2015 Arch Awards: Who was St. Louis’s Rising Star in 2015?

Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Stephen Piscotty, OF/1B, St. Louis Cardinals

After hitting for a career-low .272 batting average and career high 16.7% strikeout rate through 320 at-bats at Triple-A Memphis this season, Cardinals fans were understandably concerned about Piscotty, the team’s top prospect, being able to effectively contribute in the majors. He proved all the box score scouts wrong after making his MLB debut on July 21, though, becoming just the shot in the arm that the team needed on the way to a third straight division title.

Piscotty saw action at all three outfield spots, but most impressively, he picked up the position of first base after playing just six games there in the minors. He excelled at the position and was the Cardinals’ starter there for three games during the NLDS. Piscotty’s greatest value, however, came at the plate, where he hit .305/.359/.494 in 256 plate appearances with seven homers and 39 RBI after reaching the majors. He again made a massive impact during the four-game NLDS series, going 6-for-16 (.375) with three homers and six RBI.

Though he’s not guaranteed a starting spot in 2016, Piscotty’s versatility and all-around productivity as a hitter should make him extremely valuable to the Cards for years to come. After being the Cardinals’ postseason MVP during 2015, he’s already started his path to stardom as a big-leaguer.

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