By Derrick Goold
January 14, 2011


Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a player's long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel. All players who haven't exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched (without regard to service time) are eligible. Ages are as of April 1, 2011.

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TOP TEN PROSPECTS

1. Shelby Miller, rhp 2. Zack Cox, 3b 3. Carlos Martinez, rhp 4. Tyrell Jenkins, rhp 5. Allen Craig, of/1b 6. Lance Lynn, rhp 7. Eduardo Sanchez, rhp 8. Seth Blair, rhp 9. Jordan Swagerty, rhp 10. Joe Kelly, rhp

BEST TOOLS

Best Hitter for Average Zack Cox Best Power Hitter Allen Craig Best Strike-Zone Discipline Daniel Descalso Fastest Baserunner Reggie Williams Jr. Best Athlete Tyrell Jenkins Best Fastball Shelby Miller Best Curveball Jordan Swagerty Best Slider Blake King Best Changeup P.J. Walters Best Control Scott McGregor Best Defensive Catcher Tony Cruz Best Defensive Infielder Ryan Jackson Best Infield Arm Pete Kozma Best Defensive Outfielder Shane Robinson Best Outfield Arm Tommy Pham

PROJECTED 2014 LINEUP

Catcher Yadier Molina First Base Albert Pujols Second Base Skip Schumaker Third Base Zack Cox Shortstop Pete Kozma Left Field Matt Holliday Center Field Colby Rasmus Right Field Allen Craig No. 1 Starter Adam Wainwright No. 2 Starter Shelby Miller No. 3 Starter Jamie Garcia No. 4 Starter Carlos Martinez No. 5 Starter Tyrell Jenkins Closer Mitchell Boggs

TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE

Year Player, Position 2010 2001 Bud Smith, lhp Out of baseball 2002 Jimmy Journell, rhp Out of baseball 2003 Dan Haren, rhp Angels 2004 Blake Hawksworth, rhp Cardinals 2005 Anthony Reyes, rhp Indians 2006 Anthony Reyes, rhp Indians 2007 Colby Rasmus, of Cardinals 2008 Colby Rasmus, of Cardinals 2009 Colby Rasmus, of Cardinals 2010 Shelby Miller, rhp Cardinals

TOP DRAFT PICKS OF THE DECADE

Year Player, Position 2010 2001 Justin Pope, rhp Out of baseball 2002 Calvin Hayes, ss (3rd round) Out of baseball 2003 Daric Barton, 1b Athletics 2004 Chris Lambert, rhp Out of baseball 2005 Colby Rasmus, of Cardinals 2006 Adam Ottavino, rhp Cardinals 2007 Pete Kozma, ss Cardinals 2008 Brett Wallace, 1b Astros 2009 Shelby Miller, rhp Cardinals 2010 Zack Cox, 3b Cardinals

LARGEST BONUSES IN CLUB HISTORY

J.D. Drew, 1998 $3,000,000 Shelby Miller, rhp $2,875,000 Rick Ankiel, 1997 $2,500,000 Chad Hutchinson, 1998 $2,300,000 Zack Cox, 2010 $2,000,000

CARDINALS LINKS

Cardinals' Team Page Cardinals Top 10 Scouting Reports  Last Year's Cardinals Top 10 Prospects 2010 Draft: Cardinals (Basic Database) 2010 Draft: Cardinals  (Advanced Database) 2010 Draft Report Cards: St. Louis Cardinals  Complete Index of Top 10 Prospects Pre-Order the 2011 Prospect Handbook

For a team that wants and needs to be more reliant on its farm system to produce talent, the Cardinals exited 2010 humbled and aware they had to make changes. They started near the top.

St. Louis contended for much of the season and sat in first place in mid-August after a series sweep of the Reds. But the team's stars—Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday in the lineup, Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright in the rotation—didn't get enough help from complementary players and the team wilted down the stretch. The Cardinals finished five games back of the Reds and missed the playoffs for the third time in the past four seasons.

After the season, St. Louis reorganized the minor league side of its front office, promoting John Vuch to farm director and reducing the responsibilities of vice president Jeff Luhnow, who had multitasked as director of both scouting and player development. The club positioned the move as a way to let Luhnow and others focus on specific responsibilities, and general manager John Mozeliak said it didn't represent a dramatic change in philosophy. But this was more than moving furniture in the executive offices.

Further shuffling reassigned two of Mozeliak's lieutenants, Gary LaRocque and Matt Slater, from the pro side to amateur and minor league overview positions. There was also an undercurrent to the moves that had its genesis in fissures between the major league and minor league staffs that dated back before GM Walt Jocketty's firing in 2007. The promotion of Vuch, a respected Cardinals lifer, and greater inclusion of pitching coach Dave Duncan in minor league decision-making are significant strides for internal unity.

The changes continued through the offseason, as assistant GM John Abbamondi left the team after three seasons to join the Padres in a non-baseball job as their director of strategy and business analysis.

Colby Rasmus, Jaime Garcia and Mitchell Boggs—all products of the 2005 draft—are significant parts of St. Louis' future. But after their graduations and recent trades to get players such as Holliday, the farm system is thin on talent. As the Cardinals learned at the 2010 trade deadline, when they had to use major league outfielder Ryan Ludwick to swing a deal, their system is viewed as a collection of contributors and role players but thin on high-end talent.

To turn that situation around, St. Louis added a standout college hitter (Zack Cox) and a high-ceiling high school arm (Tyrell Jenkins) in the 2010 draft. The team also added its first headline-grabbing international signing (Carlos Martinez) in recent years.

The charge now for Vuch and the restructured development staff is to mold the new talent into the next wave of prospects. The Cardinals plan a less aggressive approach to promotion going forward, and they named Mark DeJohn as field coordinator after leaving the position vacant for three seasons. They also hope to establish more standardized instruction from the top down, with members of the major league staff, such as Duncan, getting the increased influence they have sought.

Interestingly, all of the changes came in the wake of a successful season on the field for the organization's minor league affiliates, which finished 431-237, the best composite winning percentage in baseball (.569). Triple-A Memphis reached the Pacific Coast League finals a year after winning the league championship, and Rookie-level Johnson City won the Appalachian League title for the first time since 1976. Every affiliate finished .500 or better.

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