No. 3: Ray Lankford
Ray Lankford is one of the most underrated players in the St. Louis Cardinals' history. Originally a third-round draft pick by the Chicago Cubs in 1986, Lankford decided to stay an extra year at Modesto Junior College in California. The very next year, he again was selected in the third round. This time with the St. Louis Cardinals.
After only playing 39 games in 1990, Ray Lankford became an impact player (in one case, literally) in the 1991 season. Despite an OPS+ of 94, he did finish third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting and led the NL in triples with 15.
In thirteen years with St. Louis, Lankford batted .272/.364/.477 with an OPS+ of 123. In 1992 and in each season from 1995 to 1998, Lankford hit over 20 home runs and stole 20 stolen bases in multiple seasons, becoming the first Cardinal ever to do so. He was elected to the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2018.