Cards' No. 4 prospect shows he's 'turning into a real threat' with Spring Breakout HR
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JUPITER -- By sound of his voice, it's clear former Major Leaguer Jason Isringhausen -- now the Cardinals’ special advisor and roving pitching instructor -- was pleased to manage the team’s prospects to a 9-8 victory over the Nationals’ contingent in their Spring Breakout game at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Thursday evening.
The Cardinals were down, 4-0, after an inning and a half -- but by the sixth inning, they had rallied to take an 8-5 lead. With Nationals right-hander Josh Randall on the mound, Josh Kross hit an infield single to bring home No. 18 prospect Tai Peete and tie the game, 5-5. Later in the inning, JJ Wetherholt (St. Louis' top prospect and No. 5 overall according to MLB Pipeline) scored the go-ahead run after Rainiel Rodriguez was hit by a pitch. It was a lead the Cardinals did not relinquish.
While Isringhausen was impressed by all the prospects he managed, he had the most to say about Wetherholt and No. 4 prospect Joshua Báez (No. 87 overall) -- who hit a two-run homer to get the Cardinals back in the game in the fifth inning. It was his second homer of his career in a Spring Breakout game.
“I’ve been around most of [the prospects] a while," Isrunghausen said postgame. "JJ is JJ, and he is going to hit and walk. That’s what he does.
"Josh Báez is turning into a real threat. He did it in some big league games. He has done it in the back fields. I just hope the bat-to-ball skills continue. If he can do that -- we know he has the power. He can run and throw. He has a lot of tools.”
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Though Yhoiker Fajardo, 19, allowed three runs to Washington in the ninth inning to make it a close game, Isringhausen had nothing but good things to say about the right-hander. Fajardo, who was acquired from the Red Sox as part of the Willson Contreras trade this offseason and ranks as the Cards' No. 13 prospect, dominated in his first two innings.
“He pitches like he is a seasoned veteran,” Isringhausen said. “He was another great pickup that we were able to get. I know we didn’t like trading our big guns, but the players we got back are pretty good. It makes our system jump from 19 to [four, according to MLB Pipeline]. Fajardo seems very polished for a 19-year-old.”