Mound Talk

1. Colby Rasmus, CF, AA. Rasmus is part of the heralded high school centerfield class of 2005 that includes Justin Upton, Andrew McCutchen, Cameron Maybin and Jay Bruce. Rasmus has it all. He’s a great athlete, can hit for average and power while covering a lot of ground in the outfield. If there’s a knock on him, it’s that he can be streaky at times. His future is bright as a left-handed leadoff hitter with power and very good defense.
2. Chris Perez, RHRP, AAA. Perez is the future closer of the Redbirds with a great mid-90s fastball with good sink on it and a plus slider that sits in the mid-80s. His mistakes are often up in the zone leading to a lot of hard hit balls. If he can command his pitches a little better, he will develop into a very good closer.
3. Bryan Anderson, C, AA. Anderson is a left-handed hitter with a nice swing. He has good control of the strikezone and has decent power, though he won’t be a home run hitter. He is a good defensive catcher and will start 2008 in Triple-A.
4. Jaime Garcia, LHSP, AA. Garcia is a good athlete with a plus-fastball and a plus-curveball. However, he needs to improve his command and throw less curveballs. He has had some elbow injuries.
5. Adam Ottavino, RHSP, A+. The Cardinals first round pick from 2006 has had a good start to his professional career. He works primarily off his fastball and slider and will throw in a curveball as well. He relies heavily on his fastball but can command it well. He struck out 128 in 143 innings this year.
6. Tyler Herron, RHP, A. Herron threw 137 Low-A innings this year striking out 130 while walking just 26. He has a three pitch arsenal consisting of a fastball with average sink, a changeup that could develop into a plus pitch and a curveball with sharp break. However, the fastball tends to be straight, the changeup overused and his curveball sometimes hangs. Nonetheless, all three pitches could be at least ML-average.
7. Mitch Boggs, RHSP, AA. Boggs doesn’t have very good command and he is inconsistent in his ability to work inside. But, he does have a pretty solid fastball and slider.
8. Peter Kozma, SS, A-. Kozma was the top pick for the Cardinals in 2007 and spent his pro debut between two Rookie Leagues and Short Season Class A. He wasn’t overly impressive or successful at any level but with young players, tools tend to be the predominant measuring stick. He has a good approach to hitting and can cover the zone well. Defensively, he’s a solid shortstop. He moves well and has a good arm.
9. Clayton Mortenson, RHSP, A. Mortenson was drafted as a supplemental pick in the 2007 draft. He boasts a low 90s sinker and a good slider. He is a groundball pitcher who throws with a natural ease. Command is an issue but Mortenson should be able to clear that up as it wasn’t nearly as big of a concern in college as in his stint with Quad Cities. Look for Mortenson to move quickly next season.
10. Kenny Maiques, RHRP, A. Maiques threw 53 innings for the Swing of the Quad Cities this year and struck out 57 while walking 20. He induces plenty of groundballs
Flier. Kyle McClellan, RHRP, AA. McClellan has a good shot at helping the Cardinals bullpen in 2008 but will need some time in Triple-A first. In 59.2 innings between High-A and Double-A, McClellan struck out 54 and walked just ten batters. His FIP was 2.29 in High-A, 2.35 in Double-A and 1.86 in 7.1 Arizona Fall League innings.

The Cardinals are certainly a team that could use some young talent on their big league club. Although this list lacks depth and overall talent, the system is building and the Cardinals have been able to find quality big leaguers from beyond their top ten prospects recently.