OPINION |
Over the last 21 years, Springfield fans have watched a parade of young prospects polish their skills at Hammons Field before graduating to the big leagues in St. Louis to help the major-league Cardinals.
From Josh Kinney as the original Springfield Cardinals alum to make his mark in the St. Louis bullpen, to 2025 National League Gold Glove shortstop Masyn Winn, the list of 143 is lengthy and impressive.
And it appears that the 2026 season will have more of a Springfield flavor at Busch Stadium than ever before, as the St. Louis Cardinals have committed to a full-blown youth movement. The rebuild that’s been put into motion by Chaim Bloom — trading veterans such as Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras this offseason — has cleared the deck for youngsters to fill the majority of the big-league roster in 2026.
Some of the young, former Springfield Cardinals talent slotted for bigger roles in St. Louis returned to the old Double-A home ballpark last week as part of the annual Cardinals Caravan. They praised the fans here for their support and their time in Double-A as a key to development.
‘This is a place where I started to blossom’
Victor Scott II had 94 stolen bases in 108 attempts in 2023, playing in 66 games for both Peoria and Springfield. Now with St. Louis, Scott has a goal of stealing at least 70 bases in 2026. (Photo by P.J. Maigi, Springfield Cardinals)
Victor Scott II was a fan favorite while playing the second half of the 2023 season at Hammons Field. Scott said he owes much of his development to his time here in what became a breakout season that saw him rocket into prospect territory.
“I feel like this is a place where I started to blossom, to kind of grow into the player who I’m becoming,” Scott said. “This was like the start of it and I was able to kind of show my game style, my gameplay here. And I just had a lot of fun doing it.”
Scott said he’s set a goal of stealing at least 70 bases for the Cardinals this season and winning a Gold Glove in center field, joining Winn — Springfield class of 2022 — in that elite category. Scott was a finalist for the top defensive award a year ago.
Leahy learned his eyesight was lacking under Hammons Field’s lights
Kyle Leahy bounced back strong from an 0-8 record in 2021 to lead the 2022 Cardinals in victories, strikeouts and innings pitched. Leahy is a contender for a spot in the St. Louis rotation in 2026. (Photo by P.J. Maigi, Springfield Cardinals)
Meanwhile, pitcher Kyle Leahy looks back on his days in Springfield as a mixed bag. A Division II player at Colorado-Mesa, Leahy was not a highly regarded prospect — especially after going 0-8 with an 8.20 earned run average for Springfield in 2022. But he turned it around the next year, going 10-7 and eventually making his big-league debut in 2024.
Now, after two decent seasons out of the St. Louis bullpen, Leahy is a contender for a spot in the big-league rotation.
“That’s always been a personal goal of mine, to get in the rotation of the big leagues one day,” Leahy said. “So we’ll have that opportunity in spring, and we’ll see how it goes.
“I’ve taken my lumps and my bruises here as well, and learned a lot of lessons from this game here (in Springfield) and picked myself up from some pretty dark moments in my career and made it through. I think that has shaped a lot of things that you need to survive in this game over a long season.”
Leahy recalled how he discovered his eyesight was lacking while pitching night games at Hammons Field, and he couldn’t read signals from the catcher. It became an anxiety issue for him.
“I didn’t wear contacts before, and the lighting here kind of made me realize that I can’t see,” Leahy recalled. “I went and got contacts and it would take me 30 minutes to put contacts in before the game because I was afraid to touch my eyes at that point.
“I went through a lot of small little life things like that here that don’t seem like much, but when you’re freaking out before a game that you can’t see, and if you can’t put your contacts in with first pitch in an hour … it’s little things like that that you don’t think they would be a big deal, but I went through that.”
Bernal proud of his minor-league Gold Glove
Springfield Cardinals catcher Leonardo Bernal greets teammates after scoring the first run of the Baby Birds’ season, on a single by third baseman Dakota Harris in the first inning on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Hammons Field in Springfield, MO. (Photo by Mary Ellen Chiles)
Another Cardinals prospect who isn’t too far from possibly making it to St. Louis is catcher Leonardo Bernal. The Texas League all-star in 2025 was a key member of Springfield’s second Texas League championship team, and he capped it off by winning a minor-league Gold Glove — selected from all players at his position at all levels.
Bernal said most people probably think of his hitting ability, but he’s most proud of the Gold Glove as a member of an organization that featured Yadier Molina for two decades.
“Yadi won like 13 Platinum Gloves and nine Gold Gloves,” Bernal said. “You definitely want to be great (defensively) as a Cardinals catcher.”
Wetherholt also expected to compete for starting role with St. Louis
Springfield Cardinals short stop JJ Wetherholt looks on from the dugout during a game at Hammons Field. (Photo by Mary Ellen Chiles)
Probably the most-decorated Springfield alum in recent years didn’t make the interview portion of the Caravan because of travel delays. Infielder JJ Wetherholt enters 2026 as one of baseball’s top prospects and the Texas League Player of the Year in 2025. The 23-year-old is expected to contend for a starting position at second or third base in spring training.
Based on his past experience, Scott offered up some advice to Wetherholt about the transition from prospect to big-league regular.
“If you have a good process, a good routine, things slow down in the game,” Scott said. “So that’s something that if I could go tell the 2024 Victor, then I definitely would.”
Expectations around baseball are low for the big-league Cardinals as the organization’s first true rebuild season in nearly three decades begins. Not that the young and hungry Redbirds are ready to buy into the term “rebuild” when it comes to the standings.
Many of the guys who came through Springfield together want to not only grow as a group in St. Louis, but also to win there as well.
“Being a homegrown group, that has some true meaning to it,” Scott said. “We’re able to go out there and say, ‘Hey, you’re homegrown, I’m homegrown, let’s go win together.’ We’re excited about it.”
St. Louis at Springfield exhibition
Many of those former Springfield Cardinals will return to Hammons Field on March 23 as the St. Louis Cardinals play a 6:05 p.m. exhibition game against the Double-A team. Tickets for the game are available through RED Access membership. For questions on how to access tickets, visit SpringfieldCardinals.com or call (417) 863-0395.
Lyndal Scranton is a Springfield native who has covered sports in the Ozarks for more than 35 years, witnessing nearly every big sports moment in the region during the last 50 years. The Missouri Sports Hall of Famer, Springfield Area Sports Hall of Famer and live-fire cooking enthusiast also serves as PR Director for Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri and is co-host of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast. Contact him at Lscranton755@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @LyndalScranton. More by Lyndal Scranton