The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with the 43rd overall selection in the 2018 draft who scuffled all season before taking hold in the Arizona Fall League.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #24 – Tony Locey
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with the organization’s third-round pick in 2019, who debuted in relief at Peoria, but will likely return to starting in the spring.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #25 – Mateo Gil
photo: Mateo Gil (Johnson City Cardinals)
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with a teenage shortstop who finished his second professional season strongly with Johnson City. FREE article.
| 2019 rank | Pos. | DOB | Ht. | Wt. | Bat | Thw | Signed | Round | R5/Opt | MLB debut |
| NR | SS | 7 24 00 | 6-1 | 180 | R | R | 2018 | 3rd | 2022 | 2023 |
Link to Mateo Gil’s player page at The Cardinal Nation, with additional biography and history information.
Selected 2019 stats
| Tm | AVG | BABIP | G | AB | R | H | 2B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | wRC+ | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| JC | 0.270 | 0.333 | 51 | 204 | 42 | 55 | 8 | 7 | 30 | 17 | 56 | 1 | 106 | 0.324 | 0.431 | 0.756 |
| PB | 0.000 | 0.000 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -100 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Total | 0.262 | 53 | 210 | 42 | 55 | 8 | 7 | 30 | 17 | 58 | 1 | 0.316 | 0.419 | 0.735 |
TCN Scouting Grade: 4.5, Risk: high (click here to review scales)
Staff comments (individual rankings in parentheses)
Message board community (25): Gil was drafted out of high school in the third round of the 2018 draft. He did not make the TCN top 50 for that season, but he did squeeze onto the Community’s list at #48.
In this fall’s voting, Gil jumped up 23 spots to #25 this after a fairly good season and his draft reputation. Two message board voters placed him a bit higher: stlcard25 and mudville at #22.
stlcard25 said, “(Gil) put up a bit better than expected .270/.324/.431 line at Johnson City. This was also his age 18 season, as he turned 19 in late July. He did make a whopping 17 errors, but that’s not uncommon for young guys like this. I think he’s a sleeper future starter.”
Mudville added, “It’s hard for me to vote for any player based on early stats. But I just have a good feeling about Mateo Gil. I agree that he could be a sleeper”.
Grenadier1 wrote, “Might be a little early for a guy with a +106 in Rookie league ball, but he was 2.4 years below the league average. Generally considered a good fielder with the skills to remain at shortstop long term and showed a little more pop than I expected. He has a long way to go as a prospect, but certainly has the tools to work with to be a really good value.“ – John Baker
Derek Shore (26): The son of former big leaguer Benji Gil immediately impressed the Cardinals with his athleticism and instincts after they drafted him in the third round in 2018.
After holding his own in his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League in 2018, Gil moved up to (short-season) Johnson City and did the same as a 19 year-old. The shortstop slashed .270/.324/.431 through 51 games while flashing intriguing extra-base pop.
He collected eight doubles, two triples and slugged seven homers while driving in 30 runs over 204 at-bats for Johnson City this past season.
Coming into 2019, Gil said he felt more comfortable after having his draft year under his belt, which helped him slow down the game. He said he struggled during extended spring training, but felt he turned it around after a two-game taste of High-A Palm Beach.
“I felt like I learned a lot from the little time I was there and I think it helped me start off hot at Johnson City,” Gil said. “I rode the hot streak for a while, but then went into a little slump then got hurt for the first time in my career.
“I think I ended really well and did my best to help the team win the (Appy League) championship.”
Gil attributed his offensive improvements, including his power, to feeling more comfortable in the box and committing to an approach while adding strength this past offseason.
From a scouting perspective, Gil is a good all-around player but there is no huge tool that stands out. Evaluators see him mostly as a solid big-leaguer, not an All-Star.
He has a medium frame and is described as “wiry strong” particularly in the lower half. He has above-average bat speed and a longish swing.
His carrying tool right now is the power. One scout thinks he has a chance to hit 20 home runs in the future. His approach is to be patient early in the counts, but he shows a willingness to expand with two strikes.
Gil’s speed is average. Defensively, he is smooth and confident defender at short and features a strong and accurate arm, enabling him to make all the plays he needs to make.
Gil said he worked a lot with Cardinals infield gurus Jose Oquendo and Johnny Rodriguez on his footwork this past summer. He said the focus was being softer and getting around the ball more.
“They’re great coaches,” he added.
Gil should open 2020 at Low-A Peoria. His goals for the upcoming season are simple.
“My goal for next season is basically the same as last year,” Gil said. “I want to make a full-season club and improve in every aspect of my game.”
Brian Walton (25): Again, our voters are of a like mind about where Gil is positioned among Cardinals organization prospects, as well as among middle infielders. Nothing against our no. 26-ranked prospect, Ramon Urias, but it illustrates the importance of potential early in a career vs. a player who is six years older. Of course, there is also a greater risk for Gil to achieve his peak considering how many more levels he has yet to master.
Any high school draft pick is young by definition, but Gil was young for a prep selection. Specifically, he was 17 years of age on his draft day and for the first half of his debut season. That he did not hit at a high level immediately in the Gulf Coast League was not overly concerning.
Though Gil did not place in the overall site top 50 prior to the 2019 season, his 94 Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) was just six percent below Gulf Coast League average.
It would be impossible for me to evaluate a teenage shortstop prospect taken early in the draft without drawing a comparison to Delvin Perez. Both were top three-round draft picks by the Cardinals as teenagers, two years apart.
