St. Louis Cardinals 2019 Top 50 Prospects

Elehuris Montero - photo credit Tom Hagerty on Flickr (lakelandlocal)

St. Louis Cardinals Top 50 Prospects for 2019

In 2018 St. Louis finished the season just 2.5 games back from the 2nd spot in the NL wildcard. With Milwaukee coming onto the scene and winning the division, and the Cubs having finished one game back, it was a tight race. St. Louis always seems to be right in the thick of playoff contention every year with a mix of both older and younger players. But after missing the playoffs in three straight seasons, something needed to happen. St. Louis went out and acquired 6-time All-Star Paul Goldschmidt. Going back to Arizona in this deal were Luke Weaver, Carson Kelly, and Andy Young – three players that could have been future All-Stars themselves. However a change needed to happen and it was a great pickup for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals also deployed some great minor league talent to the big leagues in 2018 including Jack Flaherty, Austin Gomber, and Jordan Hicks. All 3 have now graduated from the prospect ranks. What will 2019 be like for the Cardinals? Another season of missed playoffs? Or will the acquisition of Paul Goldschmidt get the monkey off their backs. Stay tuned for an exciting year. As I run through the Cardinals top 50 prospects, I’ve denoted each player’s 2018 Midseason rank which is from Eddy Almaguer’s Cardinals Midseason Top 50 column from last July.

Here’s a list of St. Louis’ minor league affiliates:

  • AAA: Memphis Redbirds (Pacific Coast League)
  • AA: Springfield Cardinals (Texas League)
  • High-A: Palm Beach Cardinals (Florida State League)
  • Low-A: Peoria Chiefs (Midwest League)
  • Class A Short Season: State College Spikes (New York-Penn League)
  • Rookie: Johnson City Cardinals (Appalachian League)
  • Rookie: GCL Cardinals (Gulf Coast League)
  • Foreign Rookie: DSL Cardinals Blue, DSL Cardinals Red (Dominican Summer League)


Prospects1500 Tiers:
Tier 1: Players with high expectations of both making the majors and playing at an All-Star level for a number of years
Tier 2: Players with an above average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 3: Players with an average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 4: Players who have the potential of making the majors, or have high likelihood of making the majors but providing minimal impact
Tier 5: Players who are worth keeping an eye on, but likely to never make a team’s 40-man roster

Tier 1:
1. Alex Reyes, RHP

Age: 24
Highest Level in 2018: MLB
2018 Midseason rank: 1
Despite having another injury plagued season, Reyes is still the number 1 prospect for the Cardinals. Coming into the 2018 season after Tommy John surgery, Reyes pitched in 4 games between Low-A and AAA and compiled 3 wins and an astounding 44 strikeouts in just 23 innings. Disaster struck just 4 innings into his only MLB start of 2018, when Reyes left with a torn tendon in his lat muscle. Reyes should be 100% going into spring training, but could spend some time in the bullpen, or have his innings limited as a precaution. He still has the “Ace” potential, and barring any setbacks should be a beast on the mound.

2. Nolan Gorman, 3B
Age: 18
Highest level in 2018: Low-A
2018 Midseason rank: 3
After being selected 19th overall in 2018, Gorman went on to play Rookie ball in Johnson City. There he went on to hit 11 home runs, 28 RBI, and have an 1.107 OPS in just 38 games. He then moved up to Low-A where he didn’t fair so well, hitting just 6 home runs, 16 RBI, and an OPS of .706 in 25 games. Gorman’s power is definitely there but so are the strikeouts and lack of contact. Going into the 2019 season I’d expect Gorman to start in most likely Low-A and improve his contact and strikeout rates. If and when that happens, watch out.


Tier 2:
3. Tyler O’Neill, OF

Age: 23
Highest level in 2018: MLB
2018 Midseason rank: 2
I have O’Neill on list but he won’t be for very long. He’s just one AB away from graduating as a prospect. Since Prospects1500 leans dynasty/fantasy over real life, we’re keeping him on this list as he may be prospect eligible in some of your drafts, even though he exhausted his prospect status in MLB with over 45 days of service time. The young Canadian looked great in AAA posting a solid .311/.385/.693 slash line with 26 home runs and 63 RBI. This led to a call up by St. Louis. With the big club his totals dipped to .254/.303/.500 with 9 home runs and 23 RBI. It’s starting to look like the only way he’s going to get regular playing time is if someone gets hurt. O’Neill still has the power and should make the best of his limited at bats.

