This is the full compilation of 2011′s top 20.

#20. Steve Hill
Age – 26
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – N/A, Jeff Roman – 13, erik – N/A
Player Comments -

As the only member to rank Hill in my top 20, I think it is probably right that I defend my pick.  First and foremost, the Cardinals have moved Hill from a OF/1B to Catcher and he played only 6 non-catcher games in 2010.  If he stays at catcher like the organization is pointing him towards, his career minor league slugging percentage of .510 will look awful shiny.  - Jeff Roman

The Cardinals play a tricky game with their catchers in the minors. They’ve teased us in recent years with players like Hill and Tony Cruz who they’ll let play behind the plate for significant portions of the season. For a team that preaches defense, I don’t see them ever sticking with a converted catcher no matter how enticing his offense.  Steve Hill as a catcher is exciting. Steve Hill as an outfielder is rather mundane.  I think we’re looking at the latter rather than the former. – azruavatar

#19. Deryk Hooker
Age – 21
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 14, Jeff Roman – N/A, erik – 19
Player Comments -

And here we move to the opposite direction for me, a player that I didn’t rank in my top 20, but erik and AZ did (granted Hooker was on my “just missed” list).  If he can extend his strikeout numbers from Quad Cities to Palm Beach and Springfield, then we may be able to talk.  I just think his projection is probably a right handed relief and the Cardinals are already flush with those guys. – Jeff Roman

I like Hooker’s pure stuff. He’s got a fastball with better than average velocity, a good slider and the makings of some functional offspeed pitches. He’s young enough that despite being in the system since 2007, he’s age appropriate for the level he’s pitching at.  He reminds me a little of Adam Ottavino though his slider doesn’t rate as well. – azruavatar

#18. Adron Chambers
Age – 24
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – N/A, Jeff Roman – 11, erik – N/A
Player Comments -

Adron is a big-time speed merchant who can play plus defense in the outfield, even in center.  He has been swinging for the fences a bit more in 2010 with 5 HRs, but his slugging will always be dependent on triples.  He’s Jon Jay essentially with more speed and less power. – Jeff Roman

Chambers is a Jon Jay clone.  His power is below average for an outfielder and he’s very reliant on his speed and defense to provide his value. I don’t see the offense holding up in the big leagues meaning he looks like a fringy backup outfielder to me. – azruavatar

#17. Jordan Swagerty
Age – 21
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 13, Jeff Roman – N/A, erik – 17
Player Comments -

I did not rank Swagerty for the same reason I didn’t rank Hooker, he is a right handed reliever prospect.  Swagerty should move fast in the Cardinals system, but I’m going to take a Missouri approach on this one: when I see it, I’ll believe it. – Jeff Roman

Swagerty was half of the Arizona State duo that the Cardinals drafted in 2010.  At 13, I’m aggressive and I’m counting on his fastball to hold up as a starter.  This is likely a volatile ranking – he could be off the list next year or conceivably creep toward the top 10. – azruavatar

#16. Cody Stanley
Age – 22
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 16, Jeff Roman – 18, erik – 15
Player Comments -

Cody Stanley is the new Robert Stock.  He had a quality season in rookie ball after being drafted in the first 4 rounds of the MLB draft.  However, Stanley has a better chance of continuing his good play going forward whereas most people though Stock would come off catcher to become a pitcher sooner or later. – Jeff Roman

The biggest plus about Stanley is his athleticism. He’s small for a catcher but he’s physically fit and has average speed.  There seems to be a tendency to underrate catchers given their positional scarcity and I’d give him the best odds of anyone in the organization to stick behind the plate defensively while still having some kind of an offensive game. – azruavatar

#15. Bryan Anderson
Age – 24
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 12, Jeff Roman – N/A, erik – 13
Player Comments -