In his GCL debut, Perez posted a 123 wRC+, 23 percent above league average. However, in his year two in the Appalachian League, Perez stumbled to a 64 wRC+. Contrast that with Gil’s improvement also at Johnson City, as he reached a 106 wRC+ in 2019.
Coming in above the Appy League offensive average is a step in the right direction and helps to explain why Gil placed here at no. 25 and Perez has slid to no. 33 for 2020. Perez might still have a higher potential ceiling, but his time to achieve it is two years shorter.
Trusted to hit in the top or second spot in manager Roberto Espinoza’s lineup for much of the 2019 season, Gil began and ended solidly (.300 in June and .307 in August) with a dry spell in the middle. As Gil told Derek above, his .190 July was due to a combination of slump and minor injury. (He sat out from July 23-30, though the injured list is rarely used in the Appalachian League.)
It might be easy to overlook major improvements in Gil’s numbers in August without calling it out here. The 10 extra base hits were great, especially given he had just seven in about the same number of plate appearances in June plus July. However, I was even more impressed by the 12 walks he drew in August (after just five prior). That improved his final month on-base percentage to a very good .374. If Gil can carry that overall strong August performance into 2020, it could be the start of a legitimate offensive emergence.
Gil is well positioned to compete for a full-season spot to open 2020 at Peoria. With Perez likely to move up to Palm Beach, Gil should not be blocked. In other words, his immediate advancement should depend on how he performs in spring camp. Even if he doesn’t make it initially, he should get his first chance at the Midwest League by May, as did notable position player prospects Jhon Torres and Malcom Nuñez in 2019.
I currently have Gil’s scouting grade at “4.5 high”, between a spot starter and an average MLB starter, with considerable work yet ahead to achieve it. Given how much play is still ahead in Gil’s career, I would give this grade an incomplete, but one trending in the right direction.
Our 2020 top 50 series continues
To see the entire list of top Cardinals prospects and remaining article schedule, click here. This includes the top 50 countdown and 11 in-depth, follow-up articles coming up at the rate of one article per day into January.
Most of them are exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation. If you are not a member, join today so you do not miss out!
Also, please participate in the daily discussion about each prospect at The Cardinal Nation’s free message board.
Bonus for members of The Cardinal Nation
2019-2020 Cardinals Winter Ball Hitters Report – November 27
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #26 – Ramon Urias
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with a 40-man roster infielder trying to work his way into the St. Louis picture next season.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #27 – Andre Pallante
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with St. Louis’ fourth-round draft pick in June, who immediately excelled in the State College rotation.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #28 – Jack Ralston
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with a late-blooming college right-hander who excelled in his limited professional debut.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #29 – Alex FaGalde
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with a right-handed pitcher who dominated at Palm Beach, but ran into August injury and ineffectiveness at Springfield.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #30 – Justin Toerner
photo: Justin Toerner (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with the organization’s 28th-round outfielder from 2018 who spent most of his first full season as a professional at Double-A. FREE article.
| 2019 rank | Pos. | DOB | Ht. | Wt. | Bat | Thw | Signed | Round | R5/Opt | MLB debut |
| NR | OF | 8 11 96 | 5-11 | 180 | L | L | 2018 | 28TH | 2021 | 2021 |
Link to Justin Toerner’s player page at The Cardinal Nation, with additional biography and history information.
Selected 2019 stats
| Tm | AVG | BABIP | G | AB | R | H | 2B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | wRC+ | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| PB | 0.290 | 0.369 | 54 | 193 | 39 | 56 | 5 | 4 | 29 | 33 | 50 | 4 | 142 | 0.403 | 0.389 | 0.792 |
| Spr | 0.211 | 0.269 | 49 | 166 | 30 | 35 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 28 | 55 | 10 | 103 | 0.338 | 0.367 | 0.706 |
| Total | 0.253 | 103 | 359 | 69 | 91 | 10 | 11 | 47 | 61 | 105 | 14 | 0.374 | 0.379 | 0.752 |
TCN Scouting Grade: 3.5, Risk: medium (click here to review scales)
Staff comments (individual rankings in parentheses)
Message board community (32): We now have reached the top 30 and the third rung on our way down to number one. Although Toerner was at #32 on our community list, he still remains close enough to top 30 status.
CJeske was impressed with Justin, selecting him at #14 during the polling. He said, “An unexpected fast-riser. He’s been almost exactly the average age for his level until Double-A this year, where he was a little younger. His prior performance across two seasons was outstanding (509 PA: 140 wRC+, 151 DRC+). In Double-A, his performance was about average (199 PA: 103 wRC+, 109 DRC+). stlcard25 wrote this, “His left handed profile gives him at least a puncher’s chance of making it to the big leagues someday.”
Later, CJeske added, “I like that his walk rate remained consistently excellent at 14% across both levels this year, but don’t like that his strikeout rate increased from 21% to 27%. Though it could largely be attributed to the hitting environment in Palm Beach vs. Springfield, it was nice to see his ISO improve from .098 to .157 with the move to Double-A. I would be remiss not to mention that he was one of the hottest hitters in the minors through the first month of the season (96 PA: 1.081 OPS).”
Toerner should get another try at Springfield and with some solid play, he could get into that outfield mix already ahead of him. – John Baker
Derek Shore (31): Toerner put himself on the prospect radar with his performance in his first full season of professional baseball.
After signing with the Cardinals in 2018, he joined short-season Class-A State College, where the then 22-year old was solid but unspectacular. His slash line was .292/.390/.351 and he stole more bases (11) than runners driven in (10 in 171 at-bats).