4. Elehuris Montero, 3B
Age: 20
Highest level in 2018: High-A
2018 Midseason rank: 5
Montero is an all around solid hitter. Slashing .315/.371/.504 across Low-A and High-A with 16 home runs and 82 RBI, Montero is one of the best hitters in the Cardinals system and should continue that way into the 2019 season and beyond. He can hit to all fields with power , but doesn’t have much speed which will cut down his doubles and triples. Being only 20-years-old, he’s only going to get better and stronger. The only thing he seems to lack other than his speed is the mobility in the infield. He has a strong arm and is still an average fielder. But from a fantasy standpoint, it’s his bat that we’re looking at, and it’s pretty good.

5. Andrew Knizner, C
Age: 23
Highest level in 2018: AAA
2018 Midseason rank: 6
With Carson Kelly now with the Diamondbacks, Knizner seems to be the catcher of the future for the Cardinals. In 2018 Knizner slashed .313/.368/.430 with 7 home runs and 45 RBI. Knizner doesn’t strikeout very often as you can tell by his minimal 48 strikeouts in 374 plate appearances. With Yadier Molina nearing the end of his career, will it be Knizner’s turn behind the plate?

6. Jhon Torres, OF
Age: 18
Highest level in 2018: Rookie
2018 Midseason rank: NR
Torres came over to St. Louis in the trade that sent highly touted outfielder Oscar Mercado to the Indians. While being only 18-years-old, Torres slashed .321/.409/.525 across Rookie ball.  He seems to have all the tools of becoming a really good hitter. He also has decent enough speed that he can steal a base or two.

7. Ryan Helsley, RHP
Age: 24
Highest level in 2018: AAA
2018 Midseason rank: 7
Helsley has the stuff to be a solid relief pitcher. He has a mid 90’s fastball with movement, mixing in a high spin rate 12-6 curve. In AAA in 2018 he started 5 games, finishing with a 2-1 record but had a pretty amazing 11.9 K/9. Towards the end of the season he got shut down with shoulder fatigue, leading me to believe that he’s more set as a reliever in the MLB. If he can stay healthy there’s a good chance he will make it to the big club in the 2019 season.

8. Griffin Roberts, RHP
Age: 22
Highest level in 2018: High-A
2018 Midseason rank: 10
Drafted 43 overall in 2018, the Wake Forest product only pitched a total of 9.2 innings in the Cardinals system last season. While he didn’t fair very well in the minimal innings he pitched, giving up 7 runs in the 9.2 innings, his K/9 was an amazing 12.1. Roberts got handed a 50 game suspension and will serve it starting this coming season. With his nasty slider he can develop into an elite strikeout pitcher, but so far he’s looking destined for the bullpen.


Tier 3:

9. Luken Baker, 1B
Age: 21
Highest level in 2018: Low-A
2018 Midseason rank: 11
Baker was drafted 75th overall in the 2018 draft. Baker is a giant standing 6’4″ and weighing in at 265 lbs. This size gives him an enormous amount of strength and power. Across Rookie and Low-A in 184 plate appearances, Baker slashed .319/.386/.460 with 4 HR and 22 RBI. The potential is there for Baker to become a solid home run hitter, and he’s poised to have a solid 2019 season.

10. Malcom Nunez, 1B/3B
Age: 17
Highest level in 2018: Foreign Rookie
2018 Midseason rank: NR
Nunez seemed to have an easy time in the DSL last season. In just 199 plate appearances he went on to crush 13 HR, get 59 RBI, and have a batting average of .415. I know it’s only Rookie ball but still. At 17-years-old it’s still up in the air what will truly become of Nunez, but I have high hopes for him. If he can keep tearing it up in 2019, he could become one of the best young prospects the Cardinals have.

11. Dylan Carlson, OF
Age: 20
Highest level in 2018: High-A
2018 Midseason rank: 12
Carlson had a decent 2018 season hitting 11 HR and 62 RBI. He has power from both sides of the plate which is a plus. He also cut his strikeout percentage way down from 25.7% in 2017 to 17.7% in 2018. Carlson is developing into a solid hitter. And at only 20-years-old there’s still lots more to come.

12. Dakota Hudson, RHP
Age: 24
Highest level in 2018: MLB
2018 Midseason rank: 15
Hudson made his MLB debut in 2018 recording a 4-1 record with a 2.63 ERA. His K/9 isn’t spectacular by any means but he still gets the job done. Due to his phenomenal sinking fastball he has a high ground ball rate. Hudson just doesn’t have that really good strikeout pitch he needs. Still a solid performer, but more of a back of the rotation type of pitcher.

