Blossoming Offensively: Undetected St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Shines in 2025 Season
A Year of Ambition: Rising Stars in the Cardinals' Camp
It's all about the youth movement for the St. Louis Cardinals this year, with a bunch of young guns aiming to leave their mark. recently chatted with one such player, Ian Bedell, who's determined to push his velocity and shine in this transformative phase. Outfielder Noah Mendlinger also has his sights set on making his major-league debut this year.
First baseman Josh Kross is making waves early in the season for the Cardinals' Low-A affiliate, the Palm Beach Cardinals.
Cyclone Kross: Josh Kross's Historic Night
On a Tuesday night, Kross managed to hit for the cycle against the Clearwater Threshers. His journey began with a triple to center field in the first inning, scoring Nathan Church and Travis Honeyman. The powerhouse hitter then smacked a homer in the sixth inning – his fourth straight game with a dinger. This three-run blast sent Jose Cordoba and Travis Honeyman scampering home.
Kross make an appearance again in the bottom of the 7th inning, plating Travis Honeyman with a single to left field. The nail in the cycle coffin came in the bottom of the eighth, as his ground-rule double to right field brought his impressive night to a close.
The Cardinals drafted Kross, 22, in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB Amateur Draft out of the University of Cincinnati. During his time with the Bearcats, Kross slashed .347/.435/.644 and walloped 34 home runs in two seasons. He boasted a strong 165 wRC+ in his sophomore year at Cincinnati.
From Catcher to First Baseman – Kross's Journey
Kross was primarily viewed as an offense-focused catcher who would probably end up playing first base. He had a tendency to chase balls as an amateur, striking out 15% of the time in 2024 and only walking 8.5% of the time. However, he took significant strides in the strikeout-to-walkratio department with Low-A Palm Beach in his professional debut.
So far in 2025, Kross has smashed four home runs, driven in 17 batters, and flaunts a 255 wRC+. He's striking out only 8.3% of the time, and his .625 ISO is simply astonishing.
Kross's percentile rankings in the Florida State League are jaw-dropping. He's in the 100th percentile in wOBA, xwOBA, and hard-hit rate. He's slightly below average in out-of-zone swing percentage and walk rate (2.8%). Many of Kross's at-bats have resulted in balls in play, and his .346 BABIP is, well, astronomical.
Time in Low-A Seems Short for Kross
Drafted as a polished collegiate player, Kross's time in Low-A may be limited. The Cardinals might push him as high as Double-A Springfield, but they may opt for a more patient approach, given that the Springfield Cardinals already have Leonardo Bernal, the organization's sixth-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
If Kross keeps producing the numbers he's shown in Palm Beach, expect to see his name rapidly climbing the organizational depth chart. The Cardinals' robust catching depth appears to have another level with Kross tearing it up in the lower levels of the minors.
With his historic night against the Clearwater Threshers, Josh Kross continues to make a strong case for escalation in the Cardinals' minor league system, demonstrating impressive power and potential at first base.
Given his remarkable performance in Low-A and jaw-dropping percentile rankings, it seems the Cardinals may soon face the challenge of finding an appropriate level for Kross to showcase his skills, potentially bypassing the usual progression through the minor leagues and advancing to higher ranks sooner rather than later.
