Now is the Right Time for the St. Louis Cardinals to Promote Stephen Piscotty

Within the last three weeks, Matt Adams and Matt Holliday were both placed on the St. Louis Cardinals’ disabled list with injuries that could keep both power threats out of the lineup long term. The Cardinals; offense has inevitably struggled amidst these injuries, averaging just over 3 runs per game and combining for only six home runs since the start of June. 

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Although the Cardinals have filled these roster holes with short term options such as Ed Easley and Miguel Socolovich, St. Louis may not need to look too far to find a formidable long-term replacement. According to a tweet from KMOX sports reporter Chris Hrabe, the Cardinals may soon look into bringing up a bat from their AAA minor league affiliate, Memphis Redbirds.

Memphis has several strong hitters helping them to a respectable 32-28 record in the Pacific Coast League, but it’s hard to look further than 2012 draftee Stephen Piscotty. By promoting the former first-round pick, the Cardinals would debut their fourth prospect of 2015 and add another versatile athlete to a fairly young lineup.

Several other teams have already noticed success by providing opportunities for highly-touted prospects. Joey Gallo finished 3-for-4 with a home run in his Major League debut on June 2 and looks comfortable replacing Adrian Beltre defensively at the Texas Rangers’ hot corner. Youthful movements have been common around baseball recently, as the Hoston Astros promoted 2013 first overall pick Carlos Correa less than a week ago to spark their inconsistent lineup.

Piscotty may not have the same hype of the newcomers in the state of Texas, but may prove more value to the Cardinals based on the number of positions he could play. The 24 year-old has been tested primarily as a corner outfielder in the minors, but the Cardinals originally drafted him as a third baseman. However, even in the wake of Adam’s injury, the Cardinals have not yet officially given Piscotty the green light to become acquainted to first base responsibilities.

Given the Cardinals’ recent offensive troubles in high-pressure situations, Piscotty could add a balance to St. Louis’s lineup and fixture in as hitter that gaps the run producers to the run scorers. Piscotty’s 29 walks demonstrate his patience at the plate, while his team-leading 25 extra-base hits with Memphis proves he could fit in easily with the Cardinals’ largest power threats.

Selected as an engineering major from Stanford, Piscotty has been able to apply his knowledge throughout a consistent, but prolonged minor league journey. While a major league call up would provide new challenges for Stephen Piscotty, it could ultimately be one that helps St. Louis keep their season in tact.

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