St. Louis Cardinals’ MLB Draft Recap: Day One

Hello and welcome to the next piece of draft information I have for you today. We are going to be tackling the St. Louis Cardinals’ draft on day one.

Pick #1 Nick Plummer CF 5’11 200 lb Brother Rice H.S. Lathrup Village, MI

Wow this one came out of nowhere. Pretty much everyone and their brother were predicting the Cardinals to take SS Kevin Newman from Arizona. I digressed and wanted an OF or C with the first pick, looks like my wish was granted. I didn’t consider Plummer as most did not have him slotted at our pick range and figured he would have gone earlier.

However, here we are with our bright and shiny new OF. What’s so special about this guy and why did they grab him at #23? This is something most fans are likely wondering about tonight.

Plummer doesn’t have the biggest body coming in at 5’11 200 lb, however this doesn’t affect him at all. He has a very live bat and a good ability make solid contact. This season at Brother Rice he has amassed a .520 BA with 22 2B 5 3B while driving in 23 runs.

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Oh and he also stole 32 times and only struck out 10 times. His team is still alive in the Michigan state playoffs so his impressive resume will continue.

Defensively he comes in as a CF. There are some questions and concerns about whether or not he can stay at CF, but I think he will definitely get a shot to start out as a CF and has mentioned that he is willing to move around if needed.

Again, this is a really good pick for the Cardinals. It is good to see them addressing their OF depth, hopefully he will continue to develop into a strong player and be a player we can look forward to having in a Cardinal uniform in the near future.

Pick #2 Jake Woodford RHP 

Another surprise pick for the Cardinals here at pick number 39. Yet another player I didn’t see them grabbing due to ranking. Woodford had a solid season at Plant playing with fellow first round pick Kyle Tucker, Woodford had an ERA of .067 57 K all while pitching 52 IP and going 7-0. To say he was dominant would be an understatement. Looking at his calling card, it is no surprise the Cardinals drafted him. He has a real good sinking 94 MPH FB, a slider that can be average at times if it’s on, and a changeup that will need some work as he continues to develop.

The concern here is that Woodford is committed to the University of Florida. This is a school that could take some coaxing and dollar signs to get him to sign. Although, when the Cardinals come calling, with their history, I’d have to think that things are a bit different and there’s not usually too much of a concern when you draft a guy as high as they drafted him.

Pick #3 Bryce Denton 3B 

Wow what a pick we got here at #66. The big surprise here is a third high school pick in a row. Normally the Cardinals are heavy in the college market especially in the first couple rounds. However, here we are with Bryce Denton, a really good hitter from Tennessee.

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Denton has been said to have some good pop in his bat. A quick search to the YouTube shows that he has hit a 500′ HR. Denton had a strong senior year at Ravenwood with a .478 BA 11 2B and 4 HR. Denton also contributed 40 IP on the mound with a 1.75 ERA 47 K and a record of 6-0.

“Obviously he’s (Denton) a special player, but where he’s a bit different than the average player is that he is the hardest worker that we have around here .He is dedicated to the game, dedicated to the team and is a non stop worker not only on the field but off the field as well.”

Denton is said to have the arm to stay at 3B but will need to develop some quicker feet and hands to stay and the hot corner. If he does not make it at 3B he would make a pretty decent LF/RF option with an above average arm. Another important thing to note is that Denton is a switch hitter which is a rarity anymore, it will be interesting to see if he stays that way or not.

Also, of note. Denton is a big Cardinals fan and recently got the opportunity to play at Busch Stadium and was excited about that to say the least.

I managed to get a hold of Denton’s H.S. baseball coach Teddy Craig, and when asked about Denton he told me this, “Obviously he’s (Denton) a special player, but where he’s a bit different than the average player is that he is the hardest worker that we have around here. He is dedicated to the game, dedicated to the team and is a non stop worker not only on the field but off the field as well. What you are getting is a complete player, a player who is driven no other that I have ever coached and I expected this day to come.”

Teddy also mentioned that Denton is well liked among his teammates and that they had over 1oo people at a draft party for Denton last night and that the whole team is excited for him and that there is no jealousy at all. He also mentioned that Denton is the kind of player that won’t be bothered by the demands of minor league life because of his love for the game and drive for success. Reiterated that Denton was ecstatic to be drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals as he has grown up as a fan of the team.

Denton, also shared pictures of him and Cardinals Manager Mike Matheny on Instagram as well as video of him homering in BP at Busch earlier this week. It’s safe to say that despite the Vanderbilt commitment the Cardinals should have no problem signing the 17 year old.

These are the three picks from day one and hopefully your future St. Louis Cardinals some day soon. Check back for my coverage of the picks from day two and potential interviews with the Cardinals’ draft picks.