Fast-rising prospect Ragsdale becomes 2nd in Minors to 20-HR/30-SB campaign
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In the days after Monday's Trade Deadline, there’s always a flurry of new faces in new places across the Minors. Josiah Ragsdale fit that to a tee, having arrived in the Cardinals organization as part of the return package for pitchers Dustin May and JoJo Romero, who stayed inside the National League Central and landed with the Brewers.
So how to make a first impression? Well, Ragsdale proceeded to demolish a homer in his first Double-A Springfield at-bat off righty Ian Koeing (Padres), a cannon blast that came off the bat at 110 mph per the Nelson Wolff Stadium Trackman device. The Cardinals eventually fell to San Antonio, 5-3.
The homer marked Ragsdale’s 20th of the year, following the 19 that he mashed across two levels of Milwaukee’s system. Prior to his acquisition, he was second among all Brewers prospects with a 161 wRC+ this season, one of just six non-Complex players across the Minors to reach that mark.
But the story doesn't end with Ragsdale's slugging. He's also an elite runner, giving him that elusive power/speed combo that organizations can dream on with young prospects. The 22-year-old has put his 70-grade wheels on full display, having accumulated 31 steals (on 34 attempts) across 87 games. With Wednesday's homer, he became just the second player in affiliated baseball to reach the 20-homer/30-steal plateau thus far in 2026, joining Top 100 prospect Eric Hartman (ATL No. 2).
Ragsdale has erupted onto the scene in his first full pro campaign. Now slotted in as the Cardinals’ No. 10 prospect, he was one of the highest-rising young players in baseball when MLB Pipeline refreshed its rankings ahead of the Deadline. St. Louis took notice, landing him alongside another meteoric riser in fellow outfielder Alexander Frias, who catapulted to No. 4 on the club’s Top 30.
A seventh-round pick out of Boston College in 2025, Ragsdale signed an under-slot deal to get his pro career underway. He appeared in 21 games for Single-A Carolina last year and collected 21 hits, but just one went for extra bases -- a double. He began this season in an 0-for-14 rut and ripped a triple in game No. 5 only to be looking at an .048 average through eight games.
But after a homer in Game 2 of a doubleheader on April 15, Ragsdale hasn’t looked back. He’s slashed .338/.454/.621 since and done so while emerging into a flyball fiend. During his 26-game run with Double-A Biloxi, Ragsdale put 56.7 percent of his balls in play into the air, a complete 180-degree turn from the minimal 13.5 percent rate from his brief pro cameo last summer.
And he hasn't sacrificed the remainder of his offensive profile in the process. Ragsdale's strikeout rate is elevated at 25.6 percent, but he’s brought his walk rate (17.3 percent) up alongside of it. The New Jersey native hit .420 across 69 at-bats in June, walking as many times (15) as he struck out before finishing as one of six Minor Leaguers to hit 10+ homers in July, logging an OPS north of 1.100 on both occasions.
That launch-heavy approach will likely serve Ragsdale well in the Texas League, a circuit renowned for offensive prowess. With Joshua Báez (STL No. 3/MLB No. 44) already banging on the door of Busch Stadium from Triple-A Memphis, the Cardinals have in one fell swoop added another legitimate threat to their upper Minors outfield depth.
But Ragsdale isn't alone in the Springfield lineup as a prospect with serious thump. In his first Double-A game, St. Louis' top prospect Rainiel Rodriguez (MLB No. 12) also sizzled a solo homer. The top-ranked catching prospect in baseball has gone deep four times in the past six games and is hitting .338 with a 1.097 OPS dating back to July 10 despite being the second-youngest hitter at the Double-A level.