The history of the St. Louis Cardinals top-7 draft picks

J.D. Drew-1998

J.D. Drew was the Cardinals' most recent top-seven draft pick. He was chosen fifth overall in the 1998 Draft; Drew attended Flordia State University. Drew made his Major League debut on September 8th, 1998, the same year he was drafted, against the Chicago Cubs.

J.D. Drew played his first six professional seasons in St. Louis, and he had a slash line of .282/.377/.498 for St. Louis. He played strong defense in right field, and he finished his career with 44.9 bWAR. Drew had the chance to be elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016, but he fell short. He was an All-Star once in 2008, and he was a part of the Championship 2007 Boston Red Sox team.

Most Cardinal fans remember J.D. Drew for the trade that he was a part of in the 2003-2004 offseason. Drew, along with catcher Eli Marrero, was traded for Jason Marquis, Ray King, and prospect Adam Wainwright. This trade proved to be quite beneficial for the Cardinals, as Wainwright ended up pitching in St. Louis for nearly twenty years. At the time, it was tough to see such a talented player in Drew be traded to the Braves, but there is not a single fan who isn't grateful for this trade today.

Jason Marquis helped lead the rotation in 2006, and Wainwright ended up becoming one of the greatest starting pitchers in St. Louis history. While the Cardinals weren't able to reap the benefits of their most recent top-seven draft pick, they were able to see ample benefits in a trade that would occur later. Here's to J.D. Drew bringing one of the greatest players to ever don the Birds on the Bat, Adam Wainwright.