Juan Yepez May Offer A “Break-Out” Season For The St. Louis Cardinals

It seems the St. Louis Cardinals are an annual contender in Major League Baseball.

The Cardinals usually find a way to win in the National League Central Division.

The Cardinals have appeared in the last four MLB playoffs. They were swept in the 2019 National League Championship Series by the Washington Nationals. They then lost the National League Wild Card series each of the past three seasons.

Last season, St. Louis won the National League Central with a record of 93-69.

According to fangraphs.com, the Cardinals have a projected 2023 payroll of $164M, an increase of $1M from last season.

So far this offseason, Cardinals roster moves have been rather limited.

The Cardinals signed highly regarded All Star catcher Willson Contreras, 30, as a free agent from the Chicago Cubs. Contreras will assume the catching role from retiring potential Hall of Famer, Yadier Molina. Tough shoes to fill.

Rule 5 selection Wilking Rodriguez, a right-handed reliever, will likely earn a role in the Cardinals bullpen. By the rules of the Rule 5 draft, Rodriguez must remain on the Cardinals 26-man roster all season, or be offered back to his former New York Yankees team for $50,000.

The Cardinals have a balance of good hitting and quality pitching.

One of the lesser known players in the proposed starting lineup is versatile Juan Yepez.

About Juan Yepez:

A right-handed hitter, Juan Yepez, who turns 25 in February, may win the role as the Cardinals designated hitter.

In 2014, Yepez was signed as a 16-year-old by the Atlanta Braves as an International free agent from Venezuela. He was given a $1M signing bonus by Atlanta.

Yepez was in the same Braves international class with outfielder Ronald Acuna. Interestingly, Acuna received $100,000 to sign. An amazing bargain.

A third baseman at the time he signed, the signing bonus was well above industry expectations for Yepez.

Yepez has experience playing first base, third base and the outfield on defense.

In 2017, Yepez was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for first baseman Matt Adams, and cash.

After parts of seven minor league seasons, Yepez was promoted to the Cardinals big league roster last season. He played in 76 games for St. Louis.

As a rookie, Yepez hit .253 with 12 homers and 30 RBIs in 274 plate appearances. He scored 27 runs. He played left field, right field, third base and first base.

RosterResource.com indicates Yepez is slated to be the team’s designated hitter, hitting 8th in the lineup.

If the season were to begin today, RosterResource.com predicts the Cardinals lineup will be:

Tommy Edman-SS

Willson Contreras-C

Paul Goldschmidt-1B

Nolan Arenado-3B

Brendan Donovan-2B

Tyler O’Neill-LF

Lars Nootbaar-RF

Juan Yepez-DH

Dylan Carlson-CF

Scouting Juan Yepez:

This scout was able to evaluate Yepez in the 2021 Arizona Fall League.

Playing for Glendale that fall, Yepez hit .302 with seven homers and 26 RBIs. He had an outstanding season, and opened eyes of scouts and analysts. His OPS (on base plus slugging percentage) was 1.028 in 23 games.

To this scout, Yepez showed a short, measured swing with very quick hands through the ball.

At the conclusion of the Fall League, this scout placed a grade of 50 on the ability of Yepez. That translates to a player with an everyday role on a major league club. Only his lack of defensive skills limited his overall scouting grade.

Even with a strong and accurate arm, Yepez remains a bit defensively challenged. He will have to rely upon his gap power and his home run potential to retain a major league role. But the potential for impressive offensive production for St. Louis is evident.

Yepez may deliver significant rewards at the plate.

Yepez, 6-1, 200 pounds, gained about 20 pounds of pure muscle prior to the 2021 season. He has strength throughout his frame, and his home run power continues to develop.

At one point, Yepez had more mobility and agility than this scout has seen recently. His added weight may dictate his best team role to be designated hitter.

A hitter with good plate discipline, Yepez is selective at the plate, and he makes good contact. Last year, he struck out 61 times in his 274 plate appearances. He makes pitchers throw strikes, without freely swinging at pitches out of the strike zone.

A solid line drive, gap hitter, Yepez feasts on fast balls. He has some improvement to make on breaking balls, but that’s the case with most young hitters.

Yepez is slow afoot, and he won’t be counted upon to steal many, if any, bases.

If he does play defense, it is most likely he will appear at first base. However, with All Star Paul Goldschmidt owning first base for St. Louis, he might not see many chances in the field.

Conclusions:

The St. Louis Cardinals have traditionally been a force in the National League.

The Cardinals will be returning almost the same team in 2023. They did sign former Chicago Cubs All Star catcher Willson Contreras, and reliever Wilking Rodriguez, a Rule 5 selection from the New York Yankees.

Contreras will replace Yadier Molina, a likely Hall of Fame catcher.

Juan Yepez, a young player who exceeded his rookie status when he graduated to the Cardinals parent club last year, has a chance to be the Cardinals designated hitter.

Yepez is a disciplined, right-handed hitter with power. He could experience a “break out” season that could help propel St. Louis to their fifth consecutive playoff bid.

If the 2023 season ends in normal fashion, the St. Louis Cardinals will come on strong down the stretch, and become a force to be reckoned with in Major League Baseball.

It is entirely possible Juan Yepez will play a role in helping the Cardinals get to their customary playoff finish line.