Alex Reyes Headlines Cardinals in Arizona Fall League

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Robby Rowland, RHP

Credit: Allison Rhoades/Peoria Chiefs

Drafted and signed out of high school by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010, Rowland signed as a free agent with the Cardinals last winter. At 6-feet-4 and 215 lbs., he 23-year-old reliever certainly has the size of a big league pitcher. He has the bloodlines, too. His dad, Rich, caught for the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox for parts of six seasons. Now, finally, the younger Rowlands might be headed in that direction. Using mostly a fastball/curveball mix, the righthander had the best season of his professional career in 2015. As the closer at low-A Peoria, he made the Midwest League All-Star Game and earned himself promotions to high-A Palm Beach, then double-A Springfield. Stats at the latter two stops weren’t pretty, but the numbers tell only part of the story. Mechanical tweaks he’s adapting to now may pay big dividends in 2016 and beyond. The first signs of a payoff may come this fall.