The All-Star break not only provided major league players the opportunity to reset, but it had the same effect on each organization's minor league system too. For the Cardinals, in particular, Class AAA Memphis, AA Springfield, High-A Peoria and Low-A Palm Beach all had a week without competition, giving each respective program a chance to catch its breath. At the same time, players within each of those teams also took a moment to refresh themselves, preparing themselves for the second-half grind to come.
For some prospects, the break also offered a time of reflection, especially for those who are still trying to live up to expectations set for them ahead of the season. As the second half of the season gets going, here's a dive into a few of those prospects within the Cardinals' organization who could experience a bounce-back second half to flip the script on their season thus far. Class AAA Memphis: SS Thomas Saggese Entering the season on the heels of a 2023 campaign during which he won Texas League MVP with Class AA Springfield, expectations were at an all-time high for Thomas Saggese.
However, the transition to Class AAA Memphis has been challenging. Saggese started the season with an average April, during which he slashed .272/.
333/.407 in 21 games. But when the calendar flipped to May, the shortstop's production plunged.
The Cardinals' fourth-ranked prospect batted .210 with a .268 on-base percentage, 15 extra-base hits and 21 RBIs in 47 games between May and June.
In that stretch, Saggese struck out 47 times while drawing 10 walks. The tumultuous stretch featured nearly three times as many no-hit performances (17) as multi-hit efforts (7). He had a couple of rough patches, including a 1-for-22 showing from May 21-28, but did also display brief signs of consistency with a 12-game hitting streak in early June.
For a player who led all minor league players with 170 hits and 294 total bases last season, the dropoff in output resembles quite the fall from grace. But recent production suggests Saggese may be emerging from the cold spell with the potential to bounce back in resounding fashion. The 5-foot-11 middle infielder, in just 11 games in July, has slashed .
386/.438/.682 with six extra-base hits, eight runs and nine RBIs.
In the process, Saggese has bumped his average (.243) and on-base percentage (.302) to heights he had not seen since early May, and despite the slow start, he is among Memphis' top-five leaders in home runs (11), RBIs (44) and runs (47).
Considering Saggese's recent surge and track record of success, the dynamic right-handed bat could be one of the Redbirds' most impactful bounce-back candidates of the second half. Honorable mentions: Center fielder Victor Scott II (.210 average, .
289 on-base percentage, 19 RBIs and 27 stolen bases); Adam Kloffenstein (4-5, 4.74 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 891⁄3 innings). Class AA Springfield: RHP Max Rajcic One of the top workhorse arms in Class AA Springfield's rotation, right-hander Max Rajcic remains in search of needed momentum after a tough start.
The Cardinals' sixth-round pick in the 2022 MLB draft has flashed his potential at times this season and enters Springfield's first series after the All-Star break with the team-bests in wins (7), innings pitched (83) and strikeouts (80). At the same time, though, Rajcic sports a 4.88 ERA, and opponents are hitting .
267 against him with 12 home runs. He started the season with a rough April, during which he posted a 2-2 record with a 8.04 ERA.
The difficult month soured an impressive start to Rajcic's professional career, which included Cardinals minor league pitcher of the year honors last season when he split time between Class Low-A Palm Beach and High-A Peoria and posted a 9-6 record 2.48 ERA with 123 strikeouts in 1231⁄3 total innings. Since the season's shaky start, it has been a steady up-and-down climb to where Rajcic finds himself now.
The key for the 22-year-old righty in rehashing the success that he had last season will be confidence and consistency — a pair of traits that are already starting to shine through as of late. Of the five quality starts Rajcic has posted across his 16 starts, three have come since June 8. The UCLA alum has not given up more than three earned runs in eight of his past nine starts, pitching to a 3.
54 ERA in that span. Through that stretch, the right-hander also improved his strike-zone command, pushing it to 60.3%.
Rajcic's mixed results paint a picture of a reliable arm who is beginning to find a more consistent groove as the season has progressed, and the righty will aim to replicate the success he had last season with a second-half resurgence. Honorable mentions: Right-handed pitcher Tekoah Roby (2-2, 6.75 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 331⁄3 innings); right-handed pitcher Edwin Nunez (0-5, 7.
45 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 541⁄3 innings). Class High-A Peoria: LHP Brycen Mautz One season after stepping onto the scene with an inconsistent showing, the Cardinals' second-round selection in the 2022 MLB draft is still searching for stability. The 23-year-old southpaw has suffered the most losses of any Cardinals minor league pitcher this season (10) and accompanies that with a 5.
92 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 76 innings. Through 16 starts this season, opponents have clubbed 14 home runs against him and he holds the highest home runs per nine innings of any qualified pitcher in the Cardinals' system (1.66).
A University of San Diego product, Mautz picked up his first victory of the season in his final start before the All-Star break with five scoreless innings against Quad Cities. It was only the third start all season in which he had not allowed an extra-base hit but also marked his ninth outing of the season with at least five strikeouts. Mautz has recorded just one quality start with opponents slashing .
289/.369/.500 against the lefty, making him a clear-cut candidate of a player who is in need of a bounce-back second half.
Honorable mention: Joshua Baez (.224 average, eight home runs, 26 RBIs and 88 strikeouts). Class Low-A Palm Beach: CF Chase Davis Nearly a year removed from hearing his name called as the Cardinals' first-round draft selection, center fielder Chase Davis finds himself playing catchup after a slow start.
Davis, who was taken out of the University of Arizona, struggled out of the gate this season with a .184 average and nearly twice as many strikeouts (47) as hits (26) in April and May. The 22-year-old looked to be headed in the right direction in June, though, when he won Cardinals minor league player of the month honors with a slash line of .
333/.464/.683, 12 extra-base hits (seven doubles and five home runs), and 23 RBIs.
After a slow start to July, Davis' average dipped to .221 entering Class Low-A Palm Beach's three-game series against Daytona on Friday. On the season, the left-handed hitting outfielder possesses a 25.
9% strikeout rate and 13.8% walk rate, per FanGraphs. The Cardinals' sixth-ranked prospect showed glimpses of the consistent performer he can be in June, and that surge of success could prime Davis for a second-half rebound as he looks to finish his second season of professional baseball in a positive manner.
Honorable mention: Right fielder Brayden Jobert (.180 average, five home runs, 23 RBIs and 62 strikeouts)..
