Springfield Cardinals 1st baseman RJ Yeager had a choice to make. “I was like, this isn’t how my career ends,” Yeager said. “I’m going to give it a shot. And man, thank God I did.”
That choice came after crushing disappointment. “I knew I wasn’t going to be picked on the first day,” he said. “But you’re still watching it. And to not see your name on the screen, it’s kind of like, ‘Dang man.'”
Despite leading Mississippi State in home runs, RBI, doubles, and batting average, Yeager wasn’t picked in the 2022 MLB draft. But then the phone did ring. Someone with a St. Louis area code was offering him a job. “I just sat back with my family and we kind of talked about it,” Yeager said. “We were back and forth.”
Two promotions later, it’s safe to say the Cardinals are happy he’s here in Springfield. “He’s awesome to have in here,” said Cardinals Manager Jose Leger. “He plays with passion. He cares about others. You can’t tell when he has a bad day.”
And even when he does have a bad day, he knows exactly who to turn to in fellow 1st baseman Chandler Redmond. “They stay together in the dugout talking about hitting,” Leger said. “So having those two, even though they play the same position, talking to each other, tells you a lot about their character.”
Character forged by sharing in that draft day disappointment. Something Redmond, a former 32nd-round pick, knows all too well. “It’s cool,” said Redmond. “It’s like he’s a year or two younger than me. I just see myself, you know.”
“We are splitting time at 1st base all the time,” Yeager said. “But we’ve become so close.”
“Trying to help him has not only helped him but it’s helped me,” Redmond added.
And that’s only possible because they see each other as friends, not competition for the same spot. Focusing on the positive. “Man, looking back it totally worked out for me,” Yeager said. “I’m here now with a great organization and couldn’t be more blessed, for sure.”
That’s all because he wouldn’t let his career end, instead focusing on where it was going.