13. Max Schrock, 2B
Age: 24
Highest level in 2018: AAA
2018 Midseason rank: 8
Schrock slashed a mediocre .249/.296/.331 in AAA last season. He did however rack up 42 RBI and 10 SB. Schrock still doesn’t strike out very much, but he also doesn’t hit for power. This takes away from his fantasy value for sure. Will 2019 be the season Schrock gets the call to the MLB?

14. Randy Arozarena, OF
Age: 23
Highest level in 2018: AAA
2018 Midseason rank : 9
Arozarena has shown excellent speed through the minors stealing 26 bases between AA and AAA. He’s got a little bit of power as well slugging 12 HR with 49 RBI in 2018. If he can manage to keep up the pace in AAA, I can see him deserving a call up to the MLB. But I’m afraid that will only happen if there are injuries or trades.

15. Adolis Garcia, OF
Age: 25
Highest level in 2018: MLB
2018 Midseason rank: 16
Garcia made his MLB debut in 2018 getting 17 AB. He did get 1 RBI but other than that didn’t do much. In AAA earlier in the season however he was tearing it up, hitting 22 HR with 71 RBI and 10 SB. He definitely earned the call up to the MLB with that performance. But will he stick there in 2019? With the Cardinals having quite a few decent outfielders he would have more of a fill in role. He does seem to strikeout a lot but he does have pop.

16. Ramon Urias, 2B
Age: 24
Highest level in 2018: AAA
2018 Midseason rank: 14
Urias had a stellar 2018 season between AA and AAA hitting 13 HR and 44 RBI. He seems to have above average hitting capabilities and could see the MLB sometime in the future. He can hit to all fields but lacks the power to center and right. If Urias can somehow get some power to those fields, he could be a solid asset.

17. Daniel Poncedeleon, RHP
Age: 27
Highest level in 2018: MLB
2018 Midseason rank: 31
Poncedeleon pitched in 11 MLB games last year, starting 4 of them. He didn’t have a very fair record (0-2) compared to how well he pitched. He did have a 2.73 ERA and a solid 8.5 K/9 though. I grabbed him off the free agents in every fantasy league I could last year (developed a man crush I guess). I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him stick with St. Louis next season with how decent he pitched last year.

18. Justin Williams, OF
Age: 23
Highest level in 2018: MLB
2018 Midseason rank: NR
Williams came over to St. Louis when Tommy Pham got dealt to Tampa Bay. Williams had 1 AB in the majors with Tampa Bay before moving over to St. Louis. Williams has the tools to be a pretty good hitter. He’s got a little bit of power and if he continues to work on his swing he can lower his strikeouts and add to the power.

19. Genesis Cabrera, LHP
Age: 22
Highest level in 2018: AAA
2018 Midseason rank: NR
Cabrera also came over from Tampa Bay in the Tommy Pham deal. Between AA and AAA, Cabrera pitched in 27 games and had an 8-9 record. The one thing that is a downfall for Cabrera is his control. He walks way too many batters. He does have a good fastball though, topping out at 98 mph. Cabrera does have a lot of potential, and being only 22 he can get his control locked in. He’s looking like a future lock for the Cardinals bullpen.


Tier 4:

20. Conner Capel, OF
Age: 21
Highest level in 2018: High-A
2018 Midseason rank: 12 (Cleveland)
Capel came to St. Louis with Jhon Torres in the Oscar Mercado deal with the Indians. Capel has average power and hit 7 HR and 63 RBI in High-A last season. He also has speed which he showed in stealing 15 bases. Capel does possess the tools to be a decent hitter, and the speed is already there.

21. Scott Hurst, OF
Age: 22
Highest level in 2018: High-A
2018 Midseason rank: 17
Hurst doesn’t have much in the way of a power bat. But he did have an OPS of .836 in 2018. He seems to get the hits and can swipe a bag. He lowered his strikeouts from 2017 and should continue to become a solid hitter lacking power.

22. Yariel Gonzalez, 1B
Age: 24
Highest level in 2018: Low-A
2018 Midseason rank: NR
Gonzalez crushed it in Low-A in 2018 with 11 HR and 64 RBI in 395 AB. He slashed .311/.357/.458. I like how his stats are lining up, but then again he is 24-years-old in Low-A. That could be a red flag. Gonzalez is my favorite deep sleeper pick in this list. Snatch him up now.

