Oscar Taveras named as #2 top outfield prospect by MLB.com

Oscar Taveras, the best hitting St. Louis Cardinals prospect since some guy named Albert Pujols, was ranked by MLB.com on Wednesday as the #2 outfield prospect.

Mar 19, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Oscar Taveras (87) rounds third base and scores a run in the fourth inning during a spring training game against the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium. Image Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Taveras’ inclusion was no surprise. He was joined by Kolten Wong as the only Cardinals being tanked in the MLB.com top ten prospects by position. When the Top 100 prospects are revealed today, chances are possible that there could be more than those two in the Cardinals organization. It’s very possible that Stephen Piscotty or Tim Cooney make the Top 100.

What MLB Pipeline says about Taveras:

"The most heralded Cards prospect since Albert Pujols, Taveras likely would have contributed to St. Louis’ World Series drive if he hadn’t injured his ankle in mid-May, effectively ending his season. A career .320/.377/.518 hitter as a pro, Taveras barrels balls with ease. His power and plate discipline have gotten better as he has risen through the Minors, as have his baserunning and defense."

Having Taveras as an option for the World Series would certainly have been a nice option given what the Cardinals got from the bench and the lower third of the batting order. It’s hard to tell whether it would have changed the overall results or not.

The real question now is just when will Taveras’ bat start to have an impact for the Cardinals. Because of his injury, he will likely start the season in Memphis, where there is a logjam of outfielders.

Bernie took a closer look at the prospect.

Jim Callis also wrote about Taveras.