The Oscar Taveras Era Begins Today in St. Louis

Feb 17, 2014; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras (77) leaves the batting cage during spring training at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

It’s the moment St. Louis Cardinals fans have long been waiting for – Oscar Taveras has officially been called up from AAA Memphis and is slated to start his first career game in the majors this afternoon at Busch Stadium vs. the San Francisco Giants. Taveras, who is widely regarded as the top position player prospect in all of Major League Baseball, was destroying the ball down in the minors hitting at a .325 clip while blasting 7 home runs and driving in 40 runs.

The 21-year-old outfielder has battled some legitimate ankle injuries over the past year or so but has clearly proven to the organization that he is healthy and ready to go. He figures to add some much needed power to a lineup that is near the bottom of the league in home runs this season and in serious need of a  spark.

Many scouts are convinced that Taveras is the best Cardinals prospect since a guy named Albert Pujols introduced himself to the baseball world in 2001. While it’s not fair to compare a young kid just approaching his first major league action to a first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the greatest hitters to ever play the game, Cardinal fans can’t help but wonder what may be in store for the future.

Official Lineup – 5/31/14

1. Carpenter (3b)
2. Wong (2b)
3. Holliday (lf)
4. Craig (1b)
5. Molina (c)
6. Taveras (rf)
7. Peralta (ss)
8. Jay (cf)
9. Wacha (p)