23. Nick Dunn, 2B
Age: 21
Highest Level in 2018: Low-A
2018 Midseason rank: 24
Dunn was drafted 153rd overall in 2018. He played most of 2018 in Class A Short Season but did move up to Low-A for 14 games.  Collectively slashing .253/.329./.361. Dunn hit 3 HR and had 35 RBI across the 2 leagues. In college Dunn started to get into a little bit of power hitting double digits in home runs in his 2018 season. That power seemed to falter a bit after that. He’s got really good plate discipline and walks a lot. The power should come back eventually but he’s not going to blow you away with home run totals.

24. Edmundo Sosa, SS
Age: 22
Highest level in 2018: MLB
2018 Midseason rank: 32
Sosa did pretty well in AA and AAA last season slashing .270/.313/.420. He tends to strikeout a lot more than he walks but has some power hitting 12 HR between the 2 leagues. Sosa doesn’t have much for speed only stealing 6 bases and getting caught 4 times. All in all he is a solid hitter and is an excellent defensive shortstop. Sosa made his MLB debut in 2018 only getting 3 plate appearances (1 BB, 1 K).

25. Leandro Cedeno, 1B
Age: 20
Highest level in 2018: Rookie
2018 Midseason rank: NR
Cedeno hit 14 HR with 47 RBI in 2018 for Johnson City. With an OPS of 1.011 in 2018, it actually dropped down from the 1.143 in 2017, although it’s still an astounding number. Cedeno has the power to keep hitting home runs on a daily basis. What he needs to work on are lowing his strikeouts. Being in rookie ball gives him lots of time to work out the kinks. I think he’s on his way to becoming a really solid hitting with above average hitting tools.

26. Jacob Patterson, LHP
Age: 23
Highest level in 2018: High-A
2018 Midseason rank: 39
Patterson pitched in 51 games last year for High-A Palm Beach. Strictly a relief pitcher, Patterson has a really good 10.1 K/9, but also has walk issues. Looking forward he should end up being a pretty solid relief pitcher with high strikeout possibilities.

27. Joerlin De Los Santos, OF
Age: 18
Highest level in 2018: Foreign Rookie
2018 Midseason rank: NR
Last season in the DSL, De Los Santos only hit 1 HR. Where he really shines is his speed and ability to draw the walks (41 in 2018). He had a whopping 30 stolen bases last year and only got caught 9 times. De Los Santos also had 6 triples to go along with all those steals. With his lack of power De Los Santos strictly relies on his blazing speed and great plate discipline. Being so young I can only imagine how fast he’s going to end up being in the next few years. He’s low end to make the MLB, but if he does it’ll be his speed that takes him there.

28. Steven Gingery, LHP
Age: 21
Highest level in 2018: Didn’t play due to injury
2018 Midseason rank: 42
Gingery didn’t pitch in 2018 because of Tommy John surgery. The Cardinals still decided to draft him 123rd overall in the 2018 draft. Gingery’s change-up is said to be one of the best in the entire 2018 draft. He has pretty decent control and is able to place his fastball and curveball around the plate consistently. I could see him being a possible 3rd-4th man in the rotation.

29. Junior Fernandez, RHP
Age: 21
Highest level in 2018: AA
2018 Midseason rank: 36
Fernandez was featured in 24 games, pitching only 30.2 innings between High-A and AA last season. He was only used as a relief pitcher after starting 16 games in 2017 in High-A. It’s looking like Fernandez is going to be that possible 7th or 8th inning guy with the occasional 9th inning opportunity.

30. Tommy Edman, SS
Age: 23
Highest level in 2018: AAA
2018 Midseason rank: 44
Edman is another guy that relies a lot on his speed. Between AA and AAA he stole 30 bases on 35 attempts which is outstanding. But he’s also got a little bit of pop in his bat hitting 7 HR as well. Although not a huge power guy, he hits mostly for average with minimal strikeouts. I think he has a lot of talent and should climb up this list the next time around.

31. Evan Kruczynski, LHP
Age: 23
Highest level in 2018: AA
2018 Midseason rank: NR
Kruczynski finished last season in AA, and starting 21 total games between High-A and AA. He doesn’t have electric stuff and this leads to a mediocre K/9. I see Kruczynski as more of a relief pitcher than a starter for the Cardinals. He’s a guy that can eat up some innings without getting into too much trouble.

