Future Redbirds

The Cardinals signed two more draft and follows today. D’Marcus Ingram was selected in the 25th round in 2006 out of North Little Rock High. I can’t find the source on this, but it was posted at Cards Clubhouse.

The first high school position player taken from Arkansas will likely be North Little Rock outfielder D’Marcus Ingram, who hit. 422 in 2006. Ingram (5-11, 180 ) is a multitalented athlete with speed who has shown the ability to hit for both power and average in spots, though considered too raw to go in the higher rounds.

BA says:

Pensacola Community College center fielder D’Marcus Ingram has plus speed and a chance to remain in center field. He has above-average bat speed, but needs to tone down swing. His throwback approach, with no batting gloves or set stance, endears him to scouts who recognize his raw ability and appreciate his no-frills attitude. He was a standout running back in high school in Arkansas before enrolling at Pensacola.

Well, the folksy scouts like him, so that can’t be bad, eh? Here’s his scouting video (scroll down) from last year, watch him hit pop ups with no gloves! Actually, he does show some plus speed and his stroke looks fairly solid. We’ll see how he does. For Pensacola JUCO, he hit .349 in 149 at bats. He stole 24 bases on 27 attempts. Only 15 out of his 52 (29%) of his hits went for extra bases.

Nick Additon was drafted in the 47th round last year. I don’t know much about him, other then he’s a lefty pitcher. Hey, that’s something, right?

The team also signed Justin Roberson from the Urban Academy in Compton, CA. He’s a 5th year JUCO senior, but is only been playing baseball for 5 years. Jeff Ishii, the scout who signed him had some good things to say about Roberson.

“He’s only in his fourth or fifth year of playing baseball, and yet he made a remarkable growth, some of which I attribute to his time here at the academy,” Ishii said. “He went from being a low .200 hitter his [junior year], to being a .350 hitter this year. We’re really excited about the chance that he’s going to have to continue that kind of growth.”

Ishii called Roberson a potential five-tool player with an “innate ability to run” that, when coupled with his notable instincts around the basepaths, could make him an impact baserunner.

“He’s a plus-runner, he has a solid arm from center field, good instincts in the outfield and he’s got good running speed to play center field,” Ishii said. “His bat’s going to have to carry him over the next couple of years to get to that next level.”

Roberson will start his season in the GCL along with recent DFE LaCurtis Mayes. Nice to see the Urban Academy at work.

Here’s the link I had re: the DFEs signed a last month.