Charlie Tilson, OF
Credit: Mark Harrell/Springfield Cardinals
Tilson was slated to play in the Fall League last year, but a small fracture in his foot derailed him. Now, the speedy centerfielder is the best position player the Cardinals have in Arizona. It’s mainly because of his wheels, though. As of right now, Tilson is a gap-to-gap hitter who can leg out infield hits and stretch long singles into doubles. He can also cover a lot of ground in center, although he’s been criticized for taking curious routes to the ball. The same has been said of his ability to read pitchers and get good jumps on the basepaths. That said, he swiped 46 bags at Springfield this summer while hitting right around .300 and posting a very nice .351 OBP. Tilson is the classic case of a young player who simply needs more game experience. He’ll get it in Arizona.