1: Shelby Miller-RHP: Obviously.  Miller surpassed a lot of expectations in 2010 and is currently one of the top 25 prospects in baseball.  He was outstanding after being taken out of action in June to throw only side sessions with Cardinal coaches.  He still has to clean up a few things in order to reach his potential as a top of the rotation starter.  But the Cardinals haven't had a pitching prospect this electric since Rick Ankiel.

2: Zack Cox-3B: He was one of the top 10 prospects in the 2010 draft and the Cardinals got a steal
getting him at 25.  We'll have to see how much power he has but Cox could be a .300, 10-20 HR hitter in time.  BTW, Jeff Luhnow said after the signing that Cox will be playing 3rd base next year and beyond.

3: Oscar Tavares-OF: Rated the #4 prospect in the Appy League, Tavares has just about all of the tools and solid performance to go with it.  He could be the new Rasmus in the system.

4: Carlos Martinez-RHP: You may know him as Carlos Matias but he was recently granted his visa so he is indeed a Cardinal prospect.  The Birds gave him 1.5 million this past spring and with good reason.  Martinez possesses a fastball that scouts give an 80 grade to.  His secondary stuff is average but he has time to improve in that area.  He can get to AA with the stuff he has now.

5: Eduardo Sanchez-RHP: A very underrated relief prospect that figures to be the new closer of the future with Chris Perez in Cleveland.  Sanchez combines mid to upper 90s heat with a good hard slider and strong control. I'd be a little surprised if he doesn't head North with the Cardinals this coming spring.

6: Tyrell Jenkins-RHP: Another very nice pick in the 2010 draft.  Jenkins' potential is a #2-3 starter so
that is why he finds himself this high.  Hopefully the Cardinals' staff can work out his flaws much like they did with Miller.

7: Lance Lynn-RHP: A big workhorse back of the rotation starter.  Lynn still hasn't gotten his stuff back from his sophomore year at Ole Miss so he won't wow you.  But he has learned to pitch and could be a very effective starter in the big leagues.  Outside of about 3-4 starts in the middle of the season Lynn's numbers were pretty good.

8: Seth Blair-RHP: Blair's future is a little uncertain.  He has a very solid repertoire to make it as a starter but may lack the command necessary to survive at the higher levels.  If he improves his command then Blair could make it as a mid-rotation starter.

9: Daniel Descalso-2B: His potential isn't very high and his defense is average but Descalso's bat may carry him into the Cardinals starting lineup in 2011 and beyond.  He could be another Skip Schumaker with better defense.

10: Nick Longmire-OF: Came out of the University of the Pacific as a 5th rounder to post an .855 OPS in the NYPL this summer.  Longmire boasts a very strong skill set that got him ranked as a top 200 draft prospect. 

11: Audry Perez-C: The Cardinals brass has spoken very highly of Perez and his numbers have backed up the talk.  He has posted a pair of .820+ OPS seasons in the Appy and NY-P Leagues and he threw out 14 of 37(38%) basestealers this season.

12: Joe Kelly-RHP: At the very least I believe Kelly can become a strong late inning reliever.  His stuff
is very good and his control has improved greatly.  However, Kelly was doing well as a starter in the Midwest League until the final month when fatigue likely set in.  Perhaps he does have a future as a starter.  We'll see.

13: Deryk Hooker-RHP: No matter where this kid goes he puts up very good to outstanding numbers.  His best weapon is a downer curveball and he mixes it with an upper 80s-low 90s fastball and average changeup.  He will need to tighten up his curveball a little more but he could have a good future.

14: Scott Gorgen-RHP: I had been a bit skeptical about Gorgen thinking that he was mostly a one pitch pitcher and that he would struggle in the upper levels.  However, I heard a few times this year that his velocity took a jump and he was throwing more around 88-90 this season.  Not great but his outstanding changeup will make that look like it's 92-94.  Elbow soreness caused him to miss a good portion of the season but when he was healthy he put up great numbers in AA.  Let me add in that I just found a BA article from last fall that had Pitch F/X data and it had Gorgen topping out at 92.1 MPH with an average of 90.32 MPH in the AFL.

