Will Cards take a shortstop in draft? - STLtoday.com
LOUIS • A year ago, during the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, the Cardinals played true to type. They selected four pitchers with their first four picks, continuing a trend under draft conductor Dan Kantrovitz that also included a college pitcher with their first pick in the 2012 draft and a college pitcher with the 2013 draft. That’s an area of talent where the Cardinals have done best, pulling Thursday night’s winner Michael Wacha (first round, 2012) and top prospect Marco Gonzales (first round, 2013) into the organization and within a year into the majors. The Cardinals have been linked to their share of college pitchers as the 50th Anniversary MLB Draft approaches. The same traits – athleticism, reliable production, strong analytical values that indicate production will continue at Class A level – that led them to the draft college pitchers are available at the plate. According to Baseball America’s Top 500*, there are eight shortstops that rank in the top 40 draft-eligible players. * Mike Matheny's oldest son, Tate, the center fielder at Missouri State, ranks 107th overall in the pre-draft prospect rankings, per BA. There will be more on the Cardinals’ draft prospects and new scouting director Chris Correa’s first time... Source: www.stltoday.com
