Cooper Hjerpe

Hjerpe, a 6-foot-3 southpaw, put up very impressive numbers in college thanks to a unique arm angle that allows all his pitches to play up. He got off to a slow start in his pro debut, but he had a 1.54 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 26 strikeouts in 23.1 innings over his final four starts before needing a cleanup procedure on his elbow. He made it back for the Arizona Fall League, and worked as a reliever there, striking out 15 while walking six in 8.1 innings over seven appearances. Including the AFL, Hjerpe was able to log just 49.1 innings after throwing 103.1 frames for Oregon State in 2022. Staying healthy and handling a starter's workload will be paramount this year, and if he does that, he could be an option in the big-league rotation in late 2024 or in 2025.

The data darling of the 2022 MLB Draft on the pitching side, Hjerpe's fastball sits in the low-90s, touching 95 mph, but the extreme vertical approach angle from his sidearm delivery allows his fastball to play up as a plus pitch. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound southpaw from Oregon State registered a 2.53 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 161:23 K:BB in 103.1 innings as a junior. The Cardinals grabbed him with the 22nd overall pick and gave him full slot money. Most pitchers gain a tick or two of velocity in pro ball, so Hjerpe's fastball should remain a dominant weapon thanks partially to his excellent command. As with most starters with a low arm slot, the big question is how his secondaries will develop. He throws a couple breaking balls and a changeup, but none of them are thrown harder than around 80 mph. Even so, his sweeping slider performed like a plus pitch in college. Hjerpe did not pitch after getting drafted, but he could be one of the best pitchers from this class and could move quickly.