RADIO
The St. Louis Cardinals always seem to find a way to win. In a year where Adam Wainwright, Matt Adams, and Matt Holliday struggled with injuries, the Cardinals still managed to win a Major League best 100 games. Next season could be a different story however as they will be locked in a hotly contested division battle between the persistent Pittsburgh Pirates and the current World Series favorite Chicago Cubs.
When it comes to Minor League depth, the Cardinals have seen better days. They have a couple of arms that could eventually have a major impact and a few decent bats, but they lack the kind of depth that the Cardinals have historically had. With that said, St. Louis has always found a way to turn even the most unheralded prospect into a solid Major League regular so there could be some real fantasy sleepers in here.
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St. Louis Cardinals Top 10 Dynasty Prospects
These are the top ten prospects for the St. Louis Cardinals in terms of fantasy production for fantasy owners in the next few seasons.
1. Alex Reyes (SP, AA)
Stats: 34.2 IP, 3.12 ERA, 2.32 FIP, 13.50 K/9, 4.67 BB/9, 0.26 HR/9
ETA: 2017
Since being signed by the Cardinals back in 2012, Alex Reyes has come a long way. Though he still has some issues with commanding his diverse repertoire of pitches, he still shows tremendous potential and could be a future ace. With a fastball that sits in the upper-90s, a well-above average power curveball, and a solid changeup, Reyes looks poised to have the floor of a closer (if he cannot reign in his command) and the ceiling of a top of the rotation starter. With his upside, Reyes is worth owning in all dynasty leagues and owners should expect him to be in the majors as early as 2016 and have a regular role as early as 2017.
2. Jack Flaherty (SP, A)
Stats: 95.0 IP, 2.54 ERA, 2.83 FIP, 9.19 K/9, 2.94 BB/9, 0.19 HR/9
ETA: 2018
If dynasty owners want a player with a slightly lower ceiling but a higher floor than Alex Reyes, look no further than Jack Flaherty. Flaherty possesses a low-90s fastball, an average slider and curveball, and a changeup which serves as his primary outpitch. Though his repertoire is not as dominant as Reyes’, Flaherty still possesses a diverse enough collection of pitches that, combined with his well advanced command, gives him a floor of a bottom of the rotation starter with a ceiling of a number two starter. Don’t own Flaherty with the expectation that he is going to be an ace, but own him because he looks like a dependable starter for dynasty owners.
3. Nick Plummer (OF, R)
Stats: 228 PA, .228/.379/.344, 1 HR, 8 SB, 17.1% BB rate, 24.6% K rate
ETA: 2019
The biggest impact bat in the Cardinals’ system, Nick Plummer has the potential to be an eventual 20/20 outfielder for dynasty owners. The 23rd overall pick in the 2015 draft, Plummer has shown well above-average bat speed that many scouts believe will translate to both a .270+ average with some pop. The biggest question surrounding Plummer is his defensive ability which many scouts believe will eventually force him to move to left-field, but with his type of impact bat he should not have much trouble reaching the majors in a few seasons. Though dynasty owners will have to wait some to reap their rewards for stashing Plummer, his offensive upside makes him well worth owning.
4. Luke Weaver (SP, A+)
Stats: 105.1 IP, 1.62 ERA, 2.28 FIP, 7.52 K/9, 1.62 BB/9, 0.17 HR/9
ETA: 2017
Luke Weaver is almost an identical copy of Jack Flaherty, but with a slightly lower ceiling. Like Flaherty, Weaver possesses advanced command for someone of his age. Where Weaver has an edge over Flaherty is in terms of pitch variety where Weaver has a mid-90s fastball that is well above average and a well above average changeup that complements his fastball nicely. His slider and curveball are both below average, but they could eventually improve to at least be adequate. Weaver pitches to contact more than Flaherty which limits his strikeout potential and thus is why he is slightly below Flaherty on this list. But make no mistake, Weaver is still worth owning because of his high floor and ceiling as a middle of the rotation arm.
5. Edmundo Sosa (SS, R)
Stats: 223 PA, .300/.369/.485, 7 HR, 6 SB, 7.2% BB rate, 17.0% K rate
ETA: 2019
The next franchise shortstop for the Cardinals, Edmundo Sosa has the potential to be an impact bat at the Major League level. Scouts love his advanced approach to the plate which they believe will help him maintain a solid batting average every year in the majors. He could continue to develop some pop, but it is unlikely that he will hit much more than 10 home runs per season. Sosa possesses above-average speed and though he has not put overwhelming stolen base numbers in the minors, scouts believe that the steals will start to pile up as he continues to become a smarter baserunner. In a time when elite shortstop prospects are a plenty, Sosa is not necessarily a must-own, but dynasty owners in need of depth at shortstop could consider taking a flyer on the 19-year-old shortstop.
6. Magneuris Sierra (OF, A)
Stats: 190 PA, .191/.219/.247, 1 HR, 4 SB, 3.7% BB rate, 27.4% K rate
ETA: 2019
After two seasons at Rookie ball, Magneuris Sierra was promoted to A ball. But struggles at the level forced a demotion back to Rookie ball. The potential is there for Sierra to be an everyday center fielder for the Cardinals, but he will need to continue to refine his approach at the plate. For dynasty owners, there is some potential fantasy value to be had with owning Sierra in the future as he has enough speed to steal 25+ bases per year and scouts see him as eventually being able to hit .270+ in the majors. Sierra is worth owning in dynasty leagues, but with him so far away from the majors and so much more development left, he is not necessarily a must-own player just yet.
7. Harrison Bader (OF, A)
Stats: 228 PA, .301/.364/.505, 9 HR, 15 SB, 6.6% BB rate, 19.3% K rate
ETA: 2017
Harrison Bader could be a solid contributor in the majors if he can ever get a clear path to playing time. Though he does not have the 20/20 upside of Nick Plummer, Bader is just a notch below that with regards to his power/speed combo. He should be able to hit at least .250 consistently in the majors with 20 stolen bases and 10-15 home runs per season. He is a relatively low risk/medium reward player who could be worth owning in dynasty leagues for teams looking for outfield depth.
8. Charlie Tilson (OF, AA)
Stats: 594 PA, .295/.351/.388, 4 HR, 46 SB, 7.7% BB rate, 12.1% K rate
ETA: 2016
There is some value to be had with Charlie Tilson, but it probably is not enough to warrant stashing him in dynasty leagues. While he has decent speed, his lack of defense, power, consistent approach to the plate, and clear path to playing time will probably limit his ceiling to a bench player or temporary outfielder with Cardinals.
9. Marco Gonzales (SP, MLB)
Stats: (from AAA) 69.1 IP, 5.45 ERA, 5.08 FIP, 6.62 K/9, 3.12 BB/9, 1.30 HR/9
ETA: 2016
There has always been a lot of hype surrounding Marco Gonzales, but these past few seasons he has really disappointed. Gonzales still could potentially be a backend of the rotation starter with the ceiling of a middle of the rotation guy, but at this point he is probably destined for the bullpen. Dynasty owners willing to take the high risk for medium reward could own him, but he no longer looks like a top of the rotation arm that he once did.
10. Tim Cooney (SP, MLB)
Stats: 31.1 IP, 3.16 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 8.33 K/9, 2.87 BB/9, 0.86 HR/9
ETA: 2016
There is not a lot of fantasy value to be had with Tim Cooney as he will only be a spot starter/lefty in the bullpen. He can be ignored in dynasty leagues.
