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Ranking the Most Productive Cardinals Prospects at Each Position in 2016

By Patrick Karraker

Mar 11, 2016; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Magneuris Sierra (98) connects for the go ahead rbi base hit in the bottom of the 8th inning against the Atlanta Braves during the game at Roger Dean StadiumThe Cardinals defeated the Braves 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2016; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Magneuris Sierra (98) connects for the go ahead rbi base hit in the bottom of the 8th inning against the Atlanta Braves during the game at Roger Dean StadiumThe Cardinals defeated the Braves 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports /
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The prospects who perform the best don’t always get rewarded, but at least they’ll get talked about in this article.

2016 has been an interesting year in the St. Louis Cardinals’ minor-league system, as it’s marked a closing of the book on an era of star position player prospects–one that included Kolten Wong, Oscar Taveras, Randal Grichuk, and Stephen Piscotty–and a transition to a new group of talented players that has massive potential but isn’t as highly-regarded as the previous group once was. In a season where arguably the organization’s top three prospects–pitchers Alex Reyes, Luke Weaver, and Marco Gonzales–were sidelined for the first couple months of the season (and Gonzales beyond that), there were ample opportunities for new players to prove themselves, and some interesting guys took advantage of those chances.

In many ways, a minor-league system can sometimes parallel the frequently complained-about two-party political system in that raw tools or draft status often dictate a player’s fate, and the system doesn’t necessarily reward the individuals who perform the best. Consider, for instance, that Reyes reached the major leagues earlier this month despite posting a 4.96 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in Triple-A, while other guys like Sandy Alcantara (4.29 ERA) and Edmundo Sosa (.650 OPS) rank among the Cards’ Top 10 prospects. As the minor-league season nears a close, we thought it’d be good to profile the Cardinals prospects at each position who have delivered the best standout performances in 2016.

We’ll start off at catcher, where one of the Cardinals’ higher-profile prospects and a relatively unknown honorable mention both have commanded attention this season:

Next: Catcher

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