St. Louis Cardinals Community Top 30: Pick pool for Nos. 6-10
TOWER GROVE — An overload of interactivity here at the bellwether, as the week includes the award exit polls, the prospect polls and forthcoming mailbag (PostCards@post-dispatch.com). The Bird Land Community Top 30 election continued over the weekend with between 647 and 708 voting for your picks as the Nos. 3-5 prospects in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
At last check, there was a tie for No. 5, with 3B David Freese and C Bryan Anderson receiving 129 votes. That sorted itself out because Anderson won the vote at No. 4. So the updated list so far:
- Colby Rasmus, OF
- Brett Wallace, 3B
- Chris Perez, RHP
- Bryan Anderson, C
- David Freese, 3B
The attempt to balance fairness with expediency and order has inspired some questions. For example, I’ve received a few emails of concern that there were three player votes in the last entry and that could skew the vote from one rank to the rank. For the same of time, I think it’s worth combining a few spots per entry and allowing the number of voters to limit that margin for error. Still, the vote is taken, and for the next three days of the week, we’ll go two spots at a time and see how it works.
Another concern a few folks mentioned was that my comments on prospects could also influence votes. I understand the question, and I think there’s an obvious answer: Good. That’s kind of my job.
I hope to offer context, information and, yes, guidance on these prospects.
In the end, the democratic process will sort out what the “community” of readers value. Already, with Freese scoring a top-five vote, it’s clear that the “community” values proximity to the majors and production. Sure, there’s a promise. But there were very few votes for shoot-the-moon talents.
Those are coming now.
Below is a list of a dozen candidates to be considered for places Nos. 6-10. Please pick five from the list, and this vote will guide us through the next five positions in the Community Top 30. There is a 13th spot for a write-in candidate, and your arguments to expand the list are welcome in the comments section.
Check here for the links to resources about these players, and I’ll check back often for any questions.
It’s now safe, as scouts like to say, “dream on” some of your picks below. High production can be as important as high ceiling.
Will return tomorrow with the narrowed field for prospect spots Nos. 6 and 7.
Again, want more info on a prospect before voting. Write the question below, and I’ll check back frequently during the day.
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between.
Daryl Jones! Daryl Jones! Where is the love for Daryl Jones??? I think Freese won his “home state” to be the #5 prospect.
How can so many SP be mentioned but no walters, he was last years POY, also he outperformed all of the SP listed AGAIN, with the exception of boggs & todd. take away his uncharacteristic walks this year & his #s are alot different..he wasnt sent to puerto rico to get innings, there has to be a reason he is there pitching for Oquendo. I dont know if he is top 10 but he definately should be on this list.
I voted for Garcia, Jones, Todd, Motte and Nico Vasquez. Garcia , Jones and Todd would all go before Wallace, Anderson and Freese in my list. Anderson would be 6th, Wallace 7th and Nico 8th. I love what I hear about Nico and think his initial season puts him well ahead of Kozma and Greene in the relatively weak slew of Cards’ middle infield prospects.
Where’s Allan Craig, Nicolas Additon and Fernando Salas? Those three are ahead of everyone on the above list save Jones and Motte. Craig is a legit corner IF bat (.300+BA, .350+OBP, 20+HR each of the last 2 years), Additon is our best lefty pitching prospect (2.23 ERA, 3/1 K/BB rate, 103 hits in 137 innings between Quad Cities and PBC and he’s 21), and Salas had 25 saves, a ridiculous K/BB rate (100/16) in 74IP at Springfield.
Allen Craig deserves to be in this group. He has, possibly, the best power in the Cardinal minor league system; Mark Hamilton might have more power, but he is restricted to first base. Also, Hamilton hasn’t proven that he can hit in AA, but Craig has.
Craig is part of a three-man logjam at third base, but he can play any corner spot. I believe he will be a more productive hitter than Freese, and he is younger; personally, I rank him higher than Freese, the better defensive third-baseman. I think it is likely that Craig will be traded, but he should help bring needed talent to the Cardinals, in return.