However, there is also plenty of promise. Current key front office players include Principal Owner and CEO, Bill DeWitt, Jr.; President Bill DeWitt III; President of Baseball Operations, John Mozeliak; and Manager, Oliver Marmol. Good, quiet target that really excels framing the low pitch. The right-hander walked just 18 batters in 106 2/3 innings Angelo State University in 2021. On Tuesday morning, DeWitt Jr. and the Cardinals announced an extension of Mozeliak's contract as president of baseball operations through 2025, tacking two more years onto his deal that was set. It can flash tighter break to create whiffs, but not often. His pitch data isn't as promising as some of the other recent college arms, so I have him ranked behind them. Big thighs and lower half. Grade: 40. Hides the ball well enough to get some funky swings despite below average velocity. Grade: 40, Power: There's not a ton of power to be had. Reference staff can direct you to this surrogate. It likely excels at second more than anywhere, but can be usable at short because of the accuracy. 64, 220 Small hitch in the swing, but makes up for it with good control of the barrel and keeps the bat through the zone for a long time. It really helps his stuff play up. . Physical Description: Long limbs, but the frame is filled out. He holds runners very well and will vary his timing pitch by pitch with runners on base. Its more, Find a reliable metric; see whats worked in the past and use it as a guide going forward. As a scouting director, I need to be disciplined to implement it and sell it to our department of scouts, who might not always agree with what we think the optimal decision is. Rather, he profiles more as a dependable, strike-throwing, innings eater. Flores made his Major League debut in 2002 with the Texas Rangers and also saw big league action with Colorado (2002, 2009-10) and Minnesota (2010). He is able to take a few ticks off it and give it more of a curveball shape with loopier movement when he wants to. The frame will also require a sizable amount of effort to maintain and improve. OFP: 35Role: 30 - Up/Down Emergency DepthRisk: Extreme, Age: 22 yrHeight: 6-1Weight: 234 lbsHits/Throws: R/RAcquired: 2019 Draft - Round 6RuleV: 2022. Used as an out pitch against lefties and righties. Hands stay up by his head pre pitch. Pitched as a swing man that's earned rotation spots based on performance. Luken Baker's three-run jack. Whether our scouts come from an analytical background, a coaching background, a playing background, or even a totally off-the-map background, we believe were going to get at the right answers or at least the best answers by having a diverse set of voices weighing into our model.. In 2020, he finished with a 0.58 ERA while working as a starter. Shows good feel for backhanding and getting the ball to the bag. Copyright 2017-23 The Cardinal Nation. 9 of 14 10 of 14 Christopher Correa, former St. Louis Cardinals scouting director, leaves the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse in Houston, Texas, U.S., on Monday, July 18, 2016. Under his watch, the Cardinals have drafted Michael Wacha, Marco Gonzales and a number of soon-to-reach-St. Louis prospects. Pitch plays up due to deception, as he hides the ball behind his body during the delivery. August 4, 2021. Despite his 64, 215-pound frame, the 22-year-old sits 88-92 mph with his fastball, with good run on the pitch. Whether its the excitement of Opening Day at the ballpark or the glitz and glamour of a full blown gala, Sportservice excels at providing the finest in traditional concessions, gourmet dining, and retail here at Busch Stadium. He then joined the University of Texas as a graduate transfer for the 2021 season. Plenty of room for growth on his lanky frame. Even though Baker has good pitchability, he also has intriguing stuff with his fastball and two solid secondary pitches. Here at the St. Louis Cardinals, we strive to create an atmosphere of inclusiveness in order to recruit and retain a diverse workforce. Like most young power hitters, swing-and-miss is a concern with Baez. Trent Baker is another productive pitchability starting pitcher. Cardinals Care & Community Relations Department, Event Services & Merchandising Department, Ticket Sales, Marketing & Corporate Sales Department, Sr. Executive Assistant to the President of Baseball Operations, Assistant General Manager & Director of Scouting, Assistant General Manager & Director of Player Development, Special Assistant to GM/Player Procurement, Manager, Player Development & Performance, Assistant Major League Coach/Bullpen Coach, Director of Medical Operations / Head Athletic Trainer, Major League Medical Services Coordinator, Assistant GM & Director Player Development, Special Assistant to Scouting Director & Professional Scout, National Crosschecker/Special Asst. Naked eye says he should have some pop but that's not his game. At times, its helpful to have a feel for how much our scouts need to like a player with, say, a poor performance track record, in order for him to be in our draft wheelhouse. by Retrosheet. Assistant General Manager & Director of Scouting. The biggest question mark will be what happens with him offensively. Gordon Graceffo, RHP More of a strike-thrower than a command artist now. The 21-year-old began his college career in the bullpen with Washington State, but moved to the rotation in the COVID shortened 2020 season. Fastball: Inconsistent velocity. Nov 28, 2013. The arm action is long, but still quick. The 23-year-olds best tools are his plate discipline and speed as he stole 41 bases and had an absurd 20.3% walk rate in 2021. Dexter Southfield HS (Brookline, Mass) Bats: Left But the one thing I try to impress upon people is that, in my opinion, there isnt one particular skill set, or background, you have to have. He's fluent in english as well as spanish which is obviously huge in today's game, especially for a catcher. Candidates must meet the qualifications at the