This is an interesting group for me. We’ve got a trio of long time prospects and two new faces from 2010. You’ll remember that we left #16 with Cody Stanley and start #15 with …
#15. Bryan Anderson
Age – 24
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 12, Jeff Roman – N/A, erik – 13
Player Comments -
Every year Anderson has to fight back the claim that he’s a bad defensive catcher. It’s probably a true assessment but it ignores his strengths and, when the Cardinals crown Matt Pagnozzi as a good defensive catcher, I don’t think he’s nearly as futile as he’s sometimes portrayed. With the potential for league average offense at a critical position and positional scarcity, he’d make a nice fit as a platoon player or backup catcher. I think he’s still got a little more upside than that but even I’m beginning to suffer from the familiarity of his name on prospect lists. – azruavatar
I still believe in Anderson to a limited extent, but I’m not sure the Cardinals still do. -Jeff Roman
#14. Nick Longmire
Age – 22
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 8, Jeff Roman – 19, erik – 18
Player Comments -
Longmire had a great 2010 effort at Batavia where he hit for power, average and drew walks all at impressive rates over 300 PAs. He’s got the potential to stick in centerfield defensively and I like the skillset he brings. The concern I have is whether a slightly long swing with an uppercut can be trimmed down to something quicker and able to cover all parts of the plate. - azruavatar
Longmire had only one season in the minor leagues, albeit a huge rookie season. If he continues to play this well, obviously he will vault up the rankings, but until then I will reserve judgment. – Jeff Roman
#13. Oscar Taveras
Age – 18
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 10, Jeff Roman – N/A, erik – 9
Player Comments -
Outside of Carlos Martinez (Matias), Oscar Taveras is the Latin prospect you’re most likely to hear about last year. He’s the classic toolsy player who projects well in all aspects of the game. At age 18 and with little baseball played on American soil, he’s also a huge risk. – azruavatar
Just as AZ said, Taveras is a high ceiling, low floor player and right now I believe more in the floor than the ceiling. Once again, I am taking the wait and see approach with Taveras. He was in my “just missed” list, so I’m not trying to snub him completely. For high upside players, I will need to see some certainty they will reach that upside barring significant injury. After another good season, Taveras is probably there. – Jeff Roman
#12. Daniel Descalso
Age – 24
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 17, Jeff Roman – 12, erik – 11
Player Comments -
Descalso is a solid prospect, but who may be coming close to running out of time. He will need another good season in Memphis to vault him up to St. Louis. His advantages are closeness to the majors and positional scarcity in St. Louis and in the system. - Jeff Roman
Descalso is another fringy player. He’s a contact hitter that doesn’t really have the kind of secondary skills — great defense, speed, plate discipline — to push him to the next level. In 500+ PAs at Memphis last year, he was slightly below average offensively. That’s not an indication of big things to come. – azruavatar
#11. Adam Reifer
Age – 24
Stats
Individual Rankings - azruavatar – 18, Jeff Roman – 5, erik – 16
Player Comments -
I love Reifer, in my eyes, he is a future high leverage reliever with high strikeout totals. – Jeff Roman
Reifer really deserves credit for improved results in 2010. He nearly halved his walk rate and cut down on the hits allowed as well. Both those rates are subject to high year to year variance in the sample sizes of a reliever but I’m inclined to give Reifer credit for the walk rate at the least. The point being is that 2010 was a high octane arm with good walk rates and good strikeout rates. I’m still a little wary of him relative to what makes a dominant reliever, but he’s the best combination of polish and potential this side of Eduardo Sanchez. – azruavatar
Original Story:
http://www.futureredbirds.net/2011/01...
