5 Players the Cardinals should target in the 3rd round (Pick #89)
Photo by: Cooper Shannon/Indiana Athletics
I continue my draft preview with the Cardinals third-round pick, the 89th pick in this year's draft for the Cardinals. While we won’t know for certain what players will be available at this pick, multiple of these guys will likely be on the board at this pick as they are ranked around or below the 89th spot on both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline’s top draft prospect rankings. This is the second of five previews, which are highlighting some of the players I think the Cardinals should draft this year.
OF Korbyn Dickerson (Indiana)
One of my favorite draft prospects in this whole draft, Dickerson, has had a breakout season for Indiana, where he has slashed .314/.381/.632 for a 1.014 OPS, which ranked 16th in the very competitive Big Ten. A very complete athlete, Dickerson should have the ability to stick in CF at the MLB level and has average to slightly above average arm strength for the CF position.
When it comes to the bat, Dickerson has shown a good feel for getting to his raw power as he hit 19 homers for Indiana, and 36 of his 76 hits (47%) went for extra bases. One of the more complete prospects, Dickerson has the chance to be a true 5-tool player with no real downside in his game currently. This is what makes him the least likely on this list, as I believe he will be selected before this pick, but he ranks out on many lists around the #89 mark, which is why he is on this list. If the Cardinals want him, they may have to select him with their Comp-B pick at #72, where he is more likely to be available.
If there is any downside with Dickerson, it would be that he can have a swing and miss problem at times, and he hasn’t taken advantage of his speed on the basepaths quite yet, only stealing 5 bases this year.
RHP Chase Shores (LSU)
One of the more intriguing arms that could be available at this point in the draft. Shores had an impressive 2023 campaign for the Tigers as a freshman, where he had a 1.96 ERA in 18.1 IP, flashing a high 90s fastball, good slider, and average changeup. He was slated to be the Friday night starter for LSU in 2024, but had to have Tommy John Surgery and missed the whole season.
In 2025, Shores came back and has pitched in 18 games for the Tigers this year, with half being starts. While the ERA is elevated this year, Shores is still showing very good stuff, especially out of the bullpen, touching 102 mph with his fastball and showing a slider which he has better command of. While the shape of the fastball has regressed since his freshman season, it still has elite velocity, which helps it overcome that poor shape somewhat. The slider is more of a contact manager than it is a true out-pitch, but could become that with some development. The changeup has been hammered by the opposition this year and is his weakest pitch.
Shores' results haven’t been ideal this year, and the fastball shape and slider don’t necessarily point to a top 100 pick, but the arm talent and track record do point to a guy who would be worth taking a flyer on at this spot, at bare minimum I think Shores could be a good bullpen piece with his velocity alone.
RHP Mason Morris (Ole Miss)
An intriguing arm, Morris was rewarded for a good year with an All-SEC second team nomination, even though he pitched 18 games all out of relief for the Rebels, he still racked up 52.1 IP with a 3.44 ERA and 73 strikeouts, including multiple starter-length appearances, which makes me confident that he will be able to start in pro-ball.
Morris currently has a three-pitch arsenal, which includes a fastball, slider, and cutter. The fastball now sits from 95-97 mph after Morris increased his armslot, allowing him to get more velocity on the pitch. The shape of the fastball is rather pedestrian, but if he can keep that velocity up, it will allow him to limit damage with that pitch even if it doesn’t miss many bats. The cutter is a true plus-plus pitch, it's low 90s with good life and movement, which allows it to be his go-to strikeout pitch against hitters. He also has a mid-80s plus slider, which works well off the cutter to also generate swing and miss. According to Joe Doyle, “Morris was the only pitcher in the country to have a strikeout rate over 35% and a groundball rate over 50%.” This makes him one of the more intriguing arms in this third-round range, in my opinion. He is also playing in the Cape Cod League this summer, and I am interested in how he will do.
The downsides to Morris are that he has started only one game in his whole career, so the lack of experience there could hurt his chances at a higher draft pick. He also lacks an arm-side off-speed pitch, which he will probably have to develop if he is going to pitch as a starter in pro ball.
C/OF Taitn Gray (Dallas Center-Grimes HS, Iowa)
Tatin is interesting because the Oregon commit hasn’t shown up on the circuit very often, which makes him a bit of a wild-card when it comes to how he will perform against higher competition, which does worry me a bit, but the tools are too big for me to not put him on this list. Gray performed well at the Super 60 showcase, which has caused him to skyrocket up draft boards in recent months despite the lack of circuit play.
Despite being 6’3 and 220 pounds, Gray posted an above-average time of 6.64 seconds on his 60-yard dash, which bodes well for him if a pro team wants to move him to the outfield. A switch-hitter that is proficient from both sides of the plate, he posted a 109.2 mph exit velocity at the Super 60 showcase. Behind the plate, most scouts consider him to have a plus arm and average receiving from behind the plate that could become better with more development. The tools are tremendous, and the power upside is obvious with Gray, which is something that the Cardinals have lacked in the system for a long time. He also posted a 90 mph throw from the outfield at the showcase, which is good for a 17-year-old.
The downside for Gray is that with a lack of circuit stats, it could make him hard to judge, especially since he plays in Iowa, which doesn’t have the best high-school competition. He also may need an overslot deal in the third round to entice him away from his Oregon commitment. Even with that, I would more than take a flyer on him in this round if he is willing to sign.
RHP James Ellwanger (Dallas Baptist)
A draft-eligible sophomore, Ellwanger has impressive stuff for a sophomore. He posted a 3.98 ERA in 63.1 IP, striking out 95 batters for Dallas Baptist this spring. He had an impressive Cape Cod run in 2024, where he posted a 2.77 ERA after being injured most of the 2024 college season.
Ellwanger has a 4 pitch mix which includes a fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup. The fastball is the key to his arsenal as it sits in the 95-97 range, topping out a 100 mph with good run on it. The curveball and slider are his two main off-speed pitches. The curveball, by many scouts, is considered the better pitch. While I agree that the curveball is the better pitch, I believe that the slider is better than MLB Pipeline gives him credit for and is already an above-average pitch. He rarely uses his changeup, though he did throw it against LSU, and it had decent shape, which gives me hope for his starter upside. Ellwanger showed in 2025 that he could start as he started 14 of his 16 games pitched this year for the Patriots. Ellwanger could go much earlier in the draft than pick number 89 if a team believes in the upside and that body will hold up as a starter
The downside to Ellwanger is that he doesn’t have the best track record of going deep into games, and the command has been an issue this year for Ellwanger, as he posted a 5.5 BB/9 rate, which drove up his pitch counts in a few games. Even with these concerns, the arm talent and upside are tremendous, and even if he doesn’t work out as a starter, a high-leverage reliever would be in the cards.