32. Jean Selmo, OF
Age: 18
Highest level in 2018: Foreign Rookie
2018 Midseason rank: 22
Selmo has minimal power but can hit the occasional home run, hitting 2 in the DSL in 2018. He lowered his strikeout total from the previous season and increased his batting average by almost 70 points. Selmo has decent plate discipline and gets his share of walks. He had 7 SB in 2018 and 5 triples so the speed in there.

33. Lane Thomas, OF
Age: 23
Highest level in 2018: AAA
2018 Midseason rank: NR
Thomas had a pretty good year from AA through to AAA. Although striking out 134 times, he still hit 27 HR, with 88 RBI and 17 SB. Out of all the prospects ranked this low, I believe he has the highest potential. Without a doubt he will be moving up this list within the next year.


Tier 5:

34. Connor Jones, RHP
Age: 24
Highest level in 2018: AAA
2018 Midseason rank: 27
Jones started 21 games in 2018 between AA and AAA. He doesn’t have a great strikeout ability but does induce a lot of ground balls. Jones is trending towards more of a relief pitcher than an starter, hence the drop in rankings.

35. Johan Oviedo, RHP
Age: 20
Highest level in 2018: Low-A
2018 Midseason rank: 41
Oviedo started 23 games for Low-A Peoria in 2018. He finished the season with a 10-10 record and 4.22 ERA. Oviedo tends to walk a lot of batters, but gets his strikeouts as well (8.7 K/9). I moved him up from the Midseason ranking because I think he’s got the potential to become a pretty decent pitcher. He’s only 20 and if he can rope in his command and cut down the walks he will move up.

36. Seth Elledge, RHP
Age: 22
Highest level in 2018: AA
2018 Midseason rank: NR
St. Louis traded Sam Tuivailala to Seattle for Elledge last season. Elledge had a pretty good 2.13 ERA and also 13 saves between High-A Modesto and AA Springfield. He has to lower his walk rate to be more effective but already has good numbers otherwise. Look for him to be in AA in 2019 and a possible move up to AAA.

37. Derian Gonzalez, RHP
Age: 23
Highest level in 2018: AAA
2018 Midseason rank: NR
Gonzalez started in 6 games in Rookie ball pitching only 6.1 innings. Very small sample size but he had a K/9 of 14.2. He was then used out of the bullpen in AA and AAA picking up 4 wins and 2 saves. His K/9 improved from 5.5 to 10.1 going from AA to AAA which gives me some hope even though he only pitched 33.1 innings total in all 3 leagues combined.

38. Will Latcham, RHP
Age: 22
Highest level in 2018: AA
2018 Midseason rank: 43
Latcham is a late innings relief pitcher. In 44 games between High-A and AA last season, he had a 5-4 record and saved 12 games. His K/9 ended up at a pretty good 9.9. Latcham played in the Arizona Fall League but didn’t do very will giving up 13 runs in just 11.1 innings. He still has the potential to improve and become and great late innings reliever. Hopefully the AFL disaster was just a fluke.

39. Delvin Perez, SS
Age: 20
Highest level in 2018: Class A Short Season
2018 Midseason rank: 26
Perez didn’t impress much in 2018 but I feel he has the speed to be a decent base stealer/baserunner. He did steal 8 bags but also got caught 6 times which isn’t a very good percentage. He doesn’t hit very well so he only has his speed going for him.

40. Wadye Ynfante, OF
Age: 21
Highest level in 2018: Class A Short Season
2018 Midseason rank: 23
Ynfante has dropped significantly in this list because he strikes out way too much, 101 times in 286 plate appearances to be exact. The only reason I have him here is because he can hit the occasional long ball, and has a little bit of speed. His stock is dropping fast and needs to have a great season this year.

41. Ivan Herrera, C
Age: 18
Highest level in 2018: AA
2018 Midseason rank: 19
I’m usually not a big fan of the catcher position but figured Herrera did enough to convince me. Playing in just 2 games in AA and 28 in Rookie, he had an OPS of .898. To go along with that he had 25 RBI as well. It was a small sample size, but he’s only 18 and already made it to AA. So that’s big jump for him.

42. Bryce Denton, OF
Age: 21
Highest level in 2018: High-A
2018 Midseason rank: NR
Denton finished the season in High-A but only played in 3 games. In Low-A he played 91 games and did pretty well, hitting 8 HR, 34 RBI, 4 SB. He’s got the tools to be an average hitter with some speed to go along with it. He just needs to cut down the strikeouts.

