What we know as the normal path from the draft to the big leagues isn’t always the case. At times, players spend zero time in the minor leagues (miss you, Alexei Ramirez), but that is becoming rarer by the year. The most common path for a St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguer is to work your way up from Rookie Ball all the way to AAA before finally getting your shot at the big leagues.
In the case of the 23-year-old fireballer, Jordan Hicks, the Cardinals decided that he was worthy of the big leagues after pitching at High-A Palm Beach.