Redbirds' 12-game win streak highlights prospect talent

SEATTLE -- As much fun as Memphis Redbirds manager Ben Johnson was having while his Triple-A squad rang up 12 consecutive wins -- a streak that ended Sunday with a 6-4 loss to Triple-A Indianapolis -- there’s also a certain stress level that goes with a winning streak that has spanned two full weeks.

No one, of course, wanted to be the reason why the feel-good span came to an end, especially Johnson, who is big on routine and sticking with what’s working throughout a great stretch of baseball.

“It’s delicate, and you try to stay out of the way as a manager, in a sense, but you are also steering them in the right direction you want the team to go,” said Johnson, who guided Memphis to a 15-game win streak in July 2021. “I’m a really superstitious guy, so I try and keep the same routine day in and day out, especially when we’re going well. It’s just been a lot of fun.”

Memphis certainly has had fun since the streak began on April 8 after a mildly disappointing 3-5 start. Because of the tremendous depth throughout the Cardinals organization, the Redbirds had 11 players on the MLB club’s 40-man roster before shortstop Paul DeJong’s promotion from his rehab assignment.

The Redbirds also feature electrifying shortstop Masyn Winn, the No. 2 prospect in the organization per MLB Pipeline. Johnson thinks it will be extremely beneficial for young players such as the 21-year-old Winn -- who has struggled a bit at the plate but is 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts -- to learn from so many players with MLB experience.

“It’s a lot of fun as a manager because you can expand your playbook,” Johnson said. “So many of these guys have high baseball IQs, and they understand what you’re talking about when you’re looking to exploit the [opposition’s] offense or defense. It’s kind of helped me learn more, also. We have hitters and pitchers meetings every day, and we let these guys [with MLB experience] talk and they tell the team what they’re thinking, and it’s an opportunity for the staff and other players to learn.

“When the opportunity comes to give one of these guys a shot at the MLB level, they’re going to be ready to run with it,” Johnson added. “They’re getting a feel for playing winning baseball, and they’re having fun, too. It’s nice to have some older guys and some younger ones, too, who are also capable of playing at the Major League level.”

Here's a look at how the Cardinals' different levels of Minor League organizations and some of their top prospects have performed thus far:

Triple-A Memphis: A big reason why Memphis has been so dominant has been the pitching of 23-year-old left-hander Matthew Liberatore, the Cardinals’ No. 5 prospect. Liberatore, who was 2-2 with a 5.97 ERA in nine MLB games (seven starts) in 2022, has boosted his previously mid-90s fastball to one that regularly touches 97 and 98 mph.

“He’s still a young kid who is continuing to grow into his body,” Johnson said of the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Liberatore. “I think it’s just a young man maturing and really putting some emphasis into his strength and conditioning in the offseason. When you think about it, a lot of young men at 23 and 24 years old often continue to grow and get bigger, and he’s in that growth phase of his maturity. And this spring, he was in the rotation, so he had more of a controlled routine. He was pitching every fifth day, and that unlocked a little bit of what we’re seeing now. That routine was a lay of the foundation for him, and he’s benefitted from that.”

Double-A Springfield: Michael McGreevy, the Cardinals' No. 7 prospect, was promoted from Springfield to Triple-A Memphis after posting a 1.45 ERA over his first three starts. McGreevy replaces right-hander Dakota Hudson, who was put on the 7-day injured list because of neck stiffness.

High-A Peoria: The Cards got good news when right-hander Tink Hence, the organization’s No. 3 prospect, avoided serious injury after being bothered by chest tightness. He is on track to return soon. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said that Hence will throw a light session off the mound on Sunday and then conduct a higher intensity bullpen session on Thursday or Friday. If that goes well, Hence will be activated off the injured list. In 7 2/3 scoreless innings, Hence has fanned eight batters.

Left-hander Cooper Hjerpe, the No. 22 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, has had trouble with the long ball in his three outings so far. The former Oregon State product has surrendered 10 earned runs, including five home runs, in just 12 innings of work.

Single-A Palm Beach: Catcher Leonardo Bernal pushed his average to .361 with a 4-for-4 night with two RBIs in Palm Beach’s 5-0 win over Dunedin on Saturday. On the season, the 19-year-old native of Panama is 13-for-36 with two home runs and seven RBIs.

Third baseman Michael Curialle, a 12th-round pick from UCLA in 2022, leads the team with a .391 average. Curialle has six doubles, a home run and seven RBIs, but he has whiffed 11 times in 46 at-bats.