Perhaps more telling about how the organization feels about Toerner was how he was handled, given brief experience at both Peoria and Palm Beach – unusual in any player’s first partial season.
“I felt (my draft year went) pretty well,” Toerner said. “There was obviously a big adjustment from college. Playing in the Big West Conference as I did, it is a pretty good pitching conference. I felt the pitching lined up pretty well with that.”
His experience at those three levels likely gave him a leg up as he earned his way onto Palm Beach’s roster to open 2019.
And what an opening it was.
Among Toerner’s April accomplishments were a .394 batting average and a .591 on-base percentage that led all of Minor League Baseball.
“Honestly, I wasn’t even thinking,” Toerner said. “That is really what was going on. I was going up there seeing the ball and hitting the ball. That helped a lot.”
Florida State League pitching started to adjust to Toerner in May. The opposition began to pitch around him and mixed in more off-speed stuff. Toerner hit just .224 over 26 games in May as he struck out 31 times.
“I became a little impatient, whereas in the beginning I was waiting for my pitch,” Toerner said.
By June, he adjusted back and showed more restraint in his at-bats, which warranted a promotion to Double-A Springfield on June 14.
With the S-Cards, the 23-year-old went through his share of peaks and valleys. Over 49 games, he hit .211 with seven homers and 18 RBIs through 49 games.
“At the beginning, he probably did a little more than what he needed to be doing,” Springfield skipper Joe Kruzel said in August. “He is really starting to swing the bat better. He has always been a good outfielder. Good base runner. He has always had some savvy for the game. He has been able to relax a little bit and put his spikes in the ground at the new level.
“You have to remember this kid was just drafted last year. He is already in Double-A and sometimes guys go through stretches where things don’t go the way they anticipate. He is working at it. He has spent a lot of time with “BA” (hitting coach Brandon Allen) and working on his swing. He is swinging the bat much better now.”
Allen liked what he saw from Toerner since the latter joined Springfield in June.
“He is a scrappy guy,” Allen said. “He has an idea of what he wants to do at the plate. He is unorthodox, but he gets into a position to hit and he has an electric bat. He is a good defender. I think he is a good overall player.”
Toerner ended the season on the injured list with a lower body injury after hurting himself making a catch at the wall to rob a possible home run on Aug. 14.
Scouts project Toerner as a tweener in the outfield, although he shows good athleticism and makes the routine plays plus some. Evaluators say he plays the game hard and is a true “grinder type”.
Toerner should return to Springfield to open 2020.
Brian Walton (29): It does not occur often, but our three voters are of like mind about where Toerner fits in the system – around the no. 30 area.
That puts him ahead of fellow outfielders Rangel Ravelo and Conner Capel, among others in and out of the top 50. Coming in future days in this countdown are younger flychasers Jhon Torres and Trejyn Fletcher and a pair closer to MLB in Adolis Garcia and Randy Arozarena. (Lane Thomas and Tyler O’Neill have graduated.)
In terms of monthly progress at Springfield, Toerner’s result was flat. Or more positively, he was consistent in the partial months of June and August and the full month of July in between. Of the slash stats, only his on-base percentage of .333 (June), .339 (July), .345 (August), .338 (overall) was noteworthy.
In his support, Toerner’s Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP) at Springfield was 100 points lower at Springfield (.259) than with Palm Beach (.359). The latter was unlucky, with the prior result fortunate.
As Derek noted above, Toerner was injured trying to make a play in the field in mid-August to close his 2019 season. That kind of determination can be the difference-maker for a former 28th-rounder trying to earn his chance to keep pushing toward the major leagues.
That reputation appears to be fairly wide-spread. A scout who I queried used just three words in sharing his view of Toerner. “Tough as nails,” was the talent evaluator’s assessment.
Not that Toerner is done with his ascent, but it is still worth noting that to advance to Double-A this quickly is admirable for any player, let alone the 843rd drafted in 2017.
I currently have his scouting grade at “3.5”, between an up and down player and a spot starter, with moderate work yet ahead to achieve it (“medium” risk).
There is a log-jam ahead of Toerner, which – short of an epidemic of injuries – means there will be no room for him at Memphis to open 2020. Given the speed of his moves to date and the fact he could accomplish more by returning to Springfield after logging a league-average 103 wRC+, this is not a bad thing. Toerner is nowhere near a stagnation point in his career.
Link to Toerner’s career stats
Our 2020 top 50 series continues
To see the entire list of top Cardinals prospects and remaining article schedule, click here. This includes the top 50 countdown and 11 in-depth, follow-up articles coming up at the rate of one article per day into January.
Most of them are exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation. If you are not a member, join today so you do not miss out!
Also, please participate in the daily discussion about each prospect at The Cardinal Nation’s free message board.
Bonus for members of The Cardinal Nation
2019-2020 Cardinals Winter Ball Pitchers Report – November 22
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If you enjoyed this article, please consider joining The Cardinal Nation to receive the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
© 2019 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #31 – Seth Elledge
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with a 2017-drafted right-handed reliever who quickly reached Triple-A Memphis and excelled in the Arizona Fall League.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #32 – Evan Mendoza
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with a good-hitting third baseman whose progress slowed at Double-A before he missed the final 2 1/2 months of 2019 due to injury.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #33 – Delvin Perez
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with a former first-round shortstop who had his best season in the last three, but still has a long way to go.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #34 – Rangel Ravelo
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with a first-baseman-outfielder who finally earned his MLB debut in 2019. Few players will report to spring camp with more on the line.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #35 – Steven Gingery
photo: Steven Gingery (Bruce Thorson/USA TODAY Sports)
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with a promising left-hander who, two years into his career, hasn’t yet been healthy enough to pitch. FREE article.
| 2019 rank | Pos. | DOB | Ht. | Wt. | Bat | Thw | Signed | Round | R5/Opt | MLB debut |
| 29 | LHP | 9 23 97 | 6-1 | 210 | R | L | 2018 | 4th | 2021 | 2022 |
Link to Steven Gingery’s player page at The Cardinal Nation, with additional biography and history information.
