Connor Thomas

Thomas, a fifth-round pick in 2019, was added to the Cardinals' 40-man roster in November of 2022. His season-long numbers with Triple-A Memphis do little to excite, but Thomas finished with an impressive showing in the Arizona Fall League (1.75 ERA, 34:5 K:BB over six starts) which weighed heavily in the team's decision. The lefty explained to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that, with advise from pitching coach Mike Maddux and the organization's all-time saves leader Jason Isringhausen, he developed a cut fastball. The cutter gave him a weapon on the inner edge of the plate against right-handed batters and in turn allowed his other three pitches to play up in the AFL. It's clear the Cardinals believe this new version of Thomas has a major-league future whether it be as a starter or reliever.