Chiefs place 13 on MiLB.com Top 30 Cardinals Prospects
On Wednesday MLB released the Cardinals top 30 prospects for MilbPipeline.com and the list is full of former Chiefs and likely future Chiefs. Of this top 30 list, 13 have already played in Peoria with six players wearing the Chiefs jersey in 2015. Of the remaining 17, seven players have not yet made it to this level so they can be regarded as future Chiefs and some will likely play here in 2016. One player, Magneuris Sierra, is both a former Chiefs outfielder (2015) and possible future Chiefs outfielder for this season.
FORMER CHIEFS
Lets start with the former Chiefs. Pitchers dominate this list and the top two are former Chiefs in 2014 RHP Alex Reyes and 2015 RHP Jack Flaherty. The aforementioned Sierra comes in at #4 while 2013 Chiefs outfielder Charlie Tilson is at #9. Harrison Bader, who was in the Chiefs outfield for two months last season, rounds out the top 10.
The next 10 kicks off with RHP Sam Tuivailala, who was in the Chiefs bullpen in 2013 and is the only ex-Chief to make it to St. Louis since our 2013 return to the organization. Catcher Carson Kelly (2013–14) ranks #13 while INF Jacob Wilson slots in at #16. Two 2015 Chiefs teammates are next to each other in the rankings with LHP Austin Gomber at #17 and INF Paul DeJong at #18.
The final 10 includes three more former Chiefs with INF Patrick Wisdom (2013) at #22, INF Juan Herrera (2013–14) at #26 and 2015 shortstop Oscar Mercado at #30.
POTENTIAL FUTURE CHIEFS
There are seven players on this list who have not yet made it to the Midwest League. While any of them could leap over Peoria for Palm Beach (like Luke Weaver, Marco Gonzales, Tim Cooney, Trey Nielsen), fans are likely to see at least a few of these players in Peoria. We already mentioned Sierra who started the 2015 season with the Chiefs as an 18-year old before batting .315 with 15 steals and 38 runs scored in Johnson City. Right behind him in the rankings is another Latin American teenager in SS Edmundo Sosa. Sosa hit .399 with seven homers, eight doubles, four triples and 30 runs scored for Johnson City last season. Next up is #6 OF Nick Plummer, the Cardinals first round pick from the 2015 draft. Plummer was drafted out of Brother Rice HS (MI) last June and hit .228 with eight doubles, five triples, 43 runs scored, one homer and 22 RBI in 51 games for the Gulf Coast League Cardinals.
The 11–20 rankings include 5 players who could call Peoria home either in 2016 or 2017. At #12 is RHP Jake Woodford, a Competitive Balance round A pick in 2015 out of Plant HS in Tampa, Florida. Woodford was 1–0 with a 2.39 ERA in eight outings in the GCL last season with 21 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings. He is followed by the Cardinals second round pick from the 2015 draft, 3B Bryce Denton at #14. A native of Tennessee, Denton won’t turn 19 until August 1 and signed with the Cardinals instead of playing at perennial NCAA power Vanderbilt. In 44 pro games last summer he hit .194 with one homer, one double, two triples, 14 RBI and 21 runs scored. The biggest gainer on this prospect list from 2015 is the #15 ranked RHP Junior Fernandez who was unranked last year. A 6'1 Dominican Republic native, Fernandez turns 19 in early March and hit triple digits on the radar gun last year in the GCL with the Cardinals. In 11 games he went 3–2 with a 3.88 ERA while striking out 58 and walking 15 in 51 innings.
The final two are both pitchers as well with #19 RHP Sandy Alcantara and #20 RHP Ronnie Williams. Alcantara is a 20-year old Dominican native who also throws over 100 mph. Last season with the GCL Cardinals he was 4–4 with a 3.22 ERA in 12 starts while striking out 51 and walking 20 in 64 1/3 innings. Williams was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2014 draft out of high school in Florida. Last season he was 3–3 with a 3.70 ERA in 12 starts for Johnson City while striking out 43 batters in 56 innings.
We won’t know the 2016 roster for more than a month, but with Cardinals minor leaguers reporting to STEP Camp this week and full minor league spring training next week, it sure is fun to look at prospect lists and wonder who will be playing in Peoria this summer!