Every year Anderson has to fight back the claim that he’s a bad defensive catcher. It’s probably a true assessment but it ignores his strengths and, when the Cardinals crown Matt Pagnozzi as a good defensive catcher, I don’t think he’s nearly as futile as he’s sometimes portrayed.  With the potential for league average offense at a critical position and positional scarcity, he’d make a nice fit as a platoon player or backup catcher.  I think he’s still got a little more upside than that but even I’m beginning to suffer from the familiarity of his name on prospect lists. – azruavatar

I still believe in Anderson to a limited extent, but I’m not sure the Cardinals still do. -Jeff Roman

#14. Nick Longmire
Age – 22
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 8, Jeff Roman – 19, erik – 18
Player Comments -

Longmire had a great 2010 effort at Batavia where he hit for power, average and drew walks all at impressive rates over 300 PAs.  He’s got the potential to stick in centerfield defensively and I like the skillset he brings.  The concern I have is whether a slightly long swing with an uppercut can be trimmed down to something quicker and able to cover all parts of the plate. - azruavatar

Longmire had only one season in the minor leagues, albeit a huge rookie season.  If he continues to play this well, obviously he will vault up the rankings, but until then I will reserve judgment. – Jeff Roman

#13. Oscar Taveras
Age – 18
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 10, Jeff Roman – N/A, erik – 9
Player Comments -

Outside of Carlos Martinez (Matias), Oscar Taveras is the Latin prospect you’re most likely to hear about last year.  He’s the classic toolsy player who projects well in all aspects of the game.  At age 18 and with little baseball played on American soil, he’s also a huge risk.  – azruavatar

Just as AZ said, Taveras is a high ceiling, low floor player and right now I believe more in the floor than the ceiling.  Once again, I am taking the wait and see approach with Taveras.  He was in my “just missed” list, so I’m not trying to snub him completely.  For high upside players, I will need to see some certainty they will reach that upside barring significant injury.  After another good season, Taveras is probably there. – Jeff Roman

#12. Daniel Descalso
Age – 24
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 17, Jeff Roman – 12, erik – 11
Player Comments -

Descalso is a solid prospect, but who may be coming close to running out of time.  He will need another good season in Memphis to vault him up to St. Louis.  His advantages are closeness to the majors and positional scarcity in St. Louis and in the system. - Jeff Roman

Descalso is another fringy player. He’s a contact hitter that doesn’t really have the kind of secondary skills — great defense, speed, plate discipline — to push him to the next level. In 500+ PAs at Memphis last year, he was slightly below average offensively. That’s not an indication of big things to come. – azruavatar

#11. Adam Reifer
Age – 24
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 18, Jeff Roman – 5, erik – 16
Player Comments -

I love Reifer, in my eyes, he is a future high leverage reliever with high strikeout totals. – Jeff Roman

Reifer really deserves credit for improved results in 2010. He nearly halved his walk rate and cut down on the hits allowed as well. Both those rates are subject to high year to year variance in the sample sizes of a reliever but I’m inclined to give Reifer credit for the walk rate at the least. The point being is that 2010 was a high octane arm with good walk rates and good strikeout rates. I’m still a little wary of him relative to what makes a dominant reliever, but he’s the best combination of polish and potential this side of Eduardo Sanchez. – azruavatar

#10. Seth Blair
Age – 22
Stats (N/A)
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 19, Jeff Roman – 9, erik – 6
Player Comments -

Blair gets a little bit of the benefit of the doubt based on his 2010 draft position.  That easily earned good will won’t last long.  He will have to prove it going forward. - Jeff Roman

I actually had Swagerty 7 positions higher than Blair on my list. Blair’s fastball isn’t as impressive and his secondary stuff is more of a work in progress than I’d like for someone who has as many college starts as he does.  Without a real dominant pitch much less a dominant second pitch, he looks like a back end starter.  I’ll be following him closely in 2011 to see if it looks more like his 2008/2009 college seasons or the improved 2010 campaign.  I get a bit nervous about pitchers who are highly rated because they have an assortment of pitches rather than a plus pitch. - azruavatar

