An Early Look at Potential Cardinals Targets at Pick #13
Credit: MLB.com
Introduction
With the MLB Draft Lottery results in and the Cardinals falling to the 13th spot, I figured earlier is better when looking at potential MLB draftees we could see selected on Draft Day. A preseason mock draft is going to look a little different than a mock draft released in July, as we have not seen spring ball yet. Some of these players could have vastly improved over the course of the winter and could rise higher, or they could fall off. But for now, these are the current rankings and some potential guys to monitor during the spring.
Current Mock Draft Projections
Three mock drafts have the Cardinals going in different directions at pick 13th. Overslot has them selecting high school left-handed pitcher Logan Schmidt, a 6-4, 222-pound arm committed to LSU. Baseball America projects them to take Tyler Spangler, a 6-3, 188-pound high school shortstop with a left-handed bat who is committed to Stanford. MLB Pipeline has them selecting center fielder AJ Gracia, a lefty batter who is 6-3, 195, and will be a junior at Virginia.
Logan Schmidt | LHP, Ganesha (CA)
Schmidt, who ranks 17th on MLB Pipeline’s Top Draft Prospects list, is a big-bodied lefty with impressive body control. He sits consistently at 93-96 mph and can touch 97 throughout his starts. His arsenal includes two different breaking balls and a changeup, and he generates well-above-average fading action to his glove side. It's a fairly complete mix, though he could benefit from adding a bridge pitch like a cutter. Schmidt gets great extension on his delivery, which makes the velocity sneak up on hitters, though his fastball lacks the dynamic shape of someone like Liam Doyle. MLB Pipeline grades him with a 55 fastball, 55 slider, 50 changeup, and 55 control, giving him an overall grade of 55.
Tyler Spangler | SS, De La Salle (CA)
Spangler comes in higher on MLB Pipeline’s Top Draft Prospects at 11th and offers a ton of physical projection. He has maturity and strength beyond his years, along with a sweet left-handed swing. He's a controlled hitter who works from a wide base with a quiet load and a simple swing that should continue to develop. He faced quality pitching this summer but needs to learn to elevate the ball more consistently. The physical potential is there in abundance. His commitment to Stanford is worth noting, as the program is notoriously difficult to pry players away from.
AJ Gracia | OF, Virginia
A recent Virginia transfer, Gracia spent his first two seasons at Duke and followed his head coach to Charlottesville for his junior season. In his first two seasons, he slashed .299/.455/.559. Notably, from his freshman to sophomore season, he cut his strikeout rate from 19% to 12% and raised his walk rate from 17% to 20%. When he is on, he has the potential to go 1.1, but that has not always been the case. He was in a slump for the first half of his sophomore season, batting around .150, but in the second half he was one of the most dominant hitters in college baseball. In an interview with JustBaseball this past fall, he said he was trying to flatten his swing plane, which made him more susceptible to other offerings. After changing his walk-up song and swing, he continued off his dominant freshman campaign and left us wondering. If he doesn’t do anything drastic in the offseason with his swing, how do his numbers look? Hopefully we don’t see him completely go on a run, as he won’t fall to us, but Gracia has the tools to dream about. Gracia has a 55 hit, 60 power, 45 run, 45 arm, and 50 field. He profiles as a future corner outfielder with plus power and a plus hit tool. He should translate well to the majors, as he possesses power and is a flyball specialist.
Other Notable Prospects
While looking at mock drafts is always fun to see how things could shake out, getting mocked somewhere is never certain. One of the strengths of this year’s draft class is how deep the top end of the college crop is. If you have some time to watch more baseball, give college baseball a try. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a massive influx of talent and overall quality of play. More high school stars are opting for the college route over the minors, and it shows. Here are some college prospects who could realistically end up in St. Louis.
