Baseball America’s Top Ten St. Louis Cardinals Prospects Unveiled

St. Louis Post-Dispatch beat writer Derrick Goold unveiled the St. Louis Cardinals Top Prospects list one day before it goes online at Baseball America‘s website.

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There were three players in particular, according to Goold, that could have been ranked as the overall top Cardinals prospect. Goold had to ask himself the following questions as he debated who the top prospect would be.

"*Proximity to the majors?*Position or power?*Potential"

Marco Gonzales, Stephen Piscotty, and Alex Reyes were the answers, respectively.

Ultimately, the choice for the overall top prospect was the left-handed pitcher from Colorado by way of Gonzaga: Marco Gonzales.

"He has the best blend of answers to the above questions. He’s as close to the majors as any of the three. As a starter, he’s in a premium position. And he’s got the upside to be a fixture in the rotation."

Some players who reached the majors this season have yet to meet the at-bats and innings requirements of Baseball America‘s to have graduated from rookie status.

Here is the organization’s Top Ten as ranked by Baseball America:
1. Marco Gonzales, LHP … Age: 22. MLB.
2. Alex Reyes, RHP … Age: 20. Low-A.
3. Stephen Piscotty, OF … Age: 24 on Wednesday. Class AAA.
4. Randal Grichuk, OF … Age: 23. MLB.
5. Rob Kaminsky, LHP … Age: 20. Low-A.
6. Jack Flaherty, RHP … Age: 19. GCL.
7. Tim Cooney, LHP … Age: 24. Class AAA.
8. Sam Tuivailala, RHP … Age: 22. MLB.
9. Charlie Tilson, OF … Age: 22. Class AA.
10. Magneuris Sierra, OF … Age: 18. GCL.

Some honorable mentions, so to speak:

"Shortstop Aledmys Diaz would be in the top 10 had he not had such difficulty staying on the field this past season, his first with the Cardinals and his first in professional baseball outside of Cuba. Flaherty leapfrogged the Cardinals’ top draft pick, Luke Weaver, and that’s unusual considering the clout that being a first-round pick usually brings. Says more about Flaherty than it does Weaver. Carson Kelly, the young third baseman who is working behind the plate, received a lot of consideration for the Top 10 because of how he advanced at catcher."

I can’t argue with Gonzales as the number one but I would have moved Piscotty up a slot to the second position, where Reyes sits.