Selected 2019 stats
| Tm | W | L | ERA | FIP | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | AVG | WHIP | G/AO | BABIP |
| GCL | 0 | 1 | 13.50 | 5.01 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.333 | 3.00 | 0 | 0.500 |
TCN Scouting Grade: 4, Risk: high (click here to review scales)
Staff comments (individual rankings in parentheses)
Message board community (39): The Message Board Community, relying on scouting reports, his considerable college achievements at Texas Tech and the TCN rankings, which placed Gingery #37 in August, selected Gingery #35. Last season, the Community placed him at #32 against the overall ranking of #29.
This year, 14Nyquist first placed him at #30 and SoonerinNC was right behind at #31. mudville was very vocal regarding Gingery writing, “2019 would have effectively been his first season since he was still recovering from Tommy John during all of 2018. The Cardinals, for the most part, seem to follow a program of strengthening a pitcher in the pitcher’s first year. He’s a lefty, and if he’s healthy next season, he could move up 15 – 20 places in this ranking.”
Grenadier noted “This is really my favorite part (of the process) – to see who people like and why, this far down on the list.”
Honestly, I can’t see how anyone reading this cannot be excited about seeing what Steven can deliver. He could be the bargain that we’ve been waiting for. That said, I don’t have any good idea where the organization will place him to start 2020. – John Baker
Derek Shore (37): Over a long 18-month recovery period, Gingery made his long-awaited return from Tommy John surgery in 2019, albeit in only ⅔ of an inning for the Gulf Coast League Cardinals in his professional debut.
That was all 2019 had in store for Gingery. He would not pitch the rest of the season as it appeared he had another physical setback with no update on his status.
From a scouting perspective, the lefty had what many scouts considered the best changeup in college baseball prior to elbow surgery. It has excellent deception and late fade as it dives below bats to induce swings and misses.
It’s an easy plus pitch that earns some 70 grades from evaluators. His changeup and above-average control are pivotal to his success on the bump.
That makes it all the more important for him to spot his fringe-average 88-91 mph fastball and an average curveball he can throw for strikes.
Gingery draws comparisons to Jason Vargas and Marco Gonzales with his effortless delivery, above-average control and track record for success. He was expected to be one of the safest bets in his draft class before going down with Tommy John.
Assuming he is healthy entering 2020, Gingery is an ideal back-end starter and he’s advanced enough to be placed at either Low-A Peoria or High-A Palm Beach to open the season.
Brian Walton (34): The Cardinals need left-handed pitching (who doesn’t?), and Gingery could fit the bill. Then again, he has yet to contribute and the organization went ahead and spent even more to get another left-handed starter in the 2019 draft, Zack Thompson.
My vote at no. 34 is less about any confidence in Gingery and more about my faith in him eroding more slowly than the others. The others could be right, though. The fact that Gingery improved four spots in our rankings year-to-year probably says more about the general state of pitching across the system than it does about him.
After all, it is two years into his career with nothing yet returned. The Cardinals spent $825,000, almost $400,000 over slot, to convince Gingery to spend his first-year as a professional rehabbing. It hasn’t gone well since, with just that one aborted July outing to open and close his 2019 season.
It would seem most likely that Gingery would have to head to Class-A if physically ready to open 2020. From there, one just has to hope he can make up for lost time. Not knowing the details of his medical diagnosis, and in fact having never seen him pitch live, make any further projection highly speculative.
I currently have Gingery’s scouting grade at “4”, a spot starter, with moderate work yet ahead to achieve it (“medium” risk). That is down from “5 medium” a year earlier. His mound results in 2020 could easily reverse this trend – if he can get his career train back on the rails.
Link to Gingery’s career stats
Our 2020 top 50 series continues
To see the entire list of top Cardinals prospects and remaining article schedule, click here. This includes the top 50 countdown and 11 in-depth, follow-up articles coming up at the rate of one article per day into January.
Most of them are exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation. If you are not a member, join today so you do not miss out!
Also, please participate in the daily discussion about each prospect at The Cardinal Nation’s free message board.
Bonus for members of The Cardinal Nation
2019-2020 Cardinals Winter Ball Pitchers Report – November 22
Not yet a member?
If you enjoyed this article, please consider joining The Cardinal Nation to receive the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
© 2019 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #36 – Edgar Escobar
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with an under-the-radar Cuban reliever who had a strong 2019 and is poised for a big 2020 with Springfield, and perhaps beyond.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #37 – Conner Capel
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with an outfielder who had a short but successful Triple-A debut and played in the Arizona Fall League.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #38 – Tommy Parsons
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues a right-handed pitcher who emerged while earning a very rare three promotions in one season.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #39 – Brendan Donovan
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with an infielder who received his first extended professional action and was a strong, though inconsistent contributor with Peoria.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #40 – Juan Yepez
photo: Juan Yepez (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with a corner infielder who expanded his versatility to include the outfield and rebounded with the bat to reach Double-A at the age of 21. FREE article.
| 2019 rank | Pos. | DOB | Ht. | Wt. | Bat | Thw | Signed | Round | R5/Opt | MLB debut |
| NR | 1B | 2 19 98 | 6-1 | 200 | R | R | 2014 | IFA (Atl) | 2018 | 2022 |
Link to Juan Yepez’s player page at The Cardinal Nation, with additional biography and history information.
