The St. Louis Cardinals made a significant roster move ahead of the MLB trade deadline, choosing to part ways with a highly regarded pitcher in order to create room on the 40-man roster. The decision closes the chapter on one of the organization’s most intriguing young arms, whose career was repeatedly derailed by injuries and inconsistency before reaching the major leagues.
Once viewed as one of the brightest pitching talents in the Cardinals’ farm system, the right-hander never fulfilled the lofty expectations that followed him after being selected with a Competitive Balance pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. After years of setbacks, St. Louis designated him for assignment, marking a disappointing end to what once appeared to be a promising partnership.
Drafted out of Watson Chapel High School in Pine Bluff, Arkansas despite a commitment to the University of Arkansas, Tink Hence signed with the Cardinals and immediately drew attention for his electric arsenal. His fastball touched 96 mph and was complemented by a curveball, slider and changeup, giving evaluators confidence that he could develop into a frontline starter as he matured physically.
With the 2020 minor league season canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tink Hence did not make his professional debut until 2021 in the Florida Complex League. Although he surrendered eight runs and three walks over eight innings, he struck out 14 batters, flashing the swing-and-miss ability that made him such an exciting prospect.
He opened the 2022 season in extended spring training before joining Low-A Palm Beach in May. Across 16 starts, Hence dominated with a 1.38 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP and a remarkable 41.5% strikeout rate while issuing only 15 walks. The Cardinals carefully managed his workload, never allowing him to exceed four innings or 60 pitches in an outing, but the results reinforced his enormous upside.
That success carried into the Arizona Fall League, where he posted a 2.16 ERA in 8.1 innings. His rapid development helped him rise to the Cardinals’ No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline and earned him recognition as one of baseball’s top 100 prospects from 2023 through 2025.
After dominating High-A Peoria early in 2023, Hence earned a promotion to Double-A Springfield. The jump proved challenging, as he recorded a 5.47 ERA over 54.1 innings while his strikeout rate dipped and his walk rate increased. Even so, he represented the Cardinals in the All-Star Futures Game alongside Victor Scott II and returned to the showcase in 2024 with Quinn Mathews.
He responded well in 2024, producing a 2.71 ERA across 79.2 innings at Springfield while regaining his command and pushing his strikeout rate back to 34%. He also logged three consecutive six-inning starts, fueling optimism that he was back on track.
Because he had signed before turning 18, the Cardinals added Hence to their 40-man roster following the 2024 season to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. At that point, a major league debut appeared to be only a matter of time.
Instead, injuries continued to interrupt his progress. Expected to begin 2025 at Triple-A, Hence suffered a right rib cage strain that landed him on the 60-day injured list. After several rehab appearances, he returned for three starts with Springfield before a lat strain and shoulder impingement ended his season.
When he finally reached Triple-A Memphis this year, the Cardinals had shifted him into a relief role in hopes of preserving his health and maximizing his effectiveness. Unfortunately, the transition failed to revive his career.
His fastball no longer played with the same deceptive approach angle, and his velocity dropped noticeably, with the pitch sometimes struggling to reach 90 mph. Command also became a major issue, as Hence walked 18 batters in 20.1 innings while posting a 6.64 ERA and a 1.82 WHIP during the 2026 season.
As his struggles mounted, his standing within the organization slipped dramatically. After once ranking as the Cardinals’ No. 2 prospect, he fell to No. 28 in MLB Pipeline’s organizational rankings. Ultimately, the club decided to designate him for assignment to clear space for Mathews on the 40-man roster.
Despite never making his Major League debut, Tink Hence built one of the most decorated minor league résumés in the Cardinals organization. The right-hander captured the 2024 Texas League Pitcher of the Year award after recording 109 strikeouts with Double-A Springfield, adding to his 2022 Florida State League Pitcher of the Year honors following a dominant campaign in which he posted a 1.38 ERA with 81 strikeouts over 52.1 innings for Low-A Palm Beach.
Hence also earned widespread recognition as one of baseball’s brightest young pitching prospects. He was selected to the MLB All-Star Futures Game in both 2023 and 2024, earned Texas League Post-Season All-Star honors in 2024 and Florida State League All-Star recognition in 2022, and was named a Baseball America Low-A All-Star during his breakout 2022 season. Within the organization, he received Cardinals Co-Pitcher of the Month honors for June 2023 while pitching for High-A Peoria. At his peak, Hence ranked as the Cardinals’ No. 2 prospect and was widely viewed as a consensus Top 50 prospect in all of baseball by major outlets such as MLB Pipeline and Baseball America entering the 2024 season.
With his 24th birthday approaching on August 6, Hence could still receive another opportunity elsewhere. Another club may claim him off waivers, the Cardinals could move him before Monday’s 6 p.m. ET trade deadline, or, if he clears waivers, he could return to the organization on a minor league contract or elect free agency.
If he never wears a Cardinals uniform again, it will mark a disappointing conclusion to a partnership that once carried enormous expectations but ultimately never translated into a major league debut.