5 Things on Redbird Farmhands’ Christmas List
Credit: Springfield Cardinals PR
1) The 2025 Springfield Cardinals' magic to manifest at Memphis in 2026
2025 was a historic season for the Springfield Cardinals as they won 88 games, a franchise record, beating the previous record set by the 2024 team (79 wins). They went on a run in the playoffs, sweeping Tulsa to win the North Division, and then beating Midland in three games to win their first Texas League title since 2012. Many of the key cogs that propelled Springfield to its 2025 championship will likely find their way to Memphis to start the 2026 season. Brycen Mautz, Ixan Henderson, Joshua Baez, Leonardo Bernal, Pete Hansen, and Luis Gastelum, combined with likely returners such as Quinn Mathews, Blaze Jordan, and Noah Mendlinger, the 2026 Memphis Redbirds are shaping up to be one of the most talented teams in the affiliate's history. Here’s to hoping that the 2026 Redbirds can secure the same Cardinals magic that the 2025 Springfield squad did, and I believe they will under the leadership of long-time manager Ben Johnson, as the Cardinals rebuild looks to take another step towards a successful future.
2) Tink Hence to throw over 100 innings
The second thing on my Christmas list is that I want to see a fully healthy season from Tink Hence, where he throws over 100 innings in 2026. Funny enough, back last January, I predicted that Tink Hence would throw over 100 innings, and unfortunately, that failed to come to fruition once again, as Hence dealt with multiple injuries that limited him to just 21.1 innings in 2025. While many have given up on the chance that Hence may be a starter, I have not, and would like to give the 23-year-old one last chance to try and make it work in 2026. My reasoning behind giving Hence another chance to start is simple: he has great stuff. While the fastball has regressed, I still think it's a viable pitch when fully healthy, and the trio of secondary offerings are all above average, with his standout changeup being one of the best in the entire system. The command is also there to be a starter, and I’ll be interested to see how the Cardinals use him in 2026, as the Memphis rotation will already be loaded with prospects, and I can see a world where they push him to the bullpen to get him to St. Louis quicker.
3) Mason Molina and Braden Davis to find a few ticks of extra velocity
Two Peoria lefties with great changeups and fastballs with good movement, Molina and Davis, both had excellent years between Low-A and High-A. Davis had one of the best years of any pitcher in the Cardinals system, striking out 153 batters in 110.1 innings, posting a 2.85 ERA. Molina, who was acquired in the Phil Maton trade, struck out 119 batters in 95.2 innings, with a 3.10 ERA. Both pitchers feature a fastball with good movement, but both are in the lower 90s, with Davis sitting in the 91-93 mph range while Molina sits in the 90-91 range. With the Cardinals' new pitching development under Matt Pierpont, both Davis and Molina adding a few ticks of consistent velocity could help them go from solid prospects to prospects who could make a legit impact at the major league level. We saw what a few extra ticks of velo could do for a guy like Brycen Mautz this past year; let's hope Davis and Molina can find the same.
4) Leonardo Bernal to have a breakout 2026
Benal has already been one of the more consistent prospects in the system, but in a recent Baseball America, there is data to suggest that Bernal could be capable of a breakout in 2026 at AAA Memphis. Baseball America selected Bernal as their breakout candidate for 2026, mainly off a few key underlying stats. Bernal posted a solid 78% contact rate, including an 83% in zone contact rate, doing this while posting a very good 104.4 mph 90th percentile exit velocity, and a max of 112.1 mph. This mix of hard contact with good contact rates makes me very excited for Bernal’s 2026 season where he will be at AAA at only 22 years old. Combine these impressive offensive data with one of the best arms in all of the minor leagues, and I am excited to see if Bernal can take that step to become one of the premier catching prospects in the game. He’s off to a great start, but I certainly feel like there is a next level to his game.
5) The Cardinals to be more aggressive in the international market
One place that I am hoping to see the Cardinals be more aggressive in 2026 is in the international market. Despite being tied for the largest bonus pools in 2026 at $8,034,900, the Cardinals are only expected to sign one player in the MLB Pipeline Top 50, with it being #8 Emanuel Luna (2+ million), who is expected to get one of the largest signing bonuses in team history. This is a stark contrast from teams like the Brewers or Orioles, who both have 3-5 expected signees in the top 50. I bring this up because recently, the #2 prospect in the class, Wandy Asigen, broke his commitment to the Yankees and ended up signing with the Mets for 3.8 million dollars, and it would have been a player that I would have loved to see the Cardinals go after aggressively, considering their large bonus pool amount. I hope that the Cardinals will try to go for top-end talent more consistently in the future, especially as they try to supplement the rebuild and create a consistent pipeline for the future.
