St. Louis Cardinals: Anthony Shew’s journey has been about growth

Before getting hit by a liner on May 12, Anthony Shew was making his emergence and stating his case to get his shot on the St. Louis Cardinals. His journey from undrafted free agent to potential MLB promotion has been one of growth.

As an undrafted free agent signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016, Anthony Shew hasn’t been exactly the most touted of prospects, not even receiving scouting grades on sites like Fangraphs and Baseball Savant. These are the types of players that are many times drafted as long shots, and are more used for minor league depth.

However, Shew has been quietly making his way up the minor league ladder, playing solid at each level along the way. This has culminated in a pretty solid start to 2019. He started the year in AA, making 5 starts and putting up a 1.93 ERA. He also allowed just 6 walks and a single homer, and this prompted a bump up to AAA.

This may seem like a move made a bit fast. After all, five starts isn’t exactly a sample size to be confident with, but I think the St. Louis Cardinals organization has liked the way Shew has grown quickly as he has climbed up the minor league ladder.

That might seem confusing, but the picture becomes more clear when you see the growth that Shew has gone through. While many people haven’t heard about it, it is a surprising story worth keeping an eye on if you’re a St. Louis Cardinals fan.