ST. LOUIS -- Tink Hence, the No. 3-ranked player in the Cardinals' Minor League system, per MLB Pipeline, notched a milestone on Saturday when he picked up the first victory of his professional career for the Peoria Chiefs.
Hence allowed just one earned run and five hits over five innings as High-A Peoria beat Beloit on Saturday for the 20-year-old right-hander’s first professional victory. Of his 59 pitches, 39 were strikes and he induced four ground balls and five popouts. Because of his age and slight build (6-foot-1, 185 pounds), Hence was allowed to pitch just 52 1/3 innings in 2022 -- a season when he compiled a stellar 1.38 ERA over 16 starts.
Hence, the 63rd overall player selected in the 2020 MLB Draft, missed time earlier this season with a chest injury. Since returning, he has allowed just two earned runs in his past three starts. Hence is 1-1 with a 2.64 ERA in 30 2/3 innings this season. He has allowed three home runs, but he has three times as many strikeouts (31) as walks (10).
Here is a look at how some of the other top prospects in the Cardinals' Minor League system have performed in recent weeks (all stats entering Sunday):
Triple-A Memphis
Masyn Winn, the organization’s No. 2-ranked player, saw his 16-game hitting streak come to an end in Saturday’s loss to Durham. During the streak, Winn hit .320 with seven multihit games, a home run, one double and one triple. For the season, Winn -- who has been splitting time between shortstop and second base this season -- is hitting .260 with six home runs and 24 RBIs. He has four doubles, three triples and 13 stolen bases in 14 attempts.
Catcher Ivan Herrera was the organization’s Player of the Month for May after hitting .353 with 11 doubles, a triple and two home runs last month. Herrera, who made his MLB debut with the Cardinals last season before being sent back to Triple-A, is the organization’s No. 7-ranked prospect.
Right-hander Michael McGreevy (No. 6), who added strength and bulk in the offseason in hopes of packing more zip into his fastball, has been one of the organization’s top performers all season. After going 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA in three starts at Double-A Springfield, McGreevy was promoted to Triple-A Memphis where he has been equally as effective. The No. 18 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft is 4-0 with a 3.00 ERA in eight starts with Memphis, racking up 33 strikeouts compared to just 14 walks in 45 innings pitched.
Double-A Springfield
Chandler Redmond, who shot to fame last season by becoming what was thought to be just the second professional player ever to hit for a home run cycle, is continuing to dominate at the Double-A level with his power. The 26-year-old Redmond leads the Texas League in home runs (17) and RBIs (47) and his .921 OPS ranks fourth in the league.
Speedster Mike Antico (No. 21) extended his 13-game on-base streak with a solo home run on Saturday night. Antico, who saw extensive playing time with the Cardinals during Spring Training, has eight home runs, nine doubles and four triples this season for Springfield. He’s stolen 18 of 22 bases.
High-A Peoria
Left fielder Nathan Church, an 11th-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of UC Irvine, leads the Midwest League with 71 hits. Church, 22, is the top hitter in the Cardinals' Minor League system, batting .327 on the season. He has 13 doubles, a triple and two home runs to go with his team-best 26 RBIs.
Victor Scott II, a fifth-round pick in 2022, delivered the first four-hit game of his professional career on Saturday in Hence’s first victory. Scott, who is hitting .297, continues to use his speed to dominate foes at the High-A level. In addition to racking up seven triples and eight doubles, the 22-year-old Scott has stolen 43 bases in 49 tries. Scott, an Atlanta native who played collegiately at West Virginia, is the No. 26-ranked prospect in the Cardinals' system.
Single-A Palm Beach
The first-place Cardinals have been led in hitting all season by 24-year-old first baseman R.J. Yeager, who has team highs in average (.315) and RBIs (35) while also slugging five home runs in 55 games.
Progress has come much slower for 19-year-old outfielder Joshua Baez, who is ranked as the No. 10 prospect in the Cardinals' system. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder, who was the 54th overall player picked in the 2021 MLB Draft, has hit just .204 with two home runs and 14 RBIs in 33 games. Baez, who is thought to be one of the best power prospects in the system, has struck out 47 times while walking just 16 times thus far this season.