Selected 2019 stats
| Tm | AVG | BABIP | G | AB | R | H | 2B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | wRC+ | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| Peo | 0.284 | 0.344 | 25 | 88 | 14 | 25 | 7 | 4 | 13 | 11 | 24 | 2 | 147 | 0.366 | 0.500 | 0.866 |
| PB | 0.275 | 0.312 | 29 | 102 | 16 | 28 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 10 | 21 | 1 | 136 | 0.351 | 0.431 | 0.782 |
| Spr | 0.231 | 0.263 | 17 | 52 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 85 | 0.288 | 0.385 | 0.673 |
| Total | 0.269 | 71 | 242 | 38 | 65 | 13 | 10 | 43 | 26 | 59 | 3 | 0.343 | 0.446 | 0.789 |
TCN Scouting Grade: 3.5, Risk: medium (click here to review scales)
Staff comments (individual rankings in parentheses)
Message board community (31): The community voters thought enough of Yepez’ potential/production to slot him into the #31 position for this season. Last year, the group had Yepez at #63. Two seasons ago, the now 21-year-old was in the TCN’s top 50 at #44.
Early support came from gscottar at #21, plus PugsleyAddams and Christopher Jeske in the #23-26 round. gscottar wrote: “I thought Yepez had a very solid year and the organization must have thought so also because he made it from Peoria all the way to Springfield. His numbers aren’t eye popping and he may or may not make it to St. Louis but he is a very steady, above average minor league player and at age 21 he still has time to make a name for himself.”
Jeske: “Generally speaking, Yepez has been promoted aggressively (reaching A in his age 18 season and AA in his age 21 season). In between, though, it’s been a little weird as he was assigned to A in each of his age 18-21 seasons. During this time his performance varied from positive (getting by offensively despite being young for his level and showing flashes of elite hitting ability) to negative (an extreme, prolonged slump in A+). This year he hit for more power mainly due to an increase in his HR/FB%.”
NigelT: “Twice he has had runs where he dominates with the bat. I believe he can hit, but he has never put it all together. How he is placed relative to (Luken) Baker will be interesting and telling.”
I’ve been pulling for Yepez since he was the return for Matt Adams. 2020 will be the Venezuelan’s sixth pro season and look for him to break camp at Springfield. He’ll need to step it up a notch or two to reach Memphis in 2020. – John Baker
Derek Shore (30): For the second straight season, Yepez backtracked to open a year. Not only did he not make a full-season club out of spring training, but stayed in extended spring training before reporting to Low-A Peoria in June for the third time.
The reason?
“The Cardinals told me, ‘We want to work with you in the outfield. We want you to be able to play more positions until there is an opening on a roster,’” Yepez said.
To his credit, Yepez performed well for the Chiefs, earning another promotion to High-A Palm Beach. This time, the Venezuelan native delivered for the Beach Birds, including 20 RBIs in 29 games. His OPS in his second shot at High-A was a credible .782.
That powered Yepez’ third promotion of the second half, with a move to Double-A Springfield for the final 17 games of the season. He OPS’d .673 and plated 10 runs.
“I gave my best every day and I ended up in Springfield,” Yepez said. “That was my goal for this year.”
Yepez credited former Cardinals all-star Ryan Ludwick and Gulf Coast League Cardinals hitting coach Joey Hawkins with improving his hitting. He said when he was promoted to Palm Beach last year – the duo wanted him to spread out his legs and lower his hands in his stance because his hands were too high and legs too narrow.
Yepez said he spent the offseason and part of extended working on that.
“I felt comfortable with my stance, my hands, my legs and the position I’m hitting in,” Yepez said. “I did better things with those adjustments.”
Springfield manager Joe Kruzel liked what he saw in Yepez during the season.
“In a very limited look, he is very confident in the batter’s box,” Kruzel said. “He is very balanced. He has a simple approach it appears. He is also capable of running into some balls and putting a charge in them. He can also play more than one position, so he can play left or right. He can first or third. That gives him a little flexibility.
“He is intriguing in that regard. He looks real comfortable in the batter’s box. Real confident. Since he has been up, he has done a really nice job in a short time.”
From a scouting standpoint, Yepez’ raw power stands out the most. He features above-average raw power that has yet to fully translate into games.
Scouts say he has a natural ability to drive the ball that can’t be taught, but he’s still working on his hitting approach to put himself in hitters’ counts more frequently.
Yepez explained where he is at now in regards to his plate discipline.
“When I’m in a good spot and I’m hot, I can recognize pitches in and out of the strike zone,” Yepez said. “I’m laying off the balls and swinging at strikes. When I’m hot at the plate, I can lay off those balls. When I get in trouble, I start swinging at those pitches out of the zone.
“That is one of the main things. I’m trying to swing at strikes and get some walks, too.”
The biggest issue surrounding Yepez is his future defensive home. While he may not profile as an everyday player, his two main positions are first and third base.
He also saw time at left field and right field in 2019.
“At the beginning, it was tough,” Yepez said. “I didn’t know where I was supposed to go and where I was supposed to be. I have to say thanks to all my teammates from extended to Double-A, helping me. All the coaches helped me. It was tough at the beginning, but it got easier and easier.