15: Jordan Swagerty-RHP: His stuff doesn't lead one to believe he could be a closer but Swagerty should have enough stuff to settle into a role as a 7th-8th inning reliever in the majors.  Surprisingly the Cardinals said they will test him out in the rotation next year.

16: Adron Chambers-OF: Chambers has been an under the radar prospect in the Cards system the past two years but he is the fastest player in the system and has posted back to back seasons with an OBP of .370+. He has the patience and speed to possibly be a good option at the leadoff spot in 2012 and beyond.  Hopefully he can continue to improve his game.

17: David Kopp-RHP: I'm not terribly concerned about the awful 5 game stint in AAA because he did the same thing in 2009 when he moved up to AA and he was very good in AA in 2010.  He's likely not going to be anything better than a back of the rotation starter but the sinkerballer could work very well with Dave Duncan in the future...as long as Duncan stays around for another couple of years.  Derrick Goold reported that Kopp's velocity is still bumping 94-95 so that is a big plus for him.

18: Matt Carpenter-3B: A 13th round pick in 2009 to a .900 OPS in AA a year later.  Carpenter doesn't have much in the way of power but he realizes that isn't his game and that mixed with good discipline at the plate allowed him to handle a quick rise through the farm system.

19: Adam Ottavino-RHP: He was throwing the ball well in AAA before coming up to St. Louis and getting bombed. I'm not a huge believer in Ottavino being a major league starter but I do believe he could become a very good reliever thanks to a mid 90s fastball and above average slider.

20: Peter Kozma-SS: Improved a lot at AA from 2009 to 2010 but still had a disappointing season.  The most disappointing part was the 34 errors as Kozma was said to be a good defensive shortstop.  He's young and has time on his side but it will soon run out.  Kozma needs to have a bounce back 2011 season.

21: Adam Reifer-RHP: The flame throwing late inning reliever seems to have gotten over a shaky 2009 season as he had a good year in AA Springfield and earned a late season call-up to help Memphis in the postseason.  Reifer is inconsistent but has an outstanding repertoire including a mid to upper 90s fastball and a plus slider.

22: Daryl Jones-OF: He still has the tools but hasn't put together a good season since his "breakout" in 2008. Easily the most disappointing prospect in the Cardinals system the past few years.  I'll give him one more year before I give up on him.  Come on, Daryl!

23: Tommy Pham-OF: I'll bite at the good season he had in 2010.  Maybe he just pulled a Daryl Jones on me but Pham was rated around the 75th best prospect in the 2006 draft so scouts thought he had the potential to be a good ballplayer. The most encouraging sign was that he walked 60 times and posted a .394 OBP between High A and AA.  Pham might be at the top of my list of players to watch in 2011.

24: Cody Stanley-C: He is known as more of an offensive catcher with good athleticism and he showed that this summer, though, it was in the Appy League.  Robert Stock did the same thing a year ago and was awful in the Midwest League this year. I'll remain a little skeptical about Stanley but I do recognize a decent set of tools.

25: Niko Vasquez-3B: We still have yet to see the Vasquez that tore up the Appy League in 2008 following the draft.  He did improve from 2009 to 2010 but not quite at the rate I was hoping.  His best asset is still his bat and his discipline improved greatly as he drew 82 BBs between Low and High A.

26: Aaron Luna-2B/OF: This ranking is based mostly on Luna being able to play 2B in the big leagues.  He doesn't have to be a starter there but having the versatility is huge for Luna.  He has hit 33 HRs in 723 career minor league ABs and has also posted a career .394 OBP.  Power, discipline and possible versatility earn him the final spot on this list.  2011 is a big year for him to prove he is a legitimate option for the big league team.

