Cardinals hold the fifth pick of the 2025 MLB Draft: Who might they take?

ST. LOUIS – For the first time in nearly three decades, the St. Louis Cardinals hold a Top 5 pick in the MLB Draft, a rare opportunity to land a high-upside, top-of-the-crop prospect to shape the team’s future.

The Cardinals own the No. 5 overall pick of the 2025 MLB Draft, slotted behind the Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners and Colorado Rockies in order. Thanks to some draft lottery luck the Cardinals jumped into a top-tier spot, as they otherwise would have been suited for a middle-first-round pick this year.

The last time the Cardinals had a Top 5 selection? The 1998 MLB Draft when they selected J.D. Drew with the fifth overall pick. While Drew had a solid MLB career (.278 AVG and 242 HR in 14 seasons), his most-lasting impact on the Cardinals came rather unexpectedly. In 2003, Drew was dealt in a trade that brought future cornerstone ace Adam Wainwright to St. Louis.

Let that serve as a reminder of just how wild and unpredictable the MLB Draft can be, and just how much one pick can ripple through a franchise’s future. For a Cardinals team desiring to build around youth, the stakes couldn’t be much higher.

The Cardinals’ front office will ultimately need to weigh factors such as positional needs, player ceilings, high school and college experience and whether a draftee has more long-term value as a homegrown prospect or trade piece. Choosing a first-round pick, especially a higher selection, is the type of decision that has scouts and analysts playing out endless back-and-forth scenarios for months as they try to project the best fit.

Who might the Cardinals take?

With a Top 5 pick, the Cardinals control their own destiny more than most teams, but inevitably some highly-touted names could fall off the board before they’re on the clock.

Nine names are consensus Top 10 draft-ready prospects this year, according to multiple outlets (MLB.com, ESPN, USA Today and Baseball America), suggesting the Cardinals are in striking distance of selecting one of these young stars.

COLLEGE

• Kade Anderson (LHP, LSU)
• Jamie Arnold (LHP, Florida State)
• Liam Doyle (LHP, Tennessee)
• Aiva Arquette (SS, Oregon State)

HIGH SCHOOL

• Billy Carlson (SS, Corona HS (CA) Tennessee commit)
• Seth Hernandez (RHP, Corona HS (CA), Vanderbilt commit)
• Ethan Holliday (SS/3B, Stillwater HS (OK), Oklahoma State commit)
• JoJo Parker (SS, Purvis HS (MS), Mississippi State commit)
• Eli Willits (SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (OK), Oklahoma commit)

The baseball aficionados, however, differentiate on who they ultimately believe the Cardinals will pick at No. 5 overall.

• MLB.com: Eli Willits
• ESPN: Jamie Arnold
• USA Today: Liam Doyle
• Baseball America: Aiva Arquette

While the Cardinals could look elsewhere, it seems realistic they will choose one of these consensus Top 10 players with the fifth overall pick.

Many of this draft’s top projected players are shortstops, an intriguing conundrum for the Cardinals for many reasons. For one, the Cardinals selected J.J. Wetherholt (also a natural shortstop) in the first round last year. And at the big-league level, Masyn Winn has emerged as a rising star at shortstop with a rocket arm and a steady bat.

It’s not necessarily the worst problem to have in the baseball world, but if the Cardinals go the route of selecting another shortstop, they may have to consider whether some of their top prospects and future infielders could shift to second base, third base or outfield at some point, or whether someone projects as a longer-term trade candidate.

As for pitching, any team at the MLB level can hardly ever have enough quality arms. Many of the top pitchers available could form into frontline starters with proper development, and the Cardinals could certainly use that to improve an aging rotation and relatively-thin pitching pipeline.

Spotlight: Potential Top Picks

The first overall pick is largely expected to be one of Kade Anderson, Ethan Holliday or Eli Willits, though perhaps the Nationals could make a surprise selection. And whoever gets picked first could set the stage for the entire first round, much like the opening move in a chess match.

So what makes Anderson, Holliday and Willits among the best of the best?

KADE ANDRERSON

Anderson emerged as a dominant college lefty who led LSU to a national title last month and lead NCAA Division I pitchers in strikeouts (180). Anderson commands a four-pitch mix with a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball and changeup. He has fully recovered from Tommy John surgery in high school in 2022 and his exquisite command makes him a top of draft candidate.

ETHAN HOLLIDAY

Holliday is the son of longtime Cardinals fan-favorite Matt Holliday and younger brother of 2022 first-overall pick Jackson Holliday. His elite ball-to-barrel skills, advanced pitch recognition and power to all fields make him a very desirable building block and the Holliday family pedigree obviously helps his stock too.

ELI WILLITS

Willits is a switch-hitter with speed, range, and strong baseball instincts. Like Holliday, he is also the son of a former MLB outfielder (Reggie Willits). Scouts are impressed with his high-energy play, defensive tools and pure contact abilities. His athleticism and high ceiling are helping him build a strong draft case.

Spotlight: More Realistic Targets

While there’s a chance one of Anderson, Holliday or Willits could fall to the Cardinals, it’s more likely they will prepare to draft one of these building blocks.

JAMIE ARNOLD

Arnold brings an electric mix of velocity and movement from the left side, making him a tough customer from both sides of the batter’s box. While he regularly hits mid-90s with his fastball, his low release point and backdoor slider truly set him apart. Arnold is considered a strikeout specialist, and with minor adjustments to his mix and command, could rise through the ranks rather quickly.

AIVA ARQUETTE

Arquette might not draw as much early buzz as the high school shortstops, but his offensive celling is hard to ignore. He hit hit .354 with 19 homers and had a 1.115 OPS last year with Oregon State, showcasing advanced pitch recognition, plate discipline and raw power. His college track record suggests he could move through the minors quickly, regardless of his long-term position.

LIAM DOYLE

Doyle also posted elite strikeout numbers (15.4 K/9 IP) last season while maintaining strong command and efficiency. His arsenal runs deep with a fastball that touches 100 mph, a tight slider, a deceptive changeup and developing cutter. Doyle projects as a pitcher who can miss bats while limiting free passes, and his next step is likely refining his pitch sequencing to maintain dominance.

SETH HERNANDEZ

Hernandez is touted as the one of the draft’s top high school arms, coming off Gatorade National Player of the Year honors (0.39 ERA, 105 strikeouts over 53 innings). With an upper 90s fastball, advanced changeup and two breaking balls, he has ace potential. The jump from high school dominance to minor-league baseball comes with challenges, but the upside and youth is certainly enticing.

Other Possible Targets

If the Cardinals desire something different at shortstop, Billy Carlson, JoJo Parker and Kayson Cunningham could also be on the team’s radar.

Other farther-fetched names on draft board the Cardinals could consider include Kyson Witherspoon (RHP, Oklahoma), outfielder Ike Irish (OF, Auburn) or Tyler Bremmer (RHP, UC Santa Barbara), though all project more as Top 10 cuspers for this year’s draft.

The 2025 MLB Draft

The 2025 MLB Draft takes place Sunday and Monday in Atlanta as part of the 2025 MLB All-Star weekend. The opening night draft festivities, which includes the first round and more, will air on ESPN and MLB Network starting at 5 p.m. CT on Sunday.

For a closer look at MLB.com’s pre-draft prospect rankings, click here.