Future Redbirds

Be sure to check below or just click here for yesterday’s daily report. Rough night for the farm last night.

Some say the draft is a crap shoot. Well, trying to forecast it is probably more so, but here goes nothing.

18. Matt Dominguez, 3B Chatsworth HS (CA)
36. Brett Cecil, LHP, University of Maryland
72. Nick Tepesch, RHP, Blue Springs HS (MO)
83. James Adkins, LHP, University of Tennessee
113. Tony Thomas Jr., IF, Florida State
143. Michael Taylor, OF, Stanford
173. Brandon Hicks, SS, Texas A & M

My hunch is Matt Dominguez will be the best prep bat still on the board at # 18. The report on him is he has all sorts of bat speed and power potential, not to mention a great defensive skill. His weakness is that he can get out of whack mechanically and he needs to find consistency with his swing.

Brett Cecil was the closer for Maryland last season and much of this season but since has been moved to starting. He throws a fastball in the 91-93 MPH range, but his slider rates as a big league out pitch right now. Since moving from relief to starting (Braden Looper, hello?) he’s developed a decent change up.

A player that’s in the Cardinals own backyard, Nick Tapesch reminds some scouts of Chris Carpenter with his size and raw ability despite his issues with command. He’s 6-4, 200 pounds and can hit 95 at times. He needs help getting his mechanics down, but seems like a decent risk at 72.

James Adkins is a college type pitcher the Cardinals seem to like, he’s Tennessee’s all time strikeout leader. He doesn’t throw particularly hard but has good control and a great slider that will if anything else make him an effective LOOGY down the road, though his upside is more of a 4/5 starter.

Tony Thomas Jr. strikes me as this year’s Jon Jay type of pick. He stands 5-10 and 180 pounds, he hit .441/.538/.756 this season for the Seminoles. He’s played shortstop and second base but most feel he’ll stay at 2nd due to his arm strength.

Michael Taylor stands at 6-6, 260 who’s power numbers have not quite lived up to his size. Stanford is quite a pitchers park and they have one of the toughest schedules in the country. His OPS this season .959, but adjusted for park and strength of schedule is 1.137. He’s raw and I especially am not liking his .07 walk rate. At 143 his power potential out weighs his other weaknesses.

Brandon Hicks is a shortstop with with speed (27/31 steals/attempts) and plays good defense with had a reputation for having a so-so bat. At 6-2, 205 his body projects better power then he’s shown, though he has had a better year at the plate with a .998 adjusted OPS then previous seasons. (Hat tip, Boyds World). Some see him as another Jay Bell type of infielder. Scouts rate his makeup as being off the charts.

Again, these are hunches based on the predilections of Luhnow as demonstrated the past couple of years. These are not particularly my favorites (though I really like Dominguez). I see the draft going about 100 different ways and while these guesses have some base, it’s all up in the air. I’ll have another version or two of this up hopefully before the draft, one for certain will include my personal faves.