#9. Joe Kelly
Age – 22
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 6, Jeff Roman – 15, erik – 12
Player Comments -

Kelly pitched well in Quad Cities this year and should continue to move through the Cardinals system.  His high-effort delivery indicates a potential future move to the bullpen and a high-risk of a future injury.  However, he continues to show the arsenal and high 90s fastball to make it work.  He will climb the rankings if he can continue to start and continue to stay healthy.  - Jeff Roman

I’m a big fan of Kelly. His fastball is electric when you see it in person.  While his strikeout rates have been a bit tepid considering the level (low A ball) and his fastball, he doesn’t receive nearly the credit he should for being in the top 5 in groundballs in the Midwest League. Fun fact: In 130 professional innings, Kelly has allowed 3 HRs. The questions about whether he can stick as a starter are legitimate but, if he can, he’s behind only Carlos Martinez and Shelby Miller in terms of upside. – azruavatar

#8. Tyrell Jenkins
Age – 18
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 7, Jeff Roman – 10, erik – 10
Player Comments -

Jenkins is an athletic starter from the 2010 draft, who’s upside is as high as any Cardinal short of Miller, but has a lot of work to do to turn his project-ability and athleticism into a pitcher.  He was a two-sport player in high school and will benefit with focusing solely on baseball. – Jeff Roman

Something of an unknown, Jenkins is as raw a pitchers as the Cardinals have drafted in my memory.  He’s athletic and his fastball already resides in the low-90s. If you think the Cardinals have moved Miller slowly, wait until we watch Jenkins progression.  This is also the type of player that can follow the Daryl Jones prospect list trajectory. He may stick around as a top prospect despite not showing much projection until it either all comes together or everyone finally gives up. – azruavatar

#7. Lance Lynn
Age – 24
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 11, Jeff Roman – 8, erik – 5
Player Comments -

Lynn continues to hang around, but with a less than stellar 2010, we have to wonder how long is prospect status will hang around as well.  - Jeff Roman

Supporters of Lynn will point to his second half in Memphis last year as a sign of a resurgence and getting accustomed to the level of competition. The truth is that 2010 was his worst season yet by a pretty healthy margin. The increased HR rate isn’t a good thing to see and it’s accompanied by a decrease in groundballs. Lynn is only as effective as his command lacking the pure stuff to make up for missed location. The upside is something like Jeff Suppan and the floor is a pitcher who can’t stick in the majors. – azruavatar

#6. Matt Carpenter
Age – 25
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 3, Jeff Roman – 7, erik – 8
Player Comments -

Matt Carpenter had a break out 2010 and shows no indication of slowing down coming into 2011.  If David Freese can’t man the Cardinals 3B long term, Carpenter will have the chance to make the spot his own. – Jeff Roman

I’ll come back to the same mantra with Matt Carpenter: he has the best plate discipline of anyone I’ve seen in the farm system since Luhnow started drafting. Carpenter doesn’t just draw walks but isn’t afraid to take pitches and wait for something that he can hit. The OBP isn’t predicated on HBP like Aaron Luna and it isn’t a function of his power, which is just average. Matt Carpenter’s ability to walk is a self contained one that should hold up as he advances to Memphis. He’ll stick at third though his defense is nothing special and he’ll hit for enough power to more than justify himself as an everyday player. I’m a huge believer in Carpenter both as a high floor player and someone who can be a solid regular on a MLB team. – azruavatar

#5. Allen Craig
Age – 26
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 9, Jeff Roman – 5, erik – 3
Player Comments -

Craig is a significant power prospect who is close enough to the majors to make an impact soon.  His upside isn’t huge, but if he continues to have versatility in the corners of the IF and OF, the Cardinals should find a way to keep his bat in the lineup and keep his development headed in a positive direction. – Jeff Roman