“Out there, I was just trying to catch the ball and throw it in the right spot. It’s different, but I will be working on it in the offseason to get better.”
Yepez should return to Springfield to start 2020.
Going forward, his goals are simple.
“I want to get stronger,” Yepez said. “I want to work on my arm and defense in the outfield and the infield. I just want to keep hitting and do the same as I was doing this year with the adjustments of my hands and legs. All that.”
Brian Walton (54): Well, I didn’t get the news of the Yepez train leaving the station. Now, I know that may seem odd at first blush, since I named him TCN’s system-wide Comeback Player of the Year for 2019. Just remember that these rankings are about career, not a single season. Further, to be a comeback qualifier, one must have gone from a significant low to a major high. In prospect rankings, consistency is important.
As noted, Yepez was ranked no. 44 on our top 50 two seasons ago but went unranked last year. I am not convinced that he is a better prospect now, two years older but just one level higher than where he was assigned a month into the 2018 season.
This past season, Yepez could not escape extended spring training until June. I get that he was learning the outfield, but his very rough-hitting 2018 had to make the decision to take him out of league action for the first half much easier. Once activated, he was solid at Peoria, but short of his season-opening 2018 success there with the bat. That is not a step forward, but just approaching a prior level of performance.
A month later, Yepez received his second shot at Palm Beach, the level that did him in during the majority of 2018. He had a good, not great July in terms of his slash line (.275/.351/.431/.782) for the Beach Birds and was very productive, with 20 RBI in 29 games. At that point, he became a corner outfielder more than a corner infielder. Then again, part of the reason may have been the fact that a better first base prospect, Luken Baker, was already with Palm Beach.
In a surprise (to me), when Springfield needed injury backfill help for the final month of the season, Yepez received the call rather than Baker. While the two had about the same career experience at high-A at that point, roughly 100 games, Yepez had only those most recent 29 games of strong results at the level. In all fairness, Baker’s 2019 was not exceptional, such that his results screamed “promotion”. I just figured player development would have wanted to get him out of Palm Beach.
Not surprisingly, Yepez did not excel in his first shot at Springfield in August, not that I am penalizing him for that. But to summarize, he only played three months in 2019 after practicing for two months. One month was good, but at a level he already mastered a season and a half earlier. The middle month was great – at a level at which he previously struggled for four months in 2018. Yepez was challenged at Double-A to close the season and did not take off.
That one great month while repeating the high-A level isn’t enough for me to rank Yepez in the vicinity of the Cardinals top 30 future MLB prospects, as did my peer voters. Hence, my score dragged him down to this overall no. 40. My reminder is that he has had good months before, only to regress.
To double check, I recently (after the season) asked a Midwest League scout about Yepez. “He has a long swing and I don’t like his approach at the plate,” was the reply I received. But maybe that was about the old Yepez, not the current one. Perhaps his inconsistency is in the past. After all, he does not turn 22 years of age until February, with more career twists and turns and opportunities still ahead.
I currently have Yepez’ scouting grade at “3.5”, between an up and down player and spot starter, with moderate work yet ahead to achieve it (“medium” risk).
Our 2020 top 50 series continues
To see the entire list of top Cardinals prospects and remaining article schedule, click here. This includes the top 50 countdown and 11 in-depth, follow-up articles coming up at the rate of one article per day into January.
Most of them are exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation. If you are not a member, join today so you do not miss out!
Also, please participate in the daily discussion about each prospect at The Cardinal Nation’s free message board.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #41 – Evan Kruczynski
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with a big left-handed starting pitcher who chalked up his challenging 2019 as a learning opportunity.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #42 – John Nogowski
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with a first baseman who is playing his way into the St. Louis picture. John Nogowski turns 27 years of age in January, however.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #43 – Pedro Pages
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with the organization’s first collegiate position player taken in the 2019 draft, and subsequently, their best-performing first-year hitter.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #44 – Francisco Justo
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with a relatively-inexperienced 21-year old right-hander who pitched very well in spurts for Johnson City.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #45 – Max Schrock
photo: Max Schrock (Frank Ramirez/The Cardinal Nation)
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with the second infielder who came over from Oakland in the Stephen Piscotty trade. Max Schrock is heading into his third Triple-A season facing increased competition. FREE article.
| 2019 rank | Pos. | DOB | Ht. | Wt. | Bat | Thw | Signed | Round | R5/Opt | MLB debut |
| 27 | 2B | 10 12 94 | 5-9 | 195 | L | R | 2015 | 13 (Was) | 2018 | 2021 |
Link to Max Schrock’s player page at The Cardinal Nation, with additional biography and history information.
Selected 2019 stats
| Tm | AVG | BABIP | G | AB | R | H | 2B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | wRC+ | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| Mem | 0.275 | 0.332 | 85 | 265 | 42 | 73 | 20 | 2 | 31 | 37 | 49 | 12 | 89 | 0.366 | 0.381 | 0.747 |
TCN Scouting Grade: 3, Risk: low (click here to review scales)
Staff comments (individual rankings in parentheses)
Message board community (44): After the Cardinals obtained Schrock in December of 2017, he slotted in the #15 spot (ahead of both Edmundo Sosa and Tommy Edman) in the TCN’s 2018 ranking after a successful season at Double-A Midland (OAK). The Cards sent him to Triple-A, but after a less than impressive 2018 season, Schrock dropped to #25 in the 2019 community vote. The TCN final poll placed him at #27.
This past season, Schrock continued to battle injuries (four trips to the IL since August 2018). The organization did get him to add some versatility by playing him primarily at third base in 2019, almost required in the system. He also improved his batting average to .275.
