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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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C Carson Kelly

After being a glove-first catcher who looked to have big-league backup (or perhaps fringe starter) potential heading into this season, Carson Kelly has definitely established himself as a future major-league starter during 2016. The 22-year-old’s full-season career highs coming into this year were .257 (average), .326 (on-base), and .366 (slugging), so it’s certainly been a pleasant surprise to see him post a combined .293/.346/.397 slash line between Double-A and Triple-A. With the exception of his power–he hit six homers in Springfield but has yet to hit one in Memphis–all of Kