This is becoming a fun little exercise. Last time we had Jess Todd beat out David Freese in a photo finish. Now we just had Jon Jay win a close race, just beating out Clayton Mortensen, Pete Kozma and Mitch Boggs. I wonder if this has to do with the metrics that came out yesterday and revealed that our man Jay has some range. I guess this also speaks to the depth of the system. It’s just a hard system to rank, because after the top few guys, there are so many B, C+ type of guys who are pretty close to the big leagues. While I think there are some guys with higher overall future potential (Reifer, Vasquez), they are pretty far away. While B and C+ guys have relatively high rates of attrition, we have so many that quite a few should stick. That should make things a lot easier in the future to pay that big name free agent, because so many cheap, homegrown players be filling spots.
What the ignorant, loud-mouthed, message board posting side of the fan-base doesn’t realize is that the Cardinals are indeed committed to winning. It’s just not in the “old ignore the farm system and trade every good prospect we can” mode that Jocketty was, as we found out, the market caught up with Jocketty and he was no longer able to spin his magic. If anything, he become the one getting spun. Building from within should allow more leeway in the future, allowing for the best of both worlds.
1. Rasmus
2. Wallace
3. Perez
4. Jones
5. Anderson
6. Motte
7. Garcia
8. Todd
9. Freese
10. Jay
For this next poll, it’s just the three highest vote getters from the last poll. Vote away.
Entries (RSS)
Still voting for Kozma. Shouldn’t those defensive metrics help him? He’s a SS! If he’s playing that well defensively, he doesn’t have to show much power to be valuable.
Agreed. Kozma’s main demonstrated strengths so far have been getting on base and possessing a plus glove at SS. Given his position and his skills, I think at Koz’s peak he could be a 3-4 win player.
His season was a little inconsistent – hot start, slump, resurgence only to slump horribly at Palm Beach – and that probably cost him in some folks’ mind. It’ll be interesting to see what he does this season and it’ll either cement him as a solid prospect or cause a lot of teeth gnashing from the Porcello! crowd.
Why all of the disrespect for Kozma? He doesn’t do anything great, but does everything well. We are talking about a first round pick here that was questioned when he was picked and I have to admit I did not particularly like the pick at the time. But if we redo the pick with the same players from that draft I guarantee he is still a first-round pick. If Wallace is to make it in the bigs he is gonna need one heck of a defensive shortstop to make up for his lack of range and from what I can tell Koz can do that. Give it time folks He may not be the steak at dinner but potatoes make a full meal.
I voted Boggs taking into consideration his proximity to the big leagues. I don’t think Kozma is an elite enough of a talent to be able to jump a more sure of a thing.
Looks like another close one. I also went with Boggs because he looks like more of a sure thing to stick in the Majors right now.
It will be interesting to see how the “Koz” fares this year in the minors.
Is it a stretch to start calling Pete the Wizard of Koz ?
I go for Kozma as well, I’ve voted for him each time starting at #7!
I agree that the 2007 first round pick counts for a lot, he is projected to stay at shortstop , he is an everyday position player which in my mind is more valuable than a back of rotation pitcher, good fielder, good baserunner, good obp,
at this time I believe he will be become a consistent hitter. Plus this coming season will only be his second since graduating from high school.
Wizard of Koz !!!
Of those three I voted Koz but my heart belongs to Nico. Nateman’s right that, if Wallace is sub average on D, we need to be solid defensively on the rest of the infield. MOve Nico to 2b and we’re set.
I’m surprised by all the love for Mortensen. Boggs and Morty are pretty much the same pitcher except Boggs’ fastball tails like crazy while Morty’s sinks like crazy(well I don’t know about crazy). The big difference is that Morty sits 89-91 touching 93-94 or so while Boggs is 91-93 and touched 95-96 with that crazy movement.
Their offspeed stuff is about the same. Flashes of plus breakers and changeups but largely inconsistent.
In terms of potential, Boggs is the best of the three. Kozma seems like the safest but that is tough call since he’s only 20 and Low A is the highest level he has succeeded at.
I’d go with Boggs based on potential, success in the minors and proximity to the majors.
Mortensen has been said to have three pitches that have a chance to be above average. No one has said that about Boggs, as his change-up has virtually no chance of ever being even average.
Mortensen had no business in AAA this season, they pushed him enough to start him at Springfield. Pushing him to Memphis, when he wasn’t ready made him look worse than he is. The same really goes for Kozma, had he been left in the MWL (which would have been perfectly appropriate) I think he would be getting a bit more love.
I think I voted for Mortensen, but I won’t pretend the vote had any conviction behind it. I’m just happy to have all three guys in the system.
If Boggs and Mortensen both end up in the rotation and Kozma becomes, as Erik said, a starting SS who gives us 3-4 wins, I’ll tip my hat to the Cards for drafting, signing, and developing these guys.
Oh, and if they don’t pan out, I’ll go to the stltoday.com Cardinal forum and rant about how cheap the owner is and how Mo and Luhnow are deliberately sabotaging the team.