Baseball America released their Top 100 draft prospects this past week. We’ve talked at length around here about who the Cardinals may pick with their 1st pick, but what about their other picks? Who on this list (or just other players that you may know of) do you think the Cardinals will draft? Who do you want them to draft?
I’ll just throw a few names out there I see as definite possibilities because of their ability to get the groundball-
Zach Putnam of Michigan, Tyson Ross of Cal, Carlos Gutierrez, the closer for Miami, Zach Stewart of Texas Tech, Josh Lindblom of Purdue and Stephen Fife of Utah.
A couple of guys I’d like them to draft but may be gone already by the time 39 rolls around is Brett Lawrie, a high school infielder from Canada and Tyler Ladensdorf, a Juco SS who’s putting up Nintendo numbers in the NJCAA. Ladensdorf seems like he can do it all, he’s just been doing it against inferior competition. Eric Thames, an OF of Pedderdine is another who could be a 2nd rounder that intrigues me.
Future Redbirds 
thames has a torn quad. i have no clue what that will do to his draft status.
Cards do tend to think JUCO”s are a nice risk/reward with upside. They took a bunch last year and Ladensdorf has all the tools you would want.
With the recent success of D.Jones and Pham..both toolsy guys…you gotta give hope that the Cards can take high upside, more talented kids and their developmental staff can get the most out of them.
As for Thames, if he is there in the 3rd I take him.
Anyone else think Ray Ray Lankford when you see Thames?
He is playing in an extreme pitchers park, so there is a good chance those 13 HR’s are probably 20 or so at most any other ballpark.
Going to keep harping on it…but keep an eye out for DJ Mitchell on draft day…he is the sinker baller, athletic SP the Cards love to reach for.
Good stuff as always, Erik!
DJ Mitchell has jumped out at me since I first started looking at the draft. He just seems to be destiny…
I thought of all the juco picks when I thought of Ladensdorf, although most of the juco guys they take are lower profile, with the exception of Maiques.
Here’s a name you won’t hear bandied about by scouts but the I could see the Cards could scoop up, a la Steve Hill. This would definitely be a Sig find–OF Chris Shehan of GA southern.
.441/.560/.845 22 HR, 52 BB, 56 K in 220 at bats. 22 steals in 24 attempts.
Another College of Charleston guys I could see the Cardinals scooping up, two guys that have to be better than Olly Marmol. Jeremie Tice .408/.511/.862 with 24 HRs and a 54% extra base hit rate! 40 walks to 41 K’s. Only problem is he’s a 1B.
I’ll throw my predictions out there:
Round 1 – LHP Brett Devall. High K numbers, a coveted LH arm. . .reminiscent of another lefty arm from Florida in the 90’s currently patrolling CF for the Cards.
Round 2 – OF/1B Jeff Decker – put up ridiculous numbers for his high school in Arizona (.565 17 65 21 steals). . .Joe Mather was another Arizona h.s. product that has worked out for the Cards. Not sure about his ability to play the outfield, but if he had 21 steals he can move a bit and probably has decent range.
I will need CPR due to a massive heart attack if the Cards spend their first 2 draft picks on HS players.
Probably a better chance of Paris Hilton being made President of the Celibacy Council
I have nothing against Friedrich if he falls to us in the draft, but I would like to see us take a chance on Tim Melville. He’s been up and down for a while(down now) but has it really been that long since a lot of us assumed he wouldn’t make it out of the top 10? I don’t think it would be too much of a reach to take the local product with upside.
Then there’s Ryan Perry, who intrigues me for a few reasons. He’s currently a reliever, so he will come into the organization with a relatively fresh arm. Converting him to a starter will be an easier transition with our piggy-back rotations in the low minors. He seems like a good fit for our organization, I’m just not sure if he’s worthy of the 13th pick and I doubt he lasts until 39.
As for the 39th pick, I would be happy with Putnam there, he satisfies the organization with a good sinker but also has upside for a college pitcher.