My opinion of Craig is a little bit down from previous years. I still like the bat but I don’t think the organization’s handling of him has done him any developmental favors.  Craig is a high probability to stick in the majors as a t least a bench player. He’s probably the most “sure thing” on the prospect list.  Depending on whether you value upside or likelihood will make a huge difference in how you rank Craig.  I tried to strike a realistic (for me) position by ranking him 9th in recognition of his proximity to the majors. Craig’s been generally well reviewed by projection systems for 2011 and it will be his opportunity to cement his position with the big club. – azrauvatar

#4. Eduardo Sanchez
Age – 22
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 5, Jeff Roman – 4, erik – 7
Player Comments -

Sanchez is a back of the bullpen prospect who had proved himself at every level.  His size is the only thing that keeps all prospect watchers from giving him the “future closer” title.  I think he can get there and soon.  - Jeff Roman

Among relief prospects, Sanchez has combined the raw power arm with tangible results on a yearly basis. He hasn’t had a FIP over 3.50 since 2007 and his average is somewhere around 3.40. He’ll sit mid-90s and touch as high as 97mph. He compliments that with a hard slider that’s not always sharp but is  a plus pitch when he has control of it.  He should be with the big league club for portions of 2011, all of 2012 and in a high leverage role by 2013. – azruavatar

#3. Carlos Martinez (Matias)
Age – 19
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 4, Jeff Roman – 3, erik – 4
Player Comments -

Martinez is a high-upside pitching prospect out of the Dominican unlike any we have ever seen in the Cardinals system as of late.  He’s got this #3 spot before he even pitches one inning in America.  He’s a great prospect based on his Dominican numbers and scouting reports alone.  Can’t wait to see what happens when he gets into the American minor leagues. – Jeff Roman

Martinez is hard to avoid the hype on.  He’s very much a high-risk, high-reward prospect.  Scouts have praised his fastball both for velocity and movement and his feel for pitching is considered to be advanced for his age.  The potential for Martinez is second only to Shelby Miller and that gap is not as wide as you might expect.  His stateside innings will be well attended by scouts and fans alike next year. – azruavatar

#2. Zack Cox
Age – 22
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 2, Jeff Roman – 2, erik – 2
Player Comments -

Cox was a bit of a coup for the Cardinals in the draft as he fell to the Cardinals and they were able to sign him.  He can play both 2B and 3B, but he’s not a perfect prospect.  Just like a lot of the Cardinals unproven minor leaguers, he will have to put up numbers to make believers out of the non-believers.  However, based on his bat, we can comfortably rank him this high. – Jeff Roman

There’s an element of Brett Wallace in the Zack Cox pick for me. A good college hitter with some questions about his power projection, questionable third base defense and yet is still considered a top prospect.  I think a little too much is made of Cox’s college statistics — where he adjusted his swing to trade some power for contact in his sophomore year — and to little emphasis on his very good performance in the Cape Cod League.  I think he’ll spend longer in the minors than some people think — I don’t see him in St. Louis prior to Sept. this year — and I don’t project him as a big HR hitter. Instead he’ll offer a high batting average with good plate coverage and a complete set of secondary skills that are average or better (with the exception of speed). – azruavatar

#1. Shelby Miller
Age – 20
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 1, Jeff Roman – 1, erik – 1
Player Comments -

Shelby Miller still has a #1 starter upside and that value is impossible to replace.  He’s done nothing in his first full season to have that tag removed.  He’s the #1 prospect for the foreseeable future. – Jeff Roman

Miller did everything that was asked of him in 2010. The team gave him some time away from live baseball mid-season to refine some mechanics and protect his arm but when he was on the mound, he was electric. Miller’s fastball was too much for low-A hitters as he struck out 140 in 104.1 innings. He produced groundballs around an average rate and showed surprisingly good control walking just 30 batters.  In 2011, Miller will look to improve on his secondary pitches and may be challenged at the AA level in the latter half of the season. – azruavatar

This entry was posted on Monday, January 2nd, 2012 at 9:40 pm and is filed under Prospect rankings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.