Cardinals Announce Players of the Month For June 2026

LHP MASON MOLINA & INF JESÚS BÁEZ NAMED CARDINALS TOP MINOR LEAGUERS FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE

ST. LOUIS, Mo., July 13, 2026 – The St. Louis Cardinals today announced their selections for Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for June, with Springfield Cardinals (AA) left-handed starting pitcher Mason Molina and Peoria Chiefs (A+)/Springfield infielder Jesús Báez taking home the honors.

Molina posted a 2.45 ERA (8 ER/29.1 IP), two wins, a 0.89 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts with four quality starts across five June starts. Among qualified Cardinals minor league pitchers (min. 15.0 IP), Molina ranked first in innings pitched, quality starts, strikeouts and walks per nine innings (1.53), second in WHIP, and third in opponent’s OPS (.576). He finished the month with a 12.1 scoreless innings streak, including back-to-back 6.2 IP winning starts in which he did not allow an earned run. The 23-year-old struck out at least five batters in each of his five starts and matched his career single-game high with 9 punchouts on June 9 vs. Amarillo.

“Mason put together an outstanding body of work by translating measurable player plan progress into consistent game performance,” said Cardinals Director of Player Development Larry Day. “The efficiency of his starts stemmed from improved count leverage and the ability to attack hitters with a legitimate five-pitch mix. Most notably, his changeup saw increased usage vs. left-handed hitters as he established it as a legitimate weapon to both sides of the plate. The combination of improved execution and career-high fastball velocity reflect the continued development of Mason’s overall arsenal, positioning him well for sustained success moving forward.”

Acquired by the Cardinals from the Texas Rangers along with RHP Skylar Hales and international bonus pool money in exchange for RHP Phil Maton at the 2025 trade deadline, the former 2024 7^th round draft pick out of the University of Arkansas was recently promoted to Triple-A Memphis on June 30 after making 14 starts in his first season at the Double-A level. The club’s No. 27 prospect pitched to a 2.87 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, .199 average against with a 28.8% strikeout percentage and 9.1% walk percentage across 69.0 innings pitched.

Báez slashed .323/.378/.708 with seven home runs, 11 extra-base hits, 21 RBI, 16 runs scored and a 1.086 OPS across 17 games with High-A Peoria (11) and Springfield (6). The 21-year-old led all qualified Cardinals minor leaguers (min. 70 PA) in slugging percentage, while also ranking among the system leaders in HR (T-3^rd), RBI (T-3^rd), XBH (T-4^th) and OPS (6^th).

He had a nine-game hitting streak to begin the month (12-game streak overall) and recorded an RBI in 11 of 17 contests. The Dominican native was promoted to Springfield on June 23 and promptly hit three home runs over his first six games, establishing a new single-season high (15 HR) with his first Double-A home run on June 24.

“Player of the Month is recognition of process, not just performance. Jesús earned this honor because of his unwavering commitment to improving every day,” stated Day. “He committed to swing enhancements that focused on creating a slightly more uphill bat path, and he attacked that work relentlessly alongside our hitting staff. Whether it was controlled training at the front of the cage or challenging, game-like environments, he embraced every opportunity to develop. Most importantly, he carried that same high-ball-flight intent into competition every day. The performance was a byproduct of a disciplined process that never wavered.”

Acquired by the Cardinals from the New York Mets along with RHP Nate Dohm & RHP Frank Elissalt in exchange for RHP Ryan Helsley at the 2025 trade deadline, the club’s No. 28 prospect has enjoyed a breakout year in his first full season with the organization to the tune of a career-best .821 OPS through 66 games. Originally signed by the Mets as a international free agent in January 2022, the right-handed hitter currently ranks among the Cardinals minor league leaders with 19 HR (2^nd), 31 extra-base hits (T-2^nd), 135 total bases (3^rd), and 52 RBI (T-4^th).

— STL —