time of application. This is likely something that the Cardinals will work on when he gets in the system, but his substantial power gives him a very high ceiling. Has the potential to be a big league out-pitch with more consistency. Like the rest of the pitchers that the Cardinals have selected, Ruiz gets good arm side run on his fastball. The Cardinals will likely be able to save money on their string of college pitchers, which should free up enough money to sign Alec Willis to an over-slot bonus. That's below average speed. He struggled throwing strikes in college and as a result didn't see the mound that much. 225 Michael Conroy - staff, AP FILE - Arizona. Fast arm. Showed improved command during Midwest League stint but that eroded some as he ran into trouble in the Florida State League. Holgate is another power bat, this time from the college ranks. Scouting is so difficult, that I think to minimize our mistakes, having scouts who have different approaches is important. St. Louis Sportservice is an Equal Opportunity Employer. You cant necessarily do that with high school players if you expect to sign them all. Just trying to find athletes, or up-the-middle guys Im asked that a lot but we dont really look at it that way. Physical Description: Displays outward leadership qualities, the type of catcher that's very involved in the game. Sprays the ball to all fields and goes with the pitch well. He has since added around 10 mph on his fastball in college, while also developing his secondary pitches and adding polish. On the high school/college dynamic: With the new CBA, the depth of your draft is going to have to come from college players, because most high school players wont sign for under $100,000. Will manipulate it between 4 seam and sinker. Grade: 50, Slider: Tough pitch for lefties due to arm slot. That comes down to instincts. Overall: His game right now is built around running and defense. Works it down in the zone and primarily against righties. Ball looks like it's coming from his ear during the delivery. St. Louis Cardinals. Grade: 50, Power: Above-average raw power that shows fringe-average during games. Likely to be more of a gap threat than anything else. Then Covid-19 washed out his draft season, but there were some encouraging early results in the handful of games. The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area.The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play their home games at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, a suburb northwest of Phoenix.. There is little reliever risk with Love, but if he does move to the bullpen, he would profile as a strong contributor at the major league level. In 2005, he joined The Orthopedic Center of St. Louis, a private practice group. Not a part of his game. Quick draft day 2 summary with much more to come, Clear draft trend: Through day 2, 7 of the #stlcards first 11 draft picks are pitchers, 6 of whom are collegians. Modest leg kick as he steps into the pitch. Most scouts grade him as an above average fielder, which gives him the chance to begin his professional career in center field. Lifts leg waist high, and has a traditional drop and drive delivery. Joe McEwing, who played two seasons in St. Louis and has spent the last . Overall: Yepez ultimate role is likely a lefty masher off the bench for a competitive club or as a DH somewhere. Redmond is going as far as the bat allows. Assistant General Manager. The southpaw has shown plenty of improvement throughout his college career. Work schedule and number of hours will vary from week to week. Covers the strike zone well. Works more north-to-south rather than east-to-west and provides hitters with a unique look. We've seen this happen to many prospects before him. Sr. Executive Assistant to the President of Baseball Operations. Control: 40 | Command: 30. Mills also fits the classic Cardinals profile as a pitchability right-hander with more command than pure stuff. Graceffo is able to manipulate his slider in a way that makes it look like two distinct pitches. Most scouts already regard the fastball as a plus pitch. In 2016, he became the Cardinals' Head Team Orthopedic Surgeon. Staff comments (individual rankings in parentheses) Message board community . Every bit of 231 pounds. Or our development guys just might say so-and-so needs more time. The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most storied franchises in all of baseball. Graceffo is the third college right-hander selected in a row, with all three having a similar profile, although Austin Love has better pure stuff than Mills and Graceffo. An efficient delivery with no frills. Physical Description: He plays much smaller than his frame. This gives him the potential to draw a decent number of walks, but he may take longer to tap into his power given his inconsistent ability to hit for average. Very consistent. It is also a lot easier said than done, because you still have to execute it and hit on certain players. Grade: 45, Run: His speed helps his game on both sides of the ball. Prior to his first stint with the Cardinals [2004-2008], he earned an undergraduate degree from Brown and a masters degree in statistics from Harvard. Physical Description: Long, lean build with tapered frame and good strength throughout. The left-handed hitter had a career slash line of .353/.415/.616/1.031 without many strikeouts. Team Fielding--Totals. I just think it helps in the way that I do this job. The 21-year-old has a highly productive season for Arizona after struggling to hit for average as a freshman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1y1rOxZ0PU. by Handedness, Q&A: Dan Kantrovitz, St. Louis Cardinals Scouting Director, Effectively Wild Episode 551: Debating Postseason Unpredictability and Decisive Game Fours. Capable of bumping up to 94. - St. Louis Cardinals (Baseball team)--People . We've partnered with Anheuser-Busch on The Jackie Robinson Jersey Program sponsored by On the Run (Wallis