Evaluating the St. Louis Cardinals’ draft classes (1965-1984)

1980 MLB draft

Top pick: Don Collins, RHP (N/A)

(Round 1, Pick 15)

Don Collins never rose above Single-A in his four minor league seasons, holding a record of 21-16 in A-ball and an ERA of 3.57. He played in the Milwaukee Brewers organization in his final year.

WAR leader: Ricky Horton, LHP (4.9)

(Round 4, Pick 93)

Ricky Horton had a 3.44 ERA in his rookie year with the Cardinals, where he went 9-4. His ERA was 3.17 in his first go-around with the Cardinals, which lasted four seasons, and he played in the 1985 and 1987 World Series. He also pitched in the 1988 World Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Horton returned to the Cardinals in 1989 and played his last major league season with them in 1990. He now works as a Cardinals radio broadcaster.

Other signed draftees who made the major leagues

Jim Adduci, OF/1B (-0.5)

1981 MLB draft

Top pick: Bobby Meacham, SS (3.9)

(Round 1, Pick 8)

Meacham’s poor defense at shortstop in the minor leagues resulted in a trade to the New York Yankees after the 1982 season. He became the Yankees’ starting shorstop in 1985 after a few years serving in a reserve role, but he hit only .218. Meacham’s final year in the major leagues was in 1988. The Yankees traded him to the Texas Rangers after the season, and he bounced around for a few years after that but never reached the majors again.

WAR leader: Danny Cox, RHP (9.3)

(Round 13, Pick 319)

Danny Cox played a major role in helping the Cardinals win the 1985 National League pennant, pitching 241 innings with an ERA of 2.88. He was remarkably durable, as he pitched 220 and 199.1 innings in 1986 and 1987. He pitched well in the World Series in the same year, allowing two runs in 14 innings, although the Cardinals lost the series to the Kansas City Royals in seven games.

Cox played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays later in his career and won a ring with the Blue Jays, but most of his success was with the Cardinals. While not in the Cardinals Hall of Fame, Cox was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.

Other signed draftees who made the major leagues

Curt Ford, OF (1.6); Jeff Keener, RHP (0.1); Tom Nieto, C (-2.3)

1982 MLB draft

Top pick: Todd Worrell, RHP (10.9)

(Round 1, Pick 21)

While initially a starter in the minor leagues, Todd Worrell failed to gain traction in the role, and Triple-A manager Jim Fregosi moved him to the bullpen. That proved to be a good decision, as Worrell served as a top-notch closer for the Cardinals from 1986 to 1989. He won the 1986 NL Rookie of the Year Award after a league-leading 36 saves.

Worrell was an All-Star in 1988, but near the end of the 1989 season, he tore his rotator cuff and missed the 1990 and 1991 seasons. The Cardinals released Worrell after the 1992 season, and he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched there for five more seasons and made two more All-Star teams before retiring.

WAR leader: Terry Pendleton, 3B (28.4)

(Round 7, Pick 179)

Terry Pendleton played well in seven seasons with the Cardinals, especially defensively at the hot corner. He hit .259 with 44 home runs with St. Louis, but the bat didn’t really catch up to the glove until the Cardinals traded him to the Atlanta Braves to make room at third base for the young Todd Zeile.

In 1991, Pendleton’s first season with Atlanta, he won the NL MVP Award after leading the league with a .319 average. He won his third Gold Glove and made his only All-Star appearance the following year, where he led the National League with 199 hits. Pendleton retired in 1998, having played in five World Series but losing them all.

Other signed draftees who made the major leagues

Vince Coleman, OF (12.5)

1983 MLB draft

Top pick: Jim Lindeman, OF/1B (-0.2)

(Round 1, Pick 24)

Jim Lindeman’s career highlight was probably the 1987 postseason, where he batted .321 while filling in for an injured Jack Clark despite hitting only .208 in the regular season. The Cardinals traded Lindeman to the Detroit Tigers after the 1989 season, and the most success he found outside the postseason was with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1991, where he hit .337 in 95 at-bats.

WAR leader: Tom Pagnozzi, C/1B (7.7)

(Round 8, Pick 208)

A strong defender behind the plate who could also handle the bat a bit, Tom Pagnozzi played his entire career with the Cardinals, winning three Gold Gloves and earning an All-Star berth in 1992. Pagnozzi replaced catching prospect Todd Zeile in 1990, and he was the Cardinals’ starting catcher until 1996, hitting .259 over that span. The Cardinals released him two years later after he hit only .219 in 1997 and 1998, and Pagnozzi subsequently retired.

Other signed draftees who made the major leagues

John Costello, RHP (0.9)

1984 MLB draft

Top pick: Mike Dunne, RHP (0.1)

(Round 1, Pick 7)

Mike Dunne pitched in the minor leagues for the Cardinals until 1987, when he was included in the Andy Van Slyke package sent to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Tony Pena. Dunne’s rookie season showed promise, as his 3.03 ERA and second-place finish in Rookie of the Year voting indicated. But he couldn’t shake off injuries for the rest of his career, hurting his effectiveness. Dunne ended his career in 1992, holding a 4.08 ERA.

WAR leader: Lance Johnson, OF (30.2)

(Round 6, Pick 139)

Lance Johnson was a burner on the basepaths, but Willie McGee had center field occupied for the Cardinals, so they traded Johnson to the Chicago White Sox before the 1988 season. He proceeded to lead the major leagues in triples three times, and he made the All-Star team in 1996 with the New York Mets, a year where he hit .333 and led the major leagues with 227 hits.

Johnson retired in 2000 after three and a half more years, playing for the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. He finished his career with a .291 average and 327 stolen bases.

Other signed draftees who made the major leagues

Jeff Fassero, LHP (23.7); Greg Mathews, LHP (3.4); Scott Arnold, RHP (-0.1); Craig Wilson, 3B/2B (-0.6); Matt Kinzer, RHP (-1.5)