Nolan Arenado’s return to the St. Louis Cardinals seems to be quickly approaching.
Per Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, the All-Star third baseman said he plans to begin a rehab assignment this week, likely with Double-A Springfield, and then return next Monday when the Cardinals begin a series with the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium.
But he also kept talking about something else that day—the Cardinals’ No. 4 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
“And if you want to have fun with prospect excitement,” Jones wrote on social media, “[Arenado] crossed paths with plenty of guys at the complex [in Jupiter, Fla.] and said, unprompted, that he was very impressed by Rainiel Rodriguez.”
And if you want to have fun with prospect excitement, he crossed paths with plenty of guys at the complex and said, unprompted, that he was very impressed by Rainiel Rodriguez.
— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) September 5, 2025
“Hitting balls oppo at 109? That’s a good looking player.”
Arenado very impressed by Cards’ top prospect
Arenado has been rehabbing a right shoulder strain at St. Louis’ Spring Training complex in Jupiter, Fla. That’s where he must have seen Rodriguez, who played 60 games with Single-A Palm Beach this season before recently being promoted to High-A.
And Arenado had more to say about the Cardinals’ top prospect, per Jones.
“Hitting balls oppo at 109? That’s a good looking player.”
Indeed, he is. Rodriguez was solid in Single-A this year, slashing .249/.373/.498 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI. In just four games with High-A Peoria, he’s hitting .294.
The 18-year-old catcher was signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in April 2024, and he quickly dominated the Dominican Summer League. His .345 batting average ranked top four in the league, and his 1.145 OPS was the highest by a qualified DSL catcher since at least 2006, per MLB Pipeline.
Pipeline describes his offensive talent:
“Standing at a stout 5-foot-10, Rodriguez packs a significant punch from the right side of the box. He hits the ball hard with exit velocities up to 112 mph in early spring workout settings, and at this early stage of his career, he shows the right blend of lift and pull to get the most of that pop in games.”
The same age as a high school senior, Pipeline says Rodriguez would likely be a first-round talent if he displayed his skillset in a prep environment.
Though he still has a long way to go before reaching the majors, Rodriguez seems to be on the right path. After all, it’s not every day that prospects are praised by future Hall of Famers.