Chris Duncan

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #15 prospect in 2006
  People could have argued that Duncan, whose father Dave is the Cardinals' longtime pitching coach, was a nepotism pick before the last two seasons, when he started to realize his power potential. He made his major league debut in September, homering off Brandon Claussen on the final day of the season and making for a proud father in the dugout. Duncan's power is clearly his best tool, and he has gotten shorter and quicker to the ball in the last couple of years. He led Memphis in both homers and RBIs last season. His adjustments have also helped his overall hitting approach, though he'll always have high strikeout numbers and hit no better than .260-.270. Defense remains his biggest weakness. He has worked hard to get better at first base but still committed 17 errors in 2005. He got some time in left field in Triple-A and in the Mexican Pacific League, but he'll have to work hard to be adequate there. There are opportunities in the outfield, however, so if he can hold his own on defense he could get a long look there during spring training. If not, he won't beat out Albert Pujols at first base, so he'll either become trade bait or head back to Triple-A.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #8 prospect in 2005
  Duncan, whose father Dave is the Cardinals' pitching coach, was a supplemental first-round pick in 1999 but had just 25 at-bats above Class A by the end of 2003. He broke out last year in a pivotal season in Double-A, showing power, plate discipline and improved defense. Duncan entered 2004 with a .255 career average but finally made some adjustments at the plate, harnessing his power and hitting to all fields. He got shorter and quicker with the bat, hitting balls harder and more consistently. His speed and quickness drills also paid off with improved defense at first base. While Duncan has worked hard on quickening his feet and improving his hands, he'll be an average defender at best. He'll still have to show more over-the-fence power at higher levels to be an everyday first baseman in the majors. Though Duncan will be entering his seventh season in the organization, he'll still open the season at 23 in Triple-A. With Albert Pujols around, there's no obvious opening in St. Louis, so Duncan could become trade bait.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #29 prospect in 2003
  Duncan, the son of Cardinals pitching coach Dave and brother of Yankees prospect Shelley, may finally have solved low Class A in his third trip. For the second year in a row, he finished with a flourish after a slow start, this time closing with an 11-game hitting streak that included four homers and 13 RBIs on a strong Peoria team. Duncan made great strides in his hitting approach last year, starting to use the whole field instead of trying to yank everything. He has legitimate above-average power and will naturally hit home runs if he just puts the bat on the ball. He's a hard-nosed player and a hard worker. His strikezone judgment still leaves a lot to be desired, a problem he recognizes but has struggled to improve on. His defense at first is spotty, as he committed 19 errors last year. His hands got better, but his footwork needs work. He's not a good runner. Duncan will still be just 21 on Opening Day, so the Cardinals will continue to be patient with him. He'll open 2003 at Palm Beach.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #10 prospect in 2002
  Duncan's father Dave is St. Louis' pitching coach, and his older brother Shelley was a second-round pick of the Yankees in 2001 after setting numerous home run records at the University of Arizona. Chris committed to the Wildcats out of high school but ended up signing with the Cardinals for $900,000. Duncan has exceptional power potential. He hasn't learned to harness it yet but should get stronger and pull the ball more as he gets older. He was regarded as a better talent than his brother coming out of high school, when he showed flashes of athleticism. So far Duncan hasn't offered much besides his power potential. His hands and arm are decent, but he's rigid on defense and made 30 errors at first base. He also needs to control the strike zone better. He's a below-average runner. Duncan will get another shot at Potomac in 2002 after washing out there in 2001. He has worked to get a looser, more athletic body and even has worked out in the outfield in an effort to be more than a one-dimensional player.