All the good he does at the plate will be completely undone at the big league level due to the lack of power. Willis is a promising but raw pitcher with plenty of projection, but he also needs a lot of refinement. I see why the organization took a flyer here, as he has the frame, big breaking ball and high release point that they covet. He then joined the University of Texas as a graduate transfer for the 2021 season. And, fortunately, Stephen has not stopped hitting. Length can be seen more in his legs than anywhere else. Physical Description: 6'2", 165 pounds. Comp pick Ryan Holgates power is already there in the Pac12, Flores said. Big sweeping slider that gets a ton of horizontal movement. It is unlikely that he will stay there long term due to his slightly below average speed, but his bat will ultimately be his carrying tool. The pool amount for this pick is $353,700. However, Ruiz throws from the left side and has a bit more reliever risk than the previous selections. No, another surrogate does not exist. The right-hander is another starter who will likely get the chance to work as a starter with the Cardinals. Despite this, he does need to work on his control and command. Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball. Became more hittable in the upper minors and was homer prone in Double-A. Grade: 60, Field: Played mostly third base for Johnson City in his professional debut, but also spent time at second and first. He is able to control all three of his pitches and is at his best when he is locating them at the bottom of the strike zone. If not, he can still add value through defense, base running, and walks. Our scouts know that. Throws: Right. Kantrovitz on economizing through the draft: We view the draft as a mechanism to save money. Won't steal any bases either. Likely to be more of a gap threat than anything else. In 2018, we introduced employee empowered committees that focus on employee engagement, employee recognition, and diversity and inclusion efforts. Physical Description: He's filled out his tall frame well. Holgate played just 15 games in 2020 due to COVID, but showed massive improvement. Osvaldo Tovalin, 3B He's going to require serious body maintenance, and you don't see many soft bodied catches nowadays. Grade: 30, Field: Mendoza is the best defensive infielder in the organization, and might be one of the top defenders on the dirt in all of minor league baseball. The bat must take a jump to the next level for him to be considered for a semi-everyday role however. Bats: Right We have limitless growth potential for people committed to hard work, teamwork and customer service. Grade: 45, Changeup: 81-83. Overall, a power corner outfielder with strong power, a strong arm, and decent athleticism gives Baez an intriguing and high ceiling package of skills. Grade: 45, Power: Strength is his game, and Redmond is one of the better power bats in a system that has made adding power one of its main objectives. Above average bat speed now. Grade: 50, Changeup: His best pitch. Most of his extra base hits are well placed balls down the line. He's improved at the plate each season, but there's a lot left to be desired. Extremely pull heavy. 0. Team Fielding--Totals. Sr. Executive Assistant to the President of Baseball Operations. Bats: Right In the general flow of the draft, Flores said the Cardinals pivoted after the comp pick of Holgate, their third player taken of 11 overall so far. Keeps feet close together pre-load. Former Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa was sentenced to 46 months in prison last July for what amounted to 12 counts of corporate espionage. Mills joins Ryan Holgate, the Cardinals third pick of the draft, as Northwoods League veterans. Moves very well on the mound, is flexible and fields position very well. Grade: 55, Slider: Gragg's slider has flashed plus for years but never consistently gotten there, pitch relies on horizontal break more than vertical, can manipulate shape depending on handedness of hitters, likes to land for strikes, solid pitch that lacks consistent bat-missing qualities and will likely struggle to do so with frequency at the big league level. Then Covid-19 washed out his draft season, but there were some encouraging early results in the handful of games. Grade: 50, Slider: Tough pitch for lefties due to arm slot. Competitive Balance Round B, 70th overall, Ryan Holgate, OF His slider gets good break, with more depth than run. On assembling a scouting department: Mo [general manager John Mozeliak] is really good about letting me have autonomy when it comes to personnel. Hit: Loud, noisy swing with plenty of moving parts, with good plate coverage; will take walks. Any physical projection in the body would lean in the negative direction. Tovalin struggled a bit in the shortened 2020 season, but he hit the ball well in 2018 and 2019, so this was likely a result of an early season slump that he never got the chance to fix. League Register; Team Player Value--Batters. Inflated error numbers are a