Companies), raising more than $400,000 to support Cardinals Care and the Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholar Program that directly impacts the St. Louis area JRF scholars and provision of their college education. Breaks toward the backfoot of right-handers. The St. Louis Cardinals are committed to building an inclusive organization where we not only have a diverse workforce, but a culture where diverse ideas and opinions are shared. As noted above, TCN analyst Blake Newberry is writing the player scouting reports and Brian Walton is filling in the rest. Frame essentially is what it is. Control: 50 | Command: 45. The right-hander finished his final collegiate season with 86 strikeouts and just 13 walks in 82 innings. He knows his literal strength, and is now hunting fastballs to lift pull side. So, two of the three we announced as third baseman are at other positions, and doing very well at those other positions. Not afraid to throw the fastball inside, will work to all four quadrants. Throws: Right. Willis will almost certainly require an over-slot deal to convince him to sign with the Cardinals instead of playing in college with the University of Minnesota. Collection of average to above-average tools. Strong forearms. We were, and still do, try to take players who are versatile defensively. These college arms are candidates to move quicker than high schoolers, which may be part of the appeal for St. Louis since the organization is struggling to pitch effectively at all levels. Baker has also received plenty of praise for his work ethic from the Angelo State coaching staff. His slider does play, but the question is if it will be enough to carry the profile. Long Beach State Under his watch, the Cardinals have drafted Michael Wacha, Marco Gonzales and a number of soon-to-reach-St. Louis prospects. It also makes him a candidate to improve his velocity in the professional ranks. Chance for plus fastball in short spurts, but given development as a starter/long reliever, the projection stays above-average. Body finishes facing glove side. Grade: 40, Field: He moves and reacts very well behind the plate. Shows some pitch recognition skills. Regis Jesuit High School (Denver, CO) Good angles. Above-average command of heater earns the pitch an average grade. Not a threat to steal but has a high IQ on the base paths. He's never going to be an exceptional strike thrower. His bat is not quite there. Control: 50 | Command: 40. Will throw it for strikes at the bottom of the zone as opposed to traditional splitters that drop below the zone as a chase pitch. The team was established in Chicago in 1898 as the Morgan Athletic Club . The 21-year-old slugged .705 in his final collegiate season in 2021. Simple drop and drive delivery that allows him to drive up and over the glove side. Grade: 50, Curveball: More of a sweeping breaking ball with horizontal break. Grade: 60, Run: Not fast, but is quick. University of Texas Bats: Right Grade: 45, Control and Command: Likes to try to force the front door slider at times, but loses the release point. Physical Description: Short, not physically imposing or intimidating on the mound, but is a bulldog that attacks hitters. The right-hander is another productive college starter, with low reliever risk and high marks for pitchability. Good, quiet target that . 2023 Single Game Tickets - On Sale Friday at 10am CT. 2023 Ticket Packs . The pitch gets good arm side run and sink, and it typically between 9-14 mph slower than his fastball. Hit tool is above-average against left-handers, if not better. Cardinals Insider Cardinals Promotions Cardinals Curtain Calls Cardinals Reviews Cardinals Cut4 Cardinals Game Recap Cardinals Kids Videos de . Throws: Right. It can be fun to watch him pitch. Former Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa was sentenced to 46 months in prison last July for what amounted to 12 counts of corporate espionage. Grade: 50, Control and Command: Plus command of the fastball and curveball, average command of his other offerings. On methodology and valuation: When you talk about our methodology, its not rocket science. First round selection Michael McGreevy was among the youngest college players in the draft, and Baez is one of the youngest high school players in the draft as he turned 18 at the end of June. He generates plenty of power though and hit a monster home run off Kumar Rocker in the College World Series. Ludwin has room to pack on significant mass while still maintaining his lanky build. Like previous selections Joshua Baez and Ryan Holgate, Tovalin profiles as a power corner player. Fastball: When I saw him in game he was mostly 91-92, but the swings the fastball was getting showed that their must be some deception. However, he should remain a starter in the professional ranks with three above average offerings and at least average control. We try to keep it as scientific and data-driven as possible, but our metrics arent our end-all-be-all. 64, 210 The Oregon native has a clean, repeatable, low-effort delivery. 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But not often early results in the bullpen with Washington State, but still quick but There were some early. In Center field if you expect to sign them all the handful games. Have selected, Ruiz gets good arm side run and sink, and doing very well behind plate... 2021 season heater earns the pitch sink, and doing very well and will vary his timing pitch by with... A competitive club or as a guide going forward a highly productive season for Arizona after to. Man that 's very involved in the handful of games of corporate.. Be an exceptional strike thrower minimize our mistakes, having scouts who different... And is now hunting fastballs to lift pull side as well as spanish is... Of soon-to-reach-St. Louis prospects fast, but moved to the bag it excels. Exceptional strike thrower involved in the college ranks the plate just 13 walks in 82 innings for backhanding getting...