Cardinals' Promoted Prospect Set to be Second Youngest Player in Double-AA

Rainiel Rodriguez, MLB’s No. 27-ranked prospect and the No. 2-ranked player in the Cardinals Minor League system, has been promoted to Double-A Springfield following an impressive start to the 2026 season at High-A Peoria.

At 19 years and two months, Rodriguez will be the second-youngest position player in Double-A to only 19-year-old infielder Jesús Made, a prospect in the Brewers system who has five doubles, three triples and three homers in 32 games with Double-A Biloxi.

Rodriguez, a native of Pimentel, Dominican Republic who was briefly raised in the Philadelphia area, has soared through the Cardinals system since inking a $300,000 signing bonus with the club in April of 2024.

After dominating the Dominican League in 2024 and playing at three levels of the organization in 2025, the right-handed-hitting Rodriguez has slashed .311/.430/.519/.949 with eight doubles, a triple, four home runs and 21 RBI in 28 games with High-A Springfield.

Rodriguez, a 5-foot-10, 197-pound catcher/first baseman. has also stolen four bases in five attempts and his 14.8 percent walk rate and 18.8 percent strikeout rate profile him as a selective hitter with excellent bat-to-ball skills. Not only does he hit the ball hard for his age – he had a 90th-percentile exit velocity in Peoria – but he also elevates and pulls the ball regularly, leading to high homer totals and slugging percentages.

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On MLB Pipeline’s 20-90 scale, Rodriguez is graded as a 55-level prospect. His power was given a 65 rating, while his hitting (55), arm (55) and fielding (45) got above average grades.

Several top Cardinals prospects already in Springfield

In Springfield, Rodriguez will be joined by several other top Cardinals prospects. Left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle, the No. 5 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, has pitched well in recent weeks following a slow start to the season. No. 3-ranked switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje was acquired in February from the in the trade centered around All-Star infielder/outfielder . Brandon Clarke (No. 8) and Cooper Hjerpe (No. 16) are in Springfield and working their way back from injuries.