reflection, in part, of his range because he can get to many balls that most players cannot. Prospects Live Staff. He can be followed on Twitter @DavidLaurilaQA. Will drop a plus change then follow it up with a non-competitve version. Like most young power hitters, swing-and-miss is a concern with Baez. Interns are not eligible to receive any company sponsored benefits including, but not limited to, Health and Welfare, Pension, Leave, Holiday or Vacation Pay, Relocation, Temporary Housing, etc. Tough at bat for lefties, potential bullpen floor if he can't start. In his end of day 2 comments, the Cardinals scouting director praised second rounder Joshua Baez, noting his physicality and baseball tools, athleticism and body control and power potential that is impressive. Or there might be a need at a certain position and then the wheels are greased for him to fly through the system. Tovalin hit 15 home runs in his final collegiate season and finished his college career with 43 home runs in 769 plate appearances. He's going to get challenged at the big league level though. Might not get as many whiffs at higher levels due to its sweepiness. The Cardinals will likely be able to save money on their string of college pitchers, which should free up enough money to sign Alec Willis to an over-slot bonus. Throws: Right. 2022 MLB Draft Scouting Report for RHP Landon Sims, 2022 MLB Draft Scouting Report & Interview with Elijah Green, Age: 23 yrHeight: 6-6Weight: 231 lbsHits/Throws: R/RAcquired: 2019 Draft - Round 7RuleV: 2022. Obviously, you dont want to start too far down the defensive spectrum and thats why a lot of teams focus on up-the-middle, but if you think the bat is something you cant find in an up-the-middle defender, you stretch that line of thinking. 65, 220 His solid 3.75 ERA for a strong collegiate baseball program in Long Beach State also offers hope that he can remain in the rotation. I expect him to be a long term option at first base, not traditional look of a second baseman. As of now, Love appears to have the ceiling of a back-of-the-rotation starter with room to grow into a mid-rotation starter if he can become more consistent with his secondary offerings. August 11, 2021. The 22-year-old also throws a fastball and a slider with both pitches grading out as average but flashing plus according to Baseball America. This is an entry level position which provides extensive training that may lead to opportunities to transition to positions in the Ticket Sales Department and other departments within the organization. Likes to jump at first pitch fastballs. Interested to see what FaGalde looks like to start the season, and I think he can be a middle reliever long term. Top 35 Prospects: St. Louis Cardinals by Eric Longenhagen April 8, 2021 Below is an analysis of the prospects in the farm system of the St. Louis Cardinals. Timing is good, everything is where you want it to be on foot strike. Modest toe tap. He's a good bet to stick on the 40-man roster for a couple years and provide depth as necessary, but expecting anything more than that may be unreasonable. Control: 50 | Command: 40. This is a developing skill that will likely be the carrying tool. No matter where you start, Delaware North exposes you to the dynamic systems of an industry leader. Its become almost a trendy thing to want to do, but sometimes I think people overlook how grueling scouting jobs are. Tovalin has experience playing both first base and third base, but it is his bat that is likely what drew the Cardinals to him. He can become a nice utility infielder for a big league club because of his defensive versatility and ability to get into hitters counts. Good instincts which helps his otherwise average range play up. Prospects Live Staff. Utilizes a small leg kick as a trigger. The 22-year-olds changeup also breaks well to his arm side and has shown an ability to dip underneath bats. Handles a staff extremely well. Cardinals have instructs again in January so we will find out more then. Level swing, handles the bat well. Assistant General Manager & Director of Scouting. Ruiz improved his strikeout rate dramatically since his first season, going from 6.58 K/9 as a freshman to 9.21 K/9 in his third collegiate season. Frame essentially is what it is. There is room to add some to the frame, but for his height he is built well. Strong college performer. A dead red hitter at this point. Students may complete multiple internship opportunities with the St. Louis Cardinals; however, no student may be an intern for more than one year. Good, strong lower half. Improvements to his fastball to play along with the slider would go a long way with him fitting into high leverage situations. St. Louis initial Day 2 selection is power-hitting Massachusetts prep outfielder Joshua Baez. Shows good feel for backhanding and getting the ball to the bag. From there, if players were close, which is often the case after the first 100 picks or so, the Cards leaned to pitching. Cardinals Insider. Tagged: 2021, Julio E. Rodriguez, Trevor