43. Ludwin Jimenez, RHP
Age: 17
Highest level in 2018: Foreign Rookie
2018 Midseason rank: 37
It’s hard to say what’s going to become of this 17-year-old pitcher. He had a pretty good 9.8 K/9 in the DSL, finishing with a 3.55 ERA.  Not bad for such a young pitcher. Being so young there’s a lot of room for improvement and he’s definitely one player I want to keep an eye on. He’s still a long ways away from seeing what he can become.

44. Evan Mendoza, 3B
Age: 22
Highest level in 2018: AA
2018 Midseason rank: NR
Mendoza finished 2018 with 8 HR, 42 RBI, and a solid .282 batting average. He did strikeout 104 times while only walking 39 times which needs to improve. But Mendoza does have the capability of becoming a really good hitter. To go along with the hit tool he’s a really good defender at 3B with his strong arm and great footwork.

45. Carlos Soler, OF
Age: 19
Highest level in 2018: Rookie
2018 Midseason rank: 34
Soler’s power isn’t where the Cardinals were hoping it would be in 2018. He hit just 1 HR but had a decent batting average at .337 and had 40 RBI. I’m not sure where his power will be in 2019, but there’s room for improvement in that department. That’s for sure. He added 7 SB but also got caught 7 times as well.

46. Andrew Morales, RHP
Age: 25
Highest level in 2018: AAA
2018 Midseason rank: NR
Morales moved up from AA to AAA in 2018 where his numbers improved quite a bit. He dropped his ERA from a crazy high 10.80 down to 4.24, while also adding in 6 saves. Morales’ K/9 went down from 13.5 to 10.3 but that’s still a good number. Morales could turn into mid to late innings guy with strikeout potential, he just needs to keep him earned runs down.

47. Rangel Ravelo, 1B
Age: 26
Highest level in 2018: AAA
2018 Midseason rank: NR
Ravelo’s number from 2018 are outstanding, posting a .308/.392./.487 in AAA, with 13 HR and 67 RBI. With these kind of numbers he’s almost looking at the chance to make his MLB debut in 2019, but will he? I think he should get the chance. He’s 26 and has batted around .300 all through the minors. His stats are better than others who have been moved up.

48. Alvaro Seijas, RHP
Age: 20
Highest level in 2018: Low-A
2018 Midseason rank: NR
Seijas didn’t pitch very well in Low-A in 2018. His K/9 dropped from 9.0 in 2017 to 5.8 in 2018. He seemed to get hit around quite a bit giving up 149 hits in only 129.1 innings. The strikeout ability was there in the previous 2 seasons. If he can get that back there’s the chance he can become a decent 1 or 2 inning reliever.

49. Jake Woodford, RHP
Age: 22
Highest level in 2018: AAA
2018 Midseason rank: 40
Woodford walked a ton of batters last year leading to this drop in the rankings. With an ERA of nearly 5.00 in 2018, and only striking out 101 in 145 innings, his stats are trending in a negative direction.

50. Jonatan Machado, OF
Age: 19
Highest level in 2018: Low-A
2018 Midseason rank: 33
Machado moved from Rookie ball up to Low-A in 2018. He struggled after moving out of Rookie ball hitting below .200. He hasn’t shown much speed since Rookie but I know he does have it. He has minimal to no power hitting just 2 home runs since 2016. Machado is only 19 so we will see what he can do this year.

 

Featured image – via Tom Hagerty (lakelandlocal) on Flickr

I am the St. Louis Cardinals correspondent for Prospects1500. Live in Manitoba, Canada. Big sports fan for all sports. Love my Philadelphia Eagles, San Jose Sharks and the Boston Red Sox. Part of Diamond Duos V deep dynasty league. Always free to answer questions, or just chat fantasy sports. Thanks!! Follow me on Twitter at @ChrisEros




11 Comments

  1. These rankings are a bit all over the place, but an interesting read.
    Edman should be quite a bit higher, as he hit over .300 between AA/AAA with the 30 SB.
    So should Lane Thomas, who showed some pop this season, has speed, and plays plus defense in the OF.
    A few guys who were overranked:
    Schrock, who scuffled in 2018
    Patterson, who is a relief prospect with some control issues
    Nick Dunn, who put up less impressive stats at a much lower level. If you want to compare apples to apples, look at Edman’s stats at State College.

