From Rule 5 To The Bronx: How A Career-Low Moment Allowed Cade Winquest To Make New York's 2026 Opening Day Roster
- Dominic Konareski
- 14 hours ago
- 2 min read
Rule 5 success stories are uncommon, especially with the high-pressure clubs which the New York Yankees fall perfectly into. Cade Winquest made the Yankees’ Opening Day roster and will get his first taste of the bigs.
Winquest is 25-years-old and has been playing professional baseball since the 2023 season, but has never pitched higher than Double-AA ball. Originally drafted in 2022 out of college as the Cardinals’ eighth-round choice, Winquest would stay with St. Louis until being acquired by New York.
Being in the Rule 5 draft is seen as a low point in a player's career as it signals stalled development and no longer being a priority in the organization of the team that did not protect the player. With that though, it also means getting a short with a new team and a chance to break out in spring training.
Cade Winquest did not 'break out' stat-wise. His 7.20 ERA in 10 innings is bloated due to the number of innings pitched, but his 8 strikeouts in 10 innings and being able to touch triple-digits on the radar gun, proved to Yankee manager Aaron Boone that he is MLB-ready.
Pitching 25 games in 2025 between High-A+ and Double-AA, Winquest was used primarily as a starter with 23 starts under his belt. Winquest pitched 106 innings and had a 23.9 K%, which was accompanied by a 3.99 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. Overall, the move to add Cade to the 26-man Opening Day rosters fits very well. The Yankees needed a lower-leverage arm and Winquest provided just that.
The righty struck out more than one batter per-inning on average in 2025, in what was the highest number of innings pitched throughout a season for his professional career.
Despite manager Aaron Boone beginning the 2026 season with a 4-man starting rotation, Winquest is expected to be part of the back end of the Yankees bullpen, but a spot start should not be out of the question. Overall though, any meaningful high-leverage situations will be a building part for Winquest during his stay in the Bronx, but already just by making the roster he has already capitalized the impactful opportunity of the chance to play ball in pinstripes.
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