As other prospects passed him by, the participants in the Group also sensed a decline in his potential and put him at #44. NigelT was first to select Max at #36 and commented, “I have seen him look sharp at the plate with surprising pop.” PugsleyAddams and desmetlax12 also had him in the #35-38 round. Desmetlax noted that Schrock had a .366 OBP at Memphis and that he made a “Nice jump in BB rate from a career 6% to 12% this past year, which helped with his improvement to a .366 OBP after a poor .296 his first time through Triple-A. Played this season at 24 so still at a good age for this level.” – John Baker
Derek Shore (40): After a disappointing 2018 season, Schrock put together a bounceback 2019, albeit when he was on the field healthy.
Schrock had three different stints on the injured list, but still managed to post a solid slash line of .275/.366/.381 over 85 games at Triple-A Memphis in 2019. The 25-year-old collected 20 doubles, one triple and slugged two homers while driving in 31 runs.
From a scouting standpoint, Schrock doesn’t get the same reviews from scouts that he did in the past.
“He is sort of meh everything,” one scout said last year.
His skill-set is extremely dependent on having a quality approach at the plate and drilling strikes. That was his calling card before he came over to the Cardinals in the Stephen Piscotty trade almost two years ago, but he has fallen out of it since then.
While Schrock has maintained his strikeout to walk numbers throughout his professional career, scouts said his pitch recognition skills have regressed and there is little in the way of impact contact.
He has the speed and instincts to swipe the occasional bag. However, he always had a strong hit tool and could be an above-average hitter at the major-league level.
But his days of becoming an everyday player are gone – at least with the Cardinals. His best chance at reaching the big-leagues is as a utility-player.
In 2019, he played mostly third base and also saw time at his natural position at second and in left field as well.
Expect to see Schrock back at Memphis again in 2020 – for his third go-around at the Pacific Coast League.
Brian Walton (48): I am the least optimistic of our voters about Schrock. As noted above, when he was acquired from Oakland as part of the Stephen Piscotty trade, we slotted him into our top prospect list at no. 15, just one spot behind the other new Cardinal in that deal, Yairo Muñoz.
Based on their reputations and a long conversation I had about the two with Melissa Lockard, A’s minor league expert (and now with The Athletic), I pegged Schrock’s ceiling at 5.5 – somewhere between an average and above-average MLB starter.
Two years later, that seems highly unlikely. Granted, Muñoz was the more experienced of the two, but he continued to progress to the point he has established himself as a solid MLB reserve.
On the other hand, Schrock is stuck in neutral as other infielders whiz by him. When he was acquired, his carrying tool was his hit tool. Much was made – here and elsewhere – about the fact that through Double-A, Schrock had always batted over .300 and was a perennial league all-star.
Well, that ended with the trade. Even in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, Schrock had a mediocre first season with Memphis. Given all the change – of organizations and leagues and all – it was reasonable to give him a mulligan for 2018.
Last winter, the Cardinals left Schrock unprotected in the Rule 5 draft and he was not selected. The bloom was officially off the rose.
The problem is that his 2019 was not better enough. Instead of hitting 37 percent below the average PCL hitter, he was only 11 percent worse last season. (89 wRC+ vs. 63). One positive was an improved second half.
As noted above, he increased his walk percentage substantially in 2019 (seven percent). What was not mentioned, however, was an even bigger spike in his strikeout rate (eight percent). While Schrock has maintained a strong on-base mark over his career, his power has always been very limited. So adding third base is good for his defensive portfolio, his bat isn’t enough for a hot corner regular.
Schrock will almost certainly be left exposed in the upcoming Rule 5 and not be chosen again. That means he will be back with the Redbirds for a third consecutive season, but still without a 40-man roster spot.
My projected Memphis infield to open 2020 will be very crowded, with 40-man players Elehuris Montero (to be added), Edmundo Sosa, Ramon Urias the likely every-day starters at third, short and second, respectively. Evan Mendoza, also still considered a better prospect, is going to be in the scrum, as will Kramer Robertson and others.
That will likely leave Schrock scrambling to scrounge at-bats as a reserve and further decreasing his already shrinking odds of reaching St. Louis. As noted, he doesn’t hit enough to play at third in the bigs and isn’t going to displace Muñoz, let alone Tommy Edman or Kolten Wong, at second.
I have lowered Schrock’s ceiling to a “3”, an up and down player, with minimal work yet ahead to achieve it (“low” risk). At this point, the forecast is what it is – cloudy.
Link to Schrock’s career stats
Our 2020 top 50 series continues
To see the entire list of top Cardinals prospects and remaining article schedule, click here. This includes the top 50 countdown and 11 in-depth, follow-up articles coming up at the rate of one article per day into January.
Most of them are exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation. If you are not a member, join today so you do not miss out!
Also, please participate in the daily discussion about each prospect at The Cardinal Nation’s free message board.
Bonus for members of The Cardinal Nation
Not yet a member?
If you enjoyed this article, please consider joining The Cardinal Nation to receive the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
© 2019 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #46 – Kramer Robertson
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with an infielder who increased his versatility, made his Triple-A debut and played in the Arizona Fall League.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #47 – Ludwin Jimenez
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with a 17-year old right-hander who earned an in-season promotion into the Gulf Coast League and held his own against older hitters.
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TCN 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #48 – Patrick Romeri
The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospect countdown for 2020 continues with a high-school outfielder drafted in the 12th round who had an impressive debut in the Gulf Coast League.