Just missing: Steven Hill(C), Roberto De La Cruz(3B), Anthony Ferrara(LHP), Matt Adams(1B), Tyler Henley(OF), Mark Hamilton(1B), Robert Stock(RHP-Note the position)

Overall: The system is obviously down from the days of Rasmus, Garcia, Wallace and Perez.  However, the last two drafts and international signings have really improved both the depth in the system and the high impact talent.  Unfortunately a large amount of those players are below High A and are at least 2-3 years away from St. Louis.  There are some players that can help out the big league team over the next 2 years but will it be enough?  We'll see.  It could be a good bet that the Cardinals farm system will be back in the top 15 after 2011.

Coolcat23 be ready to go.  I may need you to take over around 2 PM.

Continue reading this post »

 

Hey all,

I need to find an Assistant Scouting Director who can take my place on June 5th in case I'm unable to make it.  I know there are plenty of Cardinal fans out there that follow the draft as in depth as I do and also post on minorleagueball.com.  With that said...let's talk draft.

Continue reading this post »

Here are the Cardinal's picks for this mock draft:

#19

#67

#98

I'll try a poll to see what everyone thinks about some of the early candidates for pick 19.  I've left off Mike Leake, Jake Turner, Shelby Miller and Zack Wheeler because most mock drafts have all of them going before the Cardinals pick.

I think when you look at the Cardinals farm system, the one thing missing is a starting pitcher with true middle of the rotation potential.  Judging by the mock drafts and rankings, there should be a good opportunity for the Cardinals to grab one in the 2009 draft.

 

 

Poll

Who should the Cards take in the 1st round?

6%

Tyler Skaggs

6 votes

11%

James Paxton

11 votes

31%

Rex Brothers

31 votes

1%

Bobby Borchering

1 votes

5%

Alex Wilson

5 votes

11%

Chad James

11 votes

20%

Andy Oliver

20 votes

8%

Mike Minor

8 votes

2%

Kendal Volz

2 votes

5%

Other(please name)

5 votes

100 votes | Poll has closed

I'm trying to decided who to add to my fantasy teams bench and I've decided I'll go with one of these two.  Maybe one will go on to hit .290 with 15-20 HRs and really help me so that is why its between these two.

Which of the two would you pick up?

Fowler's speed and patience has me leaning towards him but I know a lot of people are higher on Snider for this year.

Poll

Who should I pick up?

31%

Dexter Fowler

84 votes

68%

Travis Snider

179 votes

263 votes | Poll has closed

I'm sorry I didn't change this post sooner (it originally was discussing Adenhart's repertoire, 2009 outlook and a comparison following his great outing against Oakland). 

I made the post about an hour before I learned Adenhart died.  Looking back at it, it really makes me even more sad.  One minute I was looking forward to a bright future from the kid and then almost literally the next minute he's gone.

Anyways, RIP Nick.  22 is way to young.

The Twins will have 7 picks in this mock draft with 3 of them coming in the top 31 picks:

1st round- 14th overall

1st round- 27th overall

Sandwich round- 31st overall

2nd round- 60th overall

3rd round- 92nd overall

4th round- 126th overall

5th round- 156th overall

According to John Sickels, the Twins top 20 prospects include: 14 pitchers, 6 hitters(2 OFers, 1 SS, 2 3B, 1 1B).  But that was before adding 3 solid pitchers and a hitter in the Santana trade

I think BPA is the way to go.  If a pitcher is the best pick at 14, then we've still got two more early picks to go get hitters.  Lets just discuss pick 14 for now and then I'll post a MOD #2 for picks 27 and 31.

 

Poll

Who should the Twins pick at 14?

20%

Tim Melville

9 votes

22%

Brett Wallace

10 votes

4%

Christian Friedrich

2 votes

11%

Aaron Hicks

5 votes

11%

Ethan Martin

5 votes

6%

Alex Meyer

3 votes

24%

Jemile Weeks

11 votes

0%

Joshua Fields

0 votes

0%

Other (please list)

0 votes

45 votes | Poll has closed

I've got all the names ready for the draft tomorrow.  I've got a list of the top 50 players and the best player left at 48 will be the pick.  From there I've got lists of 10 for each pick and hopefully a couple of names will remain when the picks come up.
I WOULD LOVE IT IF EVERYONE POSTED THEIR OWN 5 PICK MOCK DRAFT.