Cameron Flukey | RHP, Coastal Carolina
Flukey is ranked ninth on MLB Pipeline’s Draft Prospect list, mocked 19th on Overslot, and eighth on Baseball America. His arsenal is nothing short of electric, backed by some truly impressive metrics. His fastball averaged 95 mph with 20.4 inches of induced vertical break, 10 inches of horizontal break, a vertical approach angle of -4.8, and a release height of 6.1 feet. He also gets solid extension at 6.6 feet. He features a curveball at 77 mph with -13 IVB and -8 HB, a cutter at 84 mph with 2.4 IVB and 0.2 HB, a slider at 82 mph with -2 IVB and -4 HB, and a changeup with 8.5 IVB and 13 HB. His fastball has a 30% chase rate and a 20.1% whiff rate. His curveball is also disgusting, generating a 50% whiff rate. He is a blend of production and projection. He might not fall to 13th, but not many people thought Jamie Arnold would fall to 11th after being a highly touted prospect. It all depends on draft day, and if this name is available, the Cardinals would be getting a potential ace.
Chris Hacopian | SS, Texas A&M
Hacopian is ranked 16th on MLB Pipeline’s Draft Prospect list, mocked eighth on Overslot and 18th on Baseball America. He is a metrics darling, presenting as one of the highest-floor bats in the entire class and currently mocking in the early-to-mid first round. He delivered explosive production at Maryland, slashing a combined .347/.465/.614 with 29 home runs over the last two years. Crucially, his plate discipline saw massive gains from 2024 to 2025, with his walk rate increasing from 11.24% to 16.06% and his strikeout rate dropping from 9.74% to 7.63%, fueling an ISO spike from .255 to .281. He is transferring from Maryland to Texas A&M and hoping to see this progression continue. His elite 60-grade hit tool is matched by consistent power, evidenced by a 90th-percentile exit velocity of 107.4 mph. While he projects as a third baseman or corner outfielder due to his 45-grade defense, his ability to crush fastballs (.443 wOBA) and sliders (.524 wOBA) makes him an immediate impact bat. For the Cardinals, Hacopian represents a phenomenal balance of high-end metrics and a demonstrated developmental track record.
Caden Sorrell | OF, Texas A&M
Sorrell is ranked 20th on MLB Pipeline’s Draft Prospect list, 20th on Baseball America, and 17th on Overslot. He had the tools to go top three rounds in 2023, but he opted to go to college. He was the starting left fielder as a freshman on the Aggies' runner-up trip in the 2024 College World Series. He is a standout athlete and is a renowned power/speed threat. He has some whiff, but immense production, the raw tools needed to be considered. He dealt with a hand injury in 2025, but in 26 games, he slashed .337/.430/.789 with 12 home runs, 37 rbi’s, 8 stolen bases, a 14.29% walk rate, and a 22% strikeout rate. He has similar exit velocities to Hacopian, but he pulls the ball in the air at a much higher rate. He has above average bat speed, and a sweet left-handed stroke. I hope he has a healthy 2026, and I'm excited to see what he can put together if he does.
Liam Peterson | RHP, Florida
Peterson ranks 13th on MLB’s Draft Prospect list, sixth on Baseball America, and 20th on Overslot. He possesses a premium fastball that sits 94-96 mph (20 IVB, 8 HB) and a nasty slider with high spin that ranges from 85 to 89. He is a north-south guy and a long, whippy, athletic pitcher. He throws a lot of strikes and has a compact delivery, making him one of the more complete pitching profiles in the 2026 class. He also features a changeup at 85 that dives and tumbles, along with a big curveball. He was a Top 100 prospect in 2023 and walked away from a lot of money to attend Florida. He has the stuff to be one of the top pitchers off the board and provides an exciting combination of present stuff and projection. He could very well be selected in the top 10, but he’s another intriguing arm who could fall to 13th.
Conclusion
This draft class is deep, and while there has been a lot of drama recently over the Cardinals falling to 13th, it could have been much worse in another year. This class offers quality throughout, and I believe there are several options to draft an impact bat or a power arm at pick 13. Whether the Cardinals go with a high-upside high school talent like Schmidt or Spangler, or opt for a more polished college player like Gracia, Flukey, Hacopian, Sorrell, or Peterson, they should be able to find a player who can contribute to the organization’s future. The key will be identifying which player best fits their long-term vision and has the highest ceiling. Regardless of who they select, us Cardinals fans have reason to be optimistic about the talent available when their pick comes up on draft day.
