hitting line of .275/.390/.452, are why Mendoza had a wRC+ of 136 on the season. As a non-roster invitee to Spring Training in 2026, Mendoza impressed at the plate over 46 plate appearances, hitting .235/.381/.441 with two home runs and a double. Mendoza also showed off his average fielding ability at both third and second. Mendoza’s budding power and defensive versatility could lead him to a Major League debut in 2026. He’s already off to a loud start at Memphis, going 3-for-4 in the season opener Friday night, finishing a triple short of the cycle. The home run that he hit was 98.4 mph off of the bat, and the double was 104.6 mph. |
Outfielder Colton Ledbetter Acquired from the Rays during the offseason as part of the three-team trade that sent Brendan Donovan to Seattle, the 24-year-old stoutly built left-handed-swinging Colton Ledbetter is more tooled-up than most prospects on the outside of Top 30 lists. The 55th overall selection in the 2023 Draft, Ledbetter is a former Samford University and Mississippi State product. It was Ledbetter’s power potential highlighted by high-end exit velocities and his patience at the plate that led Pipeline to rate him the No. 49 Draft prospect. Since then, Ledbetter has struggled to find the balance between hitting for power and managing strikeouts as a professional. In 446 plate appearances at High-A during the 2024 season, Ledbetter hit 23 doubles, six triples, and 16 home runs, but he struck out 28.3% of the time. During the 2025 season at Double-A, Ledbetter lowered his strikeout rate to 23.9% in 535 plate appearances, but it came at the expense of some of his home run power, as he only hit 24 doubles, four triples, and seven home runs. If Ledbetter can find the balance between these two approaches like he demonstrated in college, then he has the potential to be a very solid platoon corner outfielder that can play center in a pinch thanks to his speed and sneaky athleticism. If Ledbetter can continue to make the gains against lefties that he’s displayed on the back fields this spring, then he has the potential to be an everyday corner outfielder. |
|
|
Right-handed reliever Skylar Hales A former 4th-round selection in the 2023 Draft by the Rangers, the Cardinals acquired Hales before the 2025 Trade Deadline. Hales is a funk-first righty, pairing his quirky motion with a low and hidden vertical approach angle and terrific extension. Aside from release characteristics, what makes Hales special is a four-seam fastball that has hit triple digits but lives in the 95 mph range. Hales has a lot of success throwing this pitch at the top of the zone for swing and miss. Hales pairs this pitch with a slider that has a solid movement profile even if it doesn’t miss a ton of bats. It’s a pitch that the Cardinals and Hales have been working to get more swing and miss with this offseason. So far during his Minor League tenure, Hales’ other notable trait is that he struggles greatly to command his arsenal. In 2025, Hales walked 9.8% of hitters, and he was often too over the plate. After receiving the promotion to Triple-A on July 1st of last year while he was still with the Rangers, Hales allowed seven homers in 27 1/3 IP throughout the rest of his time at that level because he was throwing the ball over the heart of the plate too much. During a very small 5 2/3-inning sample during Spring Training, Hales showed off improved command and streamlined mechanics on his way to striking out seven and walking only one batter. Hales also began to mix in an interesting mid-90s sinker during spring, and that pitch has the potential to play well within his arsenal that also features a rarely used curveball. |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
|
|
FORWARDED FROM A FRIEND? SUBSCRIBE NOW |
|
|
To subscribe to Cardinals Beat, visit this page and mark "Cardinals Beat" from our newsletter list. Make sure you're following the Cardinals or that they're checked as your favorite team. |
|
|
|
