St. Louis Cardinals: Five Redbirds make MLB Pipeline’s Top 100

Everyone knows the St. Louis Cardinals have one of the best farm systems. MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 backed up that notion yesterday.

The St. Louis Cardinals came into the off-season with one of the best farm systems in all of baseball. The team has a surplus off pitching talent and outfield talent. We have seen some of that talent even be dealt for Marcell Ozuna in the form of Sandy Alcantara and Magneuris Sierra. Neither Sierra or Alcantara are in the Top 100.

Even with losing two top prospects like Alcantara and Sierra, the Cardinals managed to have five Redbirds crack the Top 100 prospects for MLB Pipeline. There are only six teams ahead of the Cardinals in terms of how many prospects landed on the list. Check out the bottom of the list if you want a good laugh too!

The Brewers, Braves, Padres, and Rays all had a whopping seven prospects in the Top 100. The highest prospect between all four of those team was Ronald Acuna, number six. Most notable for the Brewers is prospect Lewis Brinson, who comes in at number twelve.

The other teams ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals in regards to number of players in the Top 100 are the Phillies and White Sox. It’s no surprise to see the White Sox on the list considering the trades they made with the Boston Red Sox and Nationals. Chris Sale‘s trade netted the White Sox Michael Kopech, who sits at number ten. While Adam Eaton‘s trade brought Lucas Giolito over to the White Sox, he does not appear in the Top 100.

Here are the five St. Louis Cardinals appearing in the Top 100:

Alex Reyes

Alex Reyes slots in as the highest Redbird on the list, and falls at number fifteen on the overall list. While you might have expected to see him higher in the rankings, his injury certainly set him back a little bit. However, if he returns healthy and pitches well, he is easily one of the best pitching prospects in the game.

The questions everyone is asking though, is where will he pitch out of in 2018? I believe the most likely option will be out of the bullpen, much like he did in 2016 towards the end of the season. The Cardinals will want to limit his innings, but don’t be surprised to see Reyes make a spot start every now and then should one of the main rotation guys get injured.

Carson Kelly

Carson Kelly is the Cardinals’ second highest prospect on the list, and comes in a thirty-two overall. He will be the Cardinals back-up catcher to start the season, and is likely to see more playing time in 2018. But, just how much?

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Yadier Molina is the mainstay for the next three seasons, and doesn’t appear to be slowing down just yet.

The only way Kelly receives a majority of playing time is if Molina suffers an injury during the season. Another avenue for Kelly to see playing time is if Molina takes some games at first base every now and then.

Unfortunately, there is just no clear path for one of the best catching prospects in baseball right now.

If the Cardinals believe he is worth more to them on the bench, then fine. However, if they fee like they can move him to upgrade the roster in terms of starting pitching or elsewhere, it may be to their benefit to trade before it’s too late.

Jack Flaherty

Jack Flaherty comes in as the Cardinals’ third highest prospect, and 48th overall in the list. Because of his quick ascension through the minors, Flaherty finds himself in the Top 50 of prospects in the game. Cardinal fans saw some glimpses of Flaherty late in the season. While he did not have much success, it was nice to see the Cardinals tap into their much-coveted pitching pool.

His role is pretty straight-forward. The Cardinals will use him to spot start as much as they can in case of injury. I would guess they would use him to spot start more than Reyes in order to keep Reyes’ innings in check.

For now, Flaherty will most likely start in Memphis to continue working on consistency and polishing his pitches. From what I’ve seen, Flaherty has the potential to be a high-end two guy, if he polishes correctly. Expect to see him back with team in 2018 for sure.

Tyler O’Neill

Tyler O’Neill comes in as the fourth highest prospect for the St. Louis Cardinals, and 87th overall in the list. O’Neill made his way to St. Louis via trade with the Seattle Mariners for Marco Gonzales. The trade was surprising move for the Cardinals at the time, but if O’Neill is able to translate his skill set to the big league level, the Cardinals will have some major upside in the outfield.

O’Neill is known for his power to all fields. While he has yet to be called up by the Cardinals, he could definitely be in contention to make the team out of Spring Training. Of course, there are some obstacles in the way, such as Randal Grichuk and Harrison Bader, but O’Neill’s bat could serve as an intriguing pinch-hitting option.

The one question surrounding him since his arrival is whether he fits on the team or if he is a part of a bigger trade? Given the Cardinals depth in outfield, I wouldn’t put it past anyone if he is moved in a trade. However, he is the number one outfield prospect on the team, and he is only 22-years-old.

I’d like to see what he can do at the big league level before letting him go in a trade. His presence though, makes all the more likely one of Grichuk or Bader will likely be moved this off-season.

Harrison Bader

Speaking of Harrison Bader, he is the last Cardinal ranked in the Top 100, and slots in at 90th overall. Bader saw time in the outfield in 2017 as Dexter Fowler recovered from injuries late in the season. While he did not hit as well as some would’ve liked, he still brought and energy to the team when he was in the lineup.

Defensively, he play all three outfield positions, although he seems better suited for left field or center. His speed and arm strength help him cover plenty of ground in the outfield, enough to be considered as the fourth outfielder for the team once Spring Training is over.

Like O’Neill, Bader’s biggest obstacle is Grichuk. He will need to beat Grichuk in Spring Training to have a spot on the 25-man roster for Opening Day. While he doesn’t have the power Grichuk has, Bader can hit for a better average. Bader does have some underrated power as well, but not likely to eclipse thirty home runs every year.

The biggest question surrounding Bader is whether he or Grichuk will be on the team once Spring Training arrives. His designation as atop 100 prospect definitely raises his status, but are the St. Louis Cardinals more keen to move Grichuk before Bader? Personally, I would take the younger Bader over Grichuk, but Bader still needs the at-bats to polish as a hitter. As a fourth outfielder, he isn’t going to get that chance that often.

Next: Moving Wacha to the closer's role

The 2018 Top 100 prospect list will come out on January 27th. Expect to have an update then.