    • Hey. Thanks for checking out Prospects1500 and my Top 50. First off I put Edman a little higher up than the previous list. He will definitely be moving up going into the next list as well. Most of his steals were in AA, and only had minimal AAA at bats. If he had more AAA at bats there’s no doubt I’d move him up. Thomas destroyed AA without a doubt. I’m not a fan of how many strikeouts he gets but he can improve that. Schrock was tough to rank. He had to fall down the list but it was hard to say how far down to put him. He does just enough to give you that little glimmer of hope he will get it together. I like Patterson’s strikeout ability, but you’re correct that he has control issues. We will see how 2019 goes for him and where he will land next time. I like Dunn’s potential. Yes his numbers were mediocre, but it was his first season out of college. Hoping he has a good 2019 and can boost his value.

  2. It is clear that you did no scouting in person or on video. All comments are based on looking at stats. I play in 30 team leagues with 100 minor league per team and would not consider picking up a 24 year old 1st basemen from the Midwest League as you recommend.

    • Sounds like you’re in a great league, and thanks for reading. Chris lives in Manitoba, Canada and unfortunately does not get to many minor league games in the States. He has to go by what he reads, sees and researches when it comes to putting together his Top 50. All 30+ of our staff live around the country, Canada and even overseas so we don’t get to see as many players in person and we are not scouts. We’re all people who have other jobs, families, etc. but love writing about baseball, minor leaguers and dynasty fantasy baseball and that’s what Prospects1500 is all about. It says that right on our homepage.

    • Wow. A 30 team league. That would be fun. Most I’ve done is 15. As for the scouting part, I wish I lived closer to a minor league team so I could go watch. But I live too far away. So basically all of my information I collect is from reading articles, looking into various stats from many different websites, books etc. Yariel Gonzalez is definitely an older player in a lower league. For sure a red flag for anyone. I do however, really like the potential he has. He’s still batting over .300 in winter league. I’m hoping he moves up a league or two before he gets much older.

    • I play in a 28-team league–up to 270 minor leaguers per team can be rostered–and Yariel Gonzalez is the type of a player that makes me enjoy reading these lists; I was completely unaware of him.

      Probably because he is 24-years old and played in Single A. That’s my bias on age/league, and it’s a pretty good one for any person to have.

      But, at the same time, I would also love to take a risk on a prospect who controls the zone (of course, age and league have something to with that) and plays in a ballpark that suppresses power. And, though listed here as 1B since that is his primary position, the Cardinals may be grooming him–or at least hope to–as a utility player (six different positions in 2018, but mostly 1B with good number of 2B,3B, and LF).

      With the negatives, he should be easy to target late in drafts or as an add-on in a trade. And best to do it now when the acquisition cost is minimal or non-existent.

      I would absolutely agree to ignore him in shallow and even mid-sized leagues. But 1,000+ prospects? Sign me up for anyone with potential upside.

      Note: there is probably a 99% chance that this is the most I will ever write about Yariel Gonzalez

      • I’m always willing to give somebody a look regardless of the negative aspects. I like how Yariel can play multiple positions too. I have a good feeling about him. Hope he doesn’t let me down this year. Thanks for reading!! I enjoyed writing this list a lot. Looking forward to the next article.

    • I am in a 28-team Strat salary league in which roster sizes average about 170, and range from 92 to 390. Entering my 40th year in this league. I lik Gonzalez, but he’s probably ranked a little high, and will likely be passed by Baker and Cedeno very soon. The Cardinals are suddenly much deeper in corner infielders than they are in middle infielders.

        • Hey Paul. Thanks for reading my Top 50 and hope you’re enjoying all the articles on Prospects1500. 40th year. WOW. That’s so awesome. How many years have you won the league?? I fully agree with the depth. And I can see Baker and Cedeno passing Gonzalez. Gonzalez is an older player. I want him to make it soon but feel he’s running out of time just based on age. Guess we will see in the near future. Cardinals also had a great game today. Once again Max Schrock gives us a little bit of hope crushing a dinger. Good luck in your league this season.

4 Trackbacks / Pingbacks

  1. 2019 St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training Watch List | Prospects1500
  2. Cardinals Prospect Spotlight: Dylan Carlson | Prospects1500
  3. St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Spotlight: Junior Fernandez | Prospects1500
  4. St. Louis Cardinals 2020 Top 50 Prospects | Prospects1500

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