The St. Louis Cardinals are loaded in the infield right now, for the most part, and should get even better in the near future.
Alec Burleson is one of the best first basemen in the National League, despite going under the radar in 2026. JJ Wetherholt looked like a budding superstar in 2026 and should have a Gold Glove Award coming his way. Masyn Winn is still just 24 years old and should have a Gold Glove Award coming his way this offseason as well. Third base is a question mark, but there are pieces in the organization who can change that. That includes Thomas Saggese, Blaze Jordan, Jesus Baez and even No. 1 overall prospect Rainiel Rodriguez.
When it comes to Baez specifically, it sounds like St. Louis has high hopes for him all over the place. In 2026, he saw time at second base, shortstop and third base down in the minors. Third base would be the easiest path for him to make it up to the majors. But Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom kept all options open in the infield, per MLB.com's Will Leitch.
"He also sees Baez being able to play everywhere on the infield, including shortstop ('He has the hands for it. He has the arm for it.') and third base," Leitch wrote. "Bloom even said Baez could play second base in a pinch, though he noted, grinning, 'We got a guy that we like there.' The Cardinals are keeping all options open."
What Should St. Louis Do In The Infield?
The Cardinals are obviously set at second base right now and into the future. That is, of course, Wetherholt. He was a rookie in 2026 and already locked up a long-term contract extension. He isn't going anywhere. Plus, he's very likely going to win the Gold Glove Award at the position. It's safe to say second base is his for a long time to come.
The fact that Bloom mentioned shortstop as an option as well is interesting. Right now, that's Winn's spot. The expectation has been that Winn would be the shortstop of the future for the organization and he has lived up to the hype defensively. He is the best defensive shortstop in the National League. But offensively, his bat hasn't caught up. Winn was a 5.1 WAR player in 2024 and had the best offensive season of his career so far that season. Since then, he hasn't been the same offensively. If he doesn't get back to the level he was at that season, this will be something to watch with Baez working towards the majors.
He isn't at the same level defensively as Winn. Few players are. But he bashed 39 home runs and drove in 109 runs in 2026 down in the minors in 113 games played. Offensively, Baez has potential to be elite. Again, the easiest path for him to the majors would be at the hot corner. There isn't an incumbent there. But the fact that shortstop isn't something that is completely ruled out is interesting and will be something to follow moving forward.
Add us as a preferred source on Google