With Alex Reyes and Dakota Hudson soon to lose their prospect status during the early part of the regular season, it’s time to reboot the St. Louis Cardinals’ 10 top prospects.
The St. Louis Cardinals top prospects in recent years have included the likes of Alex Reyes, Dakota Hudson, Carson Kelly, Jack Flaherty, Luke Weaver, and Tyler O’Neill, to name just a few. Now Flaherty is a regular in the Cardinal rotation and O’Neill appears settled on the 25 man roster. Additionally, Weaver and Kelly went west in the Paul Goldschmidt trade. Finally, Reyes and Hudson will lose their prospect status during the early part of the season.
With this recent clearing out of top prospects from the minor league system. it’s time to identify a new top 10 prospects listing for the St. Louis Cardinals. Although there is talent up and down the Cardinals minor league system, it seems the best talent is at the bottom of the organization.
By most farm system ratings, the Cardinals fall into the upper half, but not the top. Milb.com and Bleacher Report seems to reflect most of the ratings by currently ranking the Cardinal farm system at 12 out of 30 MLB organizations. Both of these rankings, however, reflect Alex Reyes and Dakota Hudson as prospects.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report calls the Cardinals 12 ranking a ‘bit of a mirage’ with Reyes and Hudson listed since both will lose their prospect status early in the season. Nevertheless, there are impressive prospects in the low levels of the minor league system and some are beginning to get noticed.
Looking at the St. Louis Cardinals’ minor league system, the strength seems to lie in the corner infield and outfield, but there are some interesting pitching prospects coming up. Also, note that the talent in the upper levels of the minor league system is not exactly drained. There is talent in Memphis that will likely to be called up in 2019.
Without further delay, let’s dig into my Top 10 Prospects in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system.