Matt Lemanczyk

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #30 prospect in 2004
  The son of former all-star pitcher Dave Lemanczyk, Matt set Northeast Conference records for steals in each of his last two years at Sacred Heart and has won stolen-base crowns in each of his first two seasons as a pro. Managers rated him the best baserunner and fastest baserunner in the Midwest League last year, when he swiped 56 bases in 69 tries. The Cardinals consider him a throwback to St. Louis players of days gone by, such as Vince Coleman. Lemanczyk makes fielders uneasy because he can reach base if they make the slightest hesitation or bobble. He's a slap hitter who hasn't shown much pop, so he's going to need to work counts better and draw more walks to find an offensive niche. Because he played at a small college and grew up in a cold-weather region, Lemanczyk still needs work to refine his game. Though he has the speed and arm to play center field, the Cardinals have used him in left because he's raw. He moved up to Double-A at the end of the season to provide speed off the bench as Tennessee went to the Southern League playoffs, but he'll open 2004 in high Class A.