Each September, the members of the UCB reveal their Top 7 Cardinal Prospects. This is one of my favorite projects from the group, but I’ve really struggled with my list. After my top 2, most of the others could be flipped around; and that’s before mentioning that I left off some quality guys (mainly Lance Lynn, Adam Ottavino, and Bryan Anderson).

1. Shelby Miller, RHP

The Cardinals went the opposite path for Miller than they had with other drafted pitchers – they kept the kiddie gloves on. Of course, they’d mainly drafted college arms expected to move fast (whether they should have or not). Miller was held back by pitch counts and inning limits. He was also given a break in the middle of the season. He should start next season in Hi A, and could even get a sniff of Double A. Be glad they didn’t trade him.

2. Zach Cox, 2B

Cox was a concensus top 10 pick coming into the Draft, but he dropped due to contract demands – much to the delight of the Cardinals. Since he signed right at the deadline, he hasn’t seen much professional exposure. We’ll see how he does in the Arizona Fall League and have a better gauge on him coming into Spring. Since he’s on the 40-man, they could be aggressive with him.

3. Allen Craig, OF

I still think Craig is a Major League player, even with the sub-par numbers. The problem is playing time; he needs to play everyday to be effective. Instead, he’s riding the bench in St. Louis or killing the ball in Memphis. If Tony is back next season, Craig’s only hope is for a trade.

4. Carlos Matias, LHP

I’m not one to rank the international players very high before they come to the U.S., but Matias looks like the real deal in the DSL (Dominican Summer League). Signed out of the Dominican for $1.5MM, Matias sports a fast ball that sits in the mid-90s and can reach 99 with excellent control. He’s got some work to do on his secondary pitches, but he’s to time to develop.

5. Eduardo Sanchez, RP

I’m pretty surprised he didn’t get a shot with the big league club this year, as he’s probably the best reliever in the system. He’s got a nice fast ball, and great command of it. Many have already given him that “future closer” tag, which never seems to pan out. Looking at his numbers, it should work for the Cardinals; especially since Ryan Franklin should be done by 2012.

6. Matt Carpenter, 3B

While Carpenter doesn’t have the prototypical 3B power, he does have the ability to hit and get on base. He’s also got that all out hustle style that fans in St. Louis love. He needs to fix his stance (Kary Booher called it “somewhat hunched over”. Booher also mentions that his glove is still a work in process. I’m expecting a full season at Triple A next year; there’s no rush as he was only drafted last year out of TCU.

7. Daryl Jones, OF

This is probably the highest you’ll see Jones on any list, as it seems less and less likely that he’ll ever achieve that level of baseball skills that will match his athleticism. Jones has been touted as a “projectable” player, especially after his 2008 breakout. Since then, he’s repeated Double A in 2 injury plagued seasons. Maybe he’ll get a shot at Triple A and prove me (and most others) wrong.

Two More To Watch:
Nick Longmire, OF

Longmire was drafted in the 5th round of this years draft and look strong in his professional debut. He was a New York-Penn League All Star and Player of the Week. He finished the season 2nd in runs, 3rd in RBIs, tied for 5th in homers, 7th in hits, and 8th in slugging. He’ll develop a little more power and looks like he’ll be a corner outfielder. He should start next year in the Quad Cities.

Oscar Taveras, OF

This international signing has been praised by Jeff Luhnow on St. Louis radio. He looked good in rookie ball, where he was hitting and fielding all season long and was an All Star. He ended 3rd in average, tied for 4th in RBIs, 5th in slugging, and 6th in Hits and OPS for the Appalachian League. Look for the 18-year-old to join a full season league next year.

Rounding out 10:
Tyrell Jenkins, RHP

To me, Jenkins is a mixture of Miller and Jones – a potential ace, but raw and athletic. He’s tall and skinny, but it’s expected that he’ll fill out. Drafted out of high school 50th overall, Jenkins has time to develop. Look for him to also start in the Quad Cities and be on the “Miller Pitching Plan”. If he can put it all together, he’ll shoot up the prospect rankings.

Overall, the system took a step forward this year after losing much of their talent in trading for Matt Holliday and Mark DeRosa. Part of those guys were replinished through the draft; the other part was guys stepping forward. This system ranks in the middle third of baseball, but could be back up in the top half in the next year.

Performance-wise, the Cardinals system finished strong, with 5 of their 7 US Teams making the post season (GCL Cardinals and Palm Beach both missed out); they had Johnson City as the lone champion though.

Recap of Last Years List
1. Daryl Jones
2. Shelby Miller
3. Jaime Garcia – My struggles with the list last year were this: Miller had minimal minor league experience and Jaime was coming off major surgery. I didn’t want to put either at number one initially. I felt that Jaime was going to have a good season, but even I was surprised at how he’s done. He’s one of the better #3 starters right now.
4. Allen Craig
5. Lance Lynn – I still like Lynn, but he’s nothing more than an innings eater. He didn’t stand out in Triple A this year, but many thought he was rushed. He held his own. He could see some time in the Majors next year, but he’s not going to surprise people like Jaime.
6. David Freese – Another graduate here, and the main concern is his ability to stay healthy. If you’re the Cardinals, you need to have a solid back up at third, since you don’t know how many games Freese will play.
7. Adam Ottavino – He did OK in his short Major League stint, but was shut down for Tommy John Surgery. He’ll miss at least half of 2011, so we’ll see how he comes back.