Like every year at this time, the United Cardinal Bloggers have their “Top 7 Cardinal Prospect” project. While I don’t participate in all of the projects, this is my favorite. It’s a jump start on prospect ranking.

Granted, my list will change by the time I do my official list next spring, but it’s still a fun exercise.

1. Shelby Miller, RHP – I was surprised by how aggressive the Cardinals were with Miller, making the jump to Double A before mid-season. He more than held his own; he got better than when he was at Hi A. He’s still got work to do (secondary pitches, maturity, holding his alcohol), but I’m more inclinded to say that he could make the rotation out of spring training if the Cardinals are pressed with injuries.

2. Carlos Martinez, RHP – Even more surprising than Miller’s aggressive promotion was Martinez’s. He started the season in extended spring training to get acclimated to the new environment, but was moved to Lo A shortly after the minor league season started. His promotion to Hi A is what caught everyone’s attention. His numbers at Lo A were OK. He ended the season struggling, but that has to be attributed to his work load (right?). John Mozeliak told Cardinal Bloggers in April that Martinez was talented enough to begin the season in Double A.

3. Oscar Taveras, OF – Taveras is the current “favorite” among followers of the Cardinals system. And why not? He can hit for average and power. He’s got the speed. The only question is if he can stick at centerfield. Not only that, but he tore up Lo A at the age of 19. He’s definitely got some work ahead of him, but he could be moving up fast.

4. Zach Cox, 3B – People were up and down on Cox; that was due to his slow start at each level. Cox started the season slow at Hi A, then tore the cover off the ball. He was promoted to Double A and the struggles returned. Again, he began to hit. The concerns right now are his lack of power at third base and his subpar defense.

5. Matt Adams, 1B – If Taveras is the “favorite”, Adams is a close second. He was just named the Texas League player of the year after crushing the ball. Adams is your prototypical first baseman – tons of power, good on-base, and he hits for average. The problem – he can only play first base. If/when Albert re-signs, the Adams officially becomes trade bait.

6. Kolten Wong, 2B – While I was intially down on the pick, Wong has played well enough for me to change my mind. He hit very well in his pro debut at Lo A. In fact, better than I expected; he hit for decent power and got on base. He’s also a solid defender, so it’s nice to know we have a true second baseman in the system.

7. Ryan Jackson, SS – There were plenty of guys I could have here (and a few will probably bump him by the spring), but Jackson really took a step forward this season. He blew those Jack Wilson comps out of the water by hitting much better than that. He’s not going to set the world on fire with the bat, but he’s worth more if he can continue to hit in Memphis next year. They say his defense is MLB-caliber already, so it’ll be interesting to see if he continues to develope.

Honorable Mentions: Matt Carpenter, 3B; Tyrell Jenkins, RHP; Trevor Rosenthal, RHP; Jordan Swagerty, RHP.

To see the other lists, click here.