Hooth, Age: 24 yrHeight: 6-1Weight: 231 lbsHits/Throws: L/RAcquired: 2019 Draft - Round 32RuleV: 2022. There are a lot of variables.. He has been the Director of Scouting since August 28, 2015, overseeing all aspects of the scouting department including the amateur draft. Most scouts already regard the fastball as a plus pitch. It looks like he starts his hands remarkably late, but his wrists and forearms are so strong he's still able to get the bat to the ball. 4.066. Long legs and arms. Grade: 45, Run: His speed helps his game on both sides of the ball. His changeup sits in the low 80s and his slider is more slow and loopy than hard and sharp. Grade: 40, Run: Registered 7.3 second 60-yard dash times. Don't see it working very well behind the plate, but it's been two years and a lot can happen during that time. They both could use some refinement, but he gets good movement on both pitches. During graduate school he was USCs Pitching Coach (2013), worked as a college baseball analyst for ESPN and Pac-12 Networks, and founded a sports video technology company. Baez is one of the youngest players in the class, which seems to be an early trend for the Cardinals. Plenty of room for growth on his lanky frame. Finishes with push leg swing high and across. Tagged: 2021, Matt Thompson, Edgar Escobar, Age: 28 yrHeight: 6-0Weight: 245 lbsHits/Throws: R/LAcquired: 2014 Draft - Round 34, OAKRuleV: On 40-Man. The right-hander walked just 18 batters in 106 2/3 innings Angelo State University in 2021. Throws: Right. Hands start at chest before dropping down the hip height on the rocker stop. For more than 60 years, Delaware North Sportservice has been teaming up with the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium to provide the passionate Cardinals fans a memorable game-day experience. We bake all those opinions together and apply discount rates to enable us to compare players apple to apples in todays dollars. Flores, 45, was part of the Cardinals 2006 World Series Championship team and spent eight seasons in the Majors. The right-hander appears to be another strong candidate to enter the rotation in the professional ranks. 60, 200 University of Texas The St. Louis Cardinals Internship Program provides participants with an opportunity to learn about the sports industry and Major League Baseball through hands on experience working in the front office. He does have a moderate leg kick and can sometimes overextend his front arm pre-swing. Grade: 45, Power: Quick hands generate power. We have data from scouts, doctors, trainers, quantitative analysts, specialists in pitching mechanics they all provide an expert opinion on a player. Four quadrant type command. He is also listed at 64 and 220 pounds. He is able to take a few ticks off it and give it more of a curveball shape with loopier movement when he wants to. Cardinals took a shot on the untapped potential. Hit: Open stance. Grade: 40, Run: Not a speed threat. A troubling trend, but fatigue looked to play a part in that. Control: 55 | Command: 50. Over his last three years in college and his pro debut he's hit 60 homers. Willis secondary offerings are more refined than most prep pitchers, with his slider being his go-to breaking ball. Throws across his body, leads to an uncomfortable at bat for lefties. Delivery & Mechanics: His windup is a bit of a flashback to simpler times, with the windmill type arm swing that you see in the black and white highlights. The spike in homers can verify this claim. Rosters/Players/Moves. Austin Love, RHP The Cardinals may believe they can add more velocity to the heater given his size. Gets a lot of extension, but small framed guy so you don't notice it as much on paper. He was hit by a pitch during the first game his sophomore year and then redshirted. A bit surprising, but in a traditional season with full minor leagues I believe he gets claimed. Good, quiet target that really excels framing the low pitch. When he throws it like a slider, it is a bit faster and has sharper break. He has played primarily third but has also spent some time at first base as well as second. The right-hander finished his final collegiate season with 86 strikeouts and just 13 walks in 82 innings. He does scold the ball though and is one of the organizational leaders in exit velocity. The St. Louis Cardinals midseason Top 30 prospects for 2021. Good center of gravity with strong wright transfer. Ticketing system experience preferred, Desire to learn and grow professionally in the sports industry, You will be a part of the Busch Stadium game day experience, Work with your family and friends - Exciting Referral Bonus Program, Part-Time positions that can accommodate YOUR schedule. Chance for plus fastball in short spurts, but given development as a starter/long reliever, the projection stays above-average. If he can play a strong shortstop changes the profile, and the weak offensive output becomes less of an issue. Collection of average to above-average tools. 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