FIREWORK FRIDAYS ed

The Next Generation of Stars

By Reece Weiner

The Palm Beach Cardinals have taken pride in being one of the first stops for prospects on their journey to the Major Leagues. In recent years, these prospects have included MLB top 100 prospects (according to MLB Pipeline) Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn, Tink Hence, and Gordon Graceffo. They’ve also hosted big leaguers like Lars Nootbaar, Dylan Carlson, Ryan Helsley, and many more.

Now, it’s time for the next wave of players to get their start. The Opening Day roster includes six of the Cardinals top 30 prospects (also according to MLB Pipeline). Beyond these six, Palm Beach also has a lot of recent draft selections and international signings looking to leave their mark.

The top prospect on the team is catcher Leonardo Bernal who finds himself just outside the top ten, as the 11th prospect in the organization. The Panama native spent last season with Palm Beach, hitting seven homers with a .256 average over 45 games, and defensively he caught 11 runners stealing. The teenager was signed as an International free agent in 2020 and will look to continue making his way up the organization.

The 12th ranked prospect for the Cardinals is outfielder Joshua Baez. The second rounder in 2021 looks to bounce back from an injury plagued season with Palm Beach last season. Baez will look to get back on track with his great potential as a hitter, but also with his glove and strong arm.

The highest pitching prospect for Palm Beach is Brycen Mautz. The University of San Diego product was taken in the second round of the 2022 draft. The southpaw has yet to see professional action but is looking to build off a strong finish to his collegiate career that featured a 3.87 ERA and 129 strikeouts, as well as an impressive start against Vanderbilt, allowing 1 run in 7 innings, in the NCAA regionals in his final season.

Pete Hanson is another high pitching prospect taken in the 2022 draft. He too will be seeing his first professional action this season with Palm Beach. The Texas product features a low-90s fastball that he mixes with an off-speed combo of slider, curveball, and changeup. The southpaw will look to begin his development in transitioning to the next level.

The final top 30 pitching prospect is Max Rajcic. He too was taken in the 2022 draft and will be making his professional debut. The UCLA starter posted a 3.28 ERA with 92 strikeouts in 85 innings last season. The 21-yearold will look to develop his arsenal that features great off-speed pitches.

Closing off the list of Palm Beach Cardinals is outfielder Won-Bin Cho, the 22nd prospect. The Korean native shows great potential as a left-handed hitter. The teenager will look to bounce back from injuries that limited him last season in the Florida Complex League, and will take the step up to the Palm Beach Cardinals.

The depth of the Palm Beach roster goes well beyond this list, with a handful of young prospects that will look to start their journey to the Majors, much like those before them.