Annual fan-driven process to select the top prospects in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system is now underway and open to all!
In each of the last five years, the members of TheCardinalNation.com forum community have named their top 50 prospects in the St. Louis Cardinals system. 2011 is no exception.
Voting is allowed for one spot at a time, starting with number one. Each person is allowed one vote for each place on the list. Discussion and debate is encouraged and votes can be changed by convincing arguments.
The 2011 process is just getting underway, with the balloting for the top prospect now open. Please join in the voting as it continues on The Cardinal Nation message board over the upcoming weeks. A new player will be selected roughly every 48 hours until the entire top 50 is complete.
Other sites have adopted this concept in recent years, but The Cardinal Nation remains the definitive place for Cardinals minor league news with a most knowledgeable community of readers and posters. If you want to learn more about Cardinals prospects, make sure you follow the discussion that coincides with each vote.
In addition to being part of the permanent site record, the community results receive one third weighting in The Cardinal Nation’s annual top prospect list to be unveiled starting in December.
That consolidated list is featured in the annual FOX Sports Fantasy Guide/Scout.com Prospect Guide magazine sold on newsstands nationwide each spring and provided free to all annual subscribers to TheCardinalNation.com.
If you are interested in Cardinals farmhands, join in the top prospect voting today!
Link to The Cardinal Nation message board 2011 top prospect voting thread
Link to 2010 Cardinals top prospect selections
Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
After last season, it was claimed here that the development program had gone down hill with a lower winning percentage among minor league teams being an indicator. This year the winning percentage is relatively high in historical perspective. In terms of producing future MLers, not too much should be made of either a poor or good minor league winning percentage.
The improved record this year seems to reflect certain ways the team is doing business. Its more design than luck, in other words. Each year, the Cards sign a lot of lads, about 40 in the US. This gives depth of manpower, especially helpful with pitchers. This year they seem to have slowed down the pace of promotions to allow guys to do well at one rung, rather than struggle at the rung above; this helps team records.
This summer there were some Latins with US rookie ball clubs who seem qualitatively more promising. If so, the Latin talent flow may finally be producing better prospects.
It was nice to see Johnson City win its league. For years, the Cards entry there has had a structural disadvantage. The Cards had a higher rookie league entry in the NYPa League, whereas the Twins do not, so the Elizabethton Twins have dominated the Appalachian League for years on end. In 2010, however, the Cards put few new draftees in Batavia and were able to staff JC with higher draft picks, enabling the Cards to knock the Twins off their throne.
It was also nice to see some pitchers who are not bonus babies enjoy good seasons. Broderick went to Div II college Grand Canyon, was ho-hum at Palm Beach, then did surprisingly well at AA. McGregor played at doormat Univ. of Memphis, not a big arm, but he did well at AA. Buursma collected outs at AA. Even Tom Eager made himself useful at Springfield. Thomas had a fine season for PB. Moss, Copeland, McCully at Batavia. Nice to see these low profile collegiates playing at a level where they help their teams do well. Overall, the Cards seem to be doing a good job of managing these ballplayer employees.
More minor league kudos for 2010….
The Cards stuck with converting Steve Hill into a catcher, something they did not do in 2006 with Stavinoha or Roth. Hill signed as a senior out of low profile Stephen Austin State in Nagodoches, Texas. He was a good hitter, a bit small for 1B, a bit rough as a catcher. He has slugged consistently for years, in amateur and in pro ball, so he is a real hitter. But he needs a position where he could fit onto a ML field and catcher is his best chance. If he has improved his receiving, Hill seems a candidate for backup catcher next spring or in 2012. The Cards are well staffed to have Anderson, Hill, and Cruz for catching depth.
The same scout signed Jamie Garcia, Hill, and AA 3B Matt Carpenter. Carpenter was a 5th year senior out of TCU last June, “too old” for some teams. We drafted him anyway. Carpenter looks like he can hit well for average and give depth behind David Freese, in case his career goes down the drain owing to injuries.
The Cards had to invest big bucks to sign Brett Wallace in 2008 and Zach Cox in 2010. Left swinging 3Bmen from high profile baseball colleges, hitters for average, iffy defenders. Its fun to unearth a guy like Carpenter who may be able to give competition to Cox, even though his bonus was small.
Josh Kinney excelled at AA and at AAA as a reliever during 2005 and 2006. He joined the Cards late in 06 and helped them to a WS win. Then he suffered arm injuries. In 2010, Kinney was back to dominating at AAA. He can get ML hitters out. Not sure why Kinney did not get a promotion while we had do suffer through McDougal. Maybe Mo wanted to improve that minor league winning percentage.
The system as a whole has improved .There might not be some flashy names that get a lot of ink and all the publicity that goes with it.There does seem to be many players who if they continue to improve can be help at the major league level.Matt Carpenter,Tony Cruz, Solano and Steve Hill are just some who can help at the major league level in 2011 and 2012.
As JS mentioned Brian Broderick,Reifer,and others all have improved and advanced
Lance Lynn can be a option next spring.Things are looking up.
2B Skip Schumaker
RF Jon Jay
1B Albert Pujols
LF Matt Holliday
CF Colby Rasmus
3B Felipe Lopez
C Yadier Molina
P Jake Westbrook
SS Brendan Ryan
Lopez at 3B. Tony has really gone off the deep end this time.
Nothing surprising about Lopez at 3B. Feliz has been hitting horribly, Hanson is on the mound, Lopez is a better hitting matchup. Powerful Pedro needs to recharge his batteries.
Oh I forgot Lopez has been an offensive powerhouse. Feliz got a hit last night. When was Flip’s last hit? Too far back for me to remember.
Felipe’s OPS for the year is an unimpressive 660. Its subpar for 3B. But its still way ahead of Pedro’s OPS of 525 for the Cards. Plus Hanson has a matchup advantage on Feliz. And Pedro needs to rest his rippling muscles.
And Flip needs to make some more game losing errors at 3B. Sorry, Jumbo, I ain’t buyin what you’re sellin.
Thank God no Tim McCarver today.
So this is the way it’s going to start.
Funny how all those strikes became balls when Jake was pitching.
Fortunately TLR makes up the lineup card.
Appreciate the minor league chat Jumbo.
Last year, Memphis won the PCL and they are in the hunt again. Its nice to have a good AAA squad and next year should be more of the same. The 2011 AAA team could be: catcher Hill/Cruz; 1B Hamilton; 2B Descalso; SS Kozma/Solano; 3B Carpenter; LF Luna; CF Robinson/Rapoport/Peterson; RF Craig/Mather/Brown/Henley. DH Cazana. A bit of a surplus.
For pitching: Lynn, Dickson, Walters, Gorgen, Broderick, Kopp are possibilities for starting. Relievers Sanchez, Reifer, Delgado, Parise, etc. A pretty good foundation for a AAA team.