Drafted in the 5th round (155th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2003 (signed for $175,000).
View Draft Report
Brandon Yarbrough may have more offensive upside, though he's not as developed as Blake Murphy.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
Yarbrough barely played after signing late in 2003, so he returned to the Appalachian League in 2004 and finished two hits shy of wresting the batting title from Johnson City teammate Juan Lucena. The Cardinals love Yarbrough's lefthanded bat and think he'll be an above-average hitter who could add power as he gets stronger. He has a short, quick and balanced swing. Yarbrough uses the whole field and has a willingness to take the ball back up the middle. While he draws walks, he'll need to make more consistent contact. Though he threw out 32 percent of basestealers last summer, it's not clear yet that he'll be able to stay behind the plate. Yarbrough has an average arm but his footwork and blocking must get better. As a high school catcher he'll require patience, and some think he would be better off moving to left field or first base. That way he wouldn't have to worry as much about defense and his bat could flourish. For now, though, the Cardinals see Yarbrough as a catcher, and they'll send him to low Class A to open 2005.
Minor League Top Prospects
There's no question Yarbrough can hit. There might not have been a better lefthanded swing in the league, as Yarbrough's is short, quick and balanced. He sprays balls to all fields and placed third in hitting (.326) and sixth in on-base percentage (.411) while showing strength and plus power potential. Yarbrough's future position is less certain. Several Appy managers are former catchers, and not all were sold that he'll continue in their footsteps. He shows solid to above-average arm strength, but he must work on his release and transfer. His receiving and blocking also could use improvement, though those that believe in him feel that will come with more experience.
Download our app
Read the newest magazine issue right on your phone