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Mike Shildt is the 2019 National League Manager of the Year
photo: Mike Shildt (Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports)
St. Louis Cardinals press release
St. Louis Cardinals Manager Mike Shildt was named this evening (Tuesday, November 12) as the recipient of the 2019 National League Manager of the Year Award as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). Shildt, who this season guided the Cardinals to their first N.L. Central title since 2015, joins Hall of Fame managers Whitey Herzog (1985) and Tony La Russa (2002) as Cardinals recipients of the BBWAA award.
Shildt guided the Cardinals to a share of their 12th N.L. Central title in his first full season at the helm, overseeing a transformation of the team’s defense with record-setting performances, as the Cardinals became the first Major League team in history to go from worst to first in errors in back-to-back seasons. The Cardinals went 91-71 in 2019 while advancing to the N.L. Championship Series, and are 132-99 (.571 winning pct.) under Shildt since he was named interim manager on July 15, 2018.
“We are extremely happy for ‘Shildty’ for having been voted the recipient of this well-deserved honor,” stated Cardinals’ President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. “Mike and his staff are extremely committed to providing Cardinals fans with a winning style of play that is focused on all facets of the game, and it showed thru this past season.”
Having first joined the Cardinals organization in 2004 as an Area Scout, Shildt advanced thru the team’s player development system, and managed his teams to minor league championships in 2010 and 2011 at rookie-level Johnson City and in 2012 at Springfield of the Texas League (AA). Shildt was named the Appalachian League Manager of the Year in 2010, the same year he was honored as the recipient of the Cardinals George Kissell Award for excellence in player development.
Shildt, 51, was signed last week to a new three-year contract that extends thru the 2022 season.
Baseball Writers’ Association of America press release
Here are the voting results of the 2019 National League Manager of the Year Award. Ballots from two writers in each league city prior to postseason play are tabulated on a system that rewards five points for first place, three points for second place and one point for third place.
| Manager | Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Points |
| Mike Shildt | Cardinals | 10 | 14 | 3 | 95 |
| Craig Counsell | Brewers | 13 | 6 | 5 | 88 |
| Brian Snitker | Braves | 3 | 6 | 12 | 45 |
| Dave Roberts | Dodgers | 4 | 1 | 2 | 25 |
| Dave Martinez | Nationals | 3 | 6 | 15 | |
| Torey Lovullo | Diamondbacks | 2 | 2 |
This was only the second election in Manager of the Year voting history in which the winner did not receive the most first-place votes. The only other time was in the American League in 1995 when the Mariners ’Lou Piniella had nine first-place votes to 11 for the Red Sox’ Kevin Kennedy but won on total points, 86-74.
Shildt is the first Manager of the Year Award winner who did not play on the professional level. He is also the eighth winner not to have played in the major leagues. The others were three-time winners Jim Leyland, Joe Maddon and Buck Showalter, two-time winner Jack McKeon as well as Jim Frey, John McNamara and last year’s winner, Brian Snitker, who finished third in this year’s election.
Counsell was the runner-up for the second consecutive year, marking the fourth time in NL voting that a manager ran second two straight years, along with the Reds’ Davey Johnson in 1994 and ’95, the Cardinals’ Tony La Russa in 2004 and ’05 and the Phillies’ Charlie Manuel in 2007 and ’08. In the AL, the Athletics’ Art Howe finished second four consecutive years from 1999-2002. Other AL managers to finish second in consecutive years were the Twins’ Ron Gardenhire two times, in 2003 and ’04 and in 2008 and ’09, and the Royals’ Dick Howser in 1984 and ’85.
It marks the third time a Cardinals manager has been honored. The other St. Louis winners were Whitey Herzog in 1985 and La Russa in 2002.
The Brewers have never had a Manager of the Year winner in either league. In addition to Counsell, other Brewers runners-up were Tom Trebelhorn in 1987 and Phil Garner in 1992 in the AL and Ron Roenicke in 2011 in the NL.
No manager was named on every ballot.
Previous winners:
2018 Brian Snitker, Braves; 2017 Torey Lovullo, Diamondbacks; 2016 Dave Roberts, Dodgers; 2015 Joe Maddon, Cubs; 2014 Matt Williams, Nationals; 2013 Clint Hurdle, Pirates; 2012 Davey Johnson, Nationals; 2011 Kirk Gibson, Diamondbacks; 2010 Bud Black, Padres, 2009 Jim Tracy, Rockies; 2008 Lou Piniella, Cubs; 2007 Bob Melvin, Diamondbacks; 2006 Joe Girardi, Marlins; 2005 Bobby Cox, Braves; 2004 Bobby Cox, Braves; 2003 Jack McKeon, Marlins; 2002 Tony La Russa, Cardinals; 2001 Larry Bowa, Phillies; 2000 Dusty Baker, Giants; 1999 Jack McKeon, Reds; 1998 Larry Dierker, Astros; 1997 Dusty Baker, Giants; 1996 Bruce Bochy, Padres; 1995 Don Baylor, Rockies; 1994 Felipe Alou, Expos; 1993 Dusty Baker, Giants; 1992 Jim Leyland, Pirates; 1991 Bobby Cox, Braves; 1990 Jim Leyland, Pirates; 1989 Don Zimmer, Cubs; 1988 Tommy Lasorda, Dodgers; 1987 Buck Rogers, Expos; 1986 Hal Lanier, Astros; 1985 Whitey Herzog, Cardinals; 1984 Jim Frey, Cubs; 1983 Tommy Lasorda, Dodgers.
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