The St. Louis Cardinals entered the 2026 MLB Draft with more Day 1 picks than any other team. Ultimately, the club came out of the whirlwind first day with a solid prospect haul that maximized upside, with youth as a notable theme of the day. The Cardinals were one of the few teams near the top of the first round to take a swing on an intriguing high school player, landing outfielder Trevor Condon with pick No. 13th overall. The Cardinals followed that selection with a collegiate arm, RHP Tegan Kuhns, with the 32nd overall pick. The selection of Kuhns marks a continuation of a trend that began for the Cardinals during the 2025 MLB Draft: a proclivity toward Tennessee Volunteer pitchers. Last year, the Cardinals anchored their Draft haul with two tantalizing Tennessee arms in Liam Doyle and Tanner Franklin. Kuhns, MLB Pipeline’s No. 25 Draft prospect, has some of the ingredients needed to pitch near the front of a Major League rotation. The 6-foot-3 hurler fires a fastball that can touch 98 mph and gets good carry thanks to its high spin rate. He complements that heater with a big curveball that’s clocked in the upper 70s. Those two offerings are already plus pitches, and they can get even better if Kuhns adds a little more power to them as he fills out his 189-pound frame. Kuhns had an up-and-down couple of years in college. After posting a 5.40 ERA and a 9.5% walk rate across 36 2/3 innings in 2025, he was spectacular in three Cape Cod League starts last summer, highlighted by a 20:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He then showed much better control as a sophomore, slashing his walk rate to 4.7%. Yet, after opening the year as Tennessee’s Friday night starter, a string of rough starts this past spring led to a short demotion to Tennessee’s bullpen for Kuhns. He had better results once he returned to the rotation, including a 15-strikeout performance versus Texas on May 8. Kuhns ended the year with 106 K’s over 81 innings. Here’s a rundown on the other Day 1 picks: More on the Cardinals’ 2026 Draft:
Trevor Condon: A High School Standout Joins St. Louis
The Cardinals made a bold move in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft by selecting Trevor Condon, an 18-year-old outfielder from Etowah High School in Georgia. According to stlsportspage.com, the organization’s interest in Condon was bolstered by area scout Brian Moehler, who had the unique opportunity to watch the prospect play frequently while scouting his own son.
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