I am, however, struggling to distinguish the best player at pick #3.  Matt Wieters is my #1 but after that I can't decide who is #2 between Vitters and Moustakas.
A lot of publications and a lot of scouts are saying that Moustakas had moved ahead of Vitters because his bat is equally as impressive and he has a better chance of handling the hot corner.  Moustakas has put up the monster spring playing in the same area as Vitters who has not put up good numbers.  You may say who cares about HS numbers but when players are this close, you've got to use whatever you can find to sift out the best.

I'll put it to you in a vote Edit: Don't vote for Wieters because I'll probably take him if Kansas City doesn't. I want to know who you would take if Kansas City takes Wieters.

Poll

Who would you take at #3

15%

Mike Moustakas

5 votes

15%

Josh Vitters

5 votes

42%

Rick Porcello

14 votes

27%

Matt Wieters

9 votes

33 votes | Poll has closed

Cubs have picks 3, 48, 98, 128, 158

Players I'm looking at for pick 3:
Matt Wieters
Josh Vitters
Rick Porcello

That's pretty much what it boils down to with the 3rd overall pick.  At this point I'm leaning towards Wieters.

Pick 48:
Justin Jackson
Todd Frazier
Joshua Fields
Jordan Walden(if he doesn't sign)
Matt Mangini
Mitch Canham
Yasmani Grandal
Cole St. Clair
Nevin Griffith
Chris Withrow

Guys like Mangini, Grandal and Canham could be taken off this list because of Wieters and Vitters.  If I take Wieters, I'm not going to take Canham or Grandal.  If I take Vitters, I'm not going to take Mangini.
This how I'd rank the pitchers on my list: Griffith, Walden, Withrow, St. Clair, Fields.

Would love to get suggestions for pick 48, 98, 128, 158.

The Cubs selections will be: #3, 48, 98, 128, 158

Recent first round selections:

2006. Tyler Colvin-OF-Clemson
      
2005. Mark Pawelek-LHP-High School(Utah)
      
2004. Grant Johnson-RHP-Notre Dame(2ND ROUND)
      
2003. Ryan Harvey-OF-High School(Florida)

Top 10 Prospects:

1. Felix Pie-OF
   
2. Donald Veal-LHP
   
3. Jeff Samardzija-RHP
   
4. Tyler Colvin-OF
   
5. Sean Gallagher-RHP
   
6. Eric Patterson-2B
   
7. Scott Moore-3B
   
8. Ryan Harvey-OF
   
9. Chris Huseby-RHP
   
10. Mark Pawelek-LHP

I'm confident in saying that David Price will be one of two players that won't be available when the Cubs pick at #3, but if he is still on the board, I'm guessing most will want me to take him.

My Top 5 for pick #3:
Josh Vitters
Matt Wieters
Rick Porcello
Andrew Brackman
Ross Detwiler

Feel free to add anything you want.  Would love to get a lot of suggestions for picks 48, 98, 128 and 158.

Can anyone tell me why Billy Butler is not a consensus Top 10 prospect in MLB?
And I will not accept poor defense as an answer because he is going to be playing for an AL ballclub and as well all know, the AL has a position called Designated Hitter(DH) that allows a player to get 4-5 at bats a game without having to play defense.

I keep seeing his name pop up in the 10-20 range and I keep seeing "poor defense" as the reason he's not higher.  I also know he is slow, but again, DH/1Bmen that hit for power don't necessarily need speed.

Can anyone tell me why Butler really isn't a Top 10 prospect?  Is there some major flaw in his game besides something that won't plague him whatsoever in the majors?

Am I reaching when I predict his best seasons to be around:
.320, 35 HR, 110 RBI, .400 OBP?