St. Louis Cardinals: Randal Grichuk vs. Stephen Piscotty

October 13, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Stephen Piscotty (55) hits a two run home run in the first inning against Chicago Cubs in game four of the NLDS at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Stephen Piscotty

Pros: Long heralded as one of the Cardinals’ top position player prospects, Piscotty has a solid bat, great on-base skills, and above average right field defense thanks to a fantastic arm. He can handle either corner outfield spot or first base, giving St. Louis some much needed defensive versatility. Additionally, he looks to be developing power, as he hit 18 home runs between Memphis and St. Louis this past season, including 7 at the big league level.

Cons: Piscotty’s weaknesses are as diverse as his strengths. Although it’s true that he can play first, he probably shouldn’t and that limits his versatility. His defense is above average only because of his arm, and his range is pretty bad. His foot speed isn’t anything special, and although it looked alright this season, Piscotty doesn’t have a long history of hitting lots of home runs. It’s definitely easy to see the young right fielder’s upside, but it also isn’t too hard to see him as 2-3 WAR role player if he doesn’t develop as well as most think he will.

Comps: If Piscotty can show consistent power, you’re probably looking at a light version of Matt Holliday. He’ll never be as good, but he’ll be good. If he never does get that power surge, a better comp may be a lesser iteration of Christian Yelich without the speed. Either way, Piscotty should provide some solid value with the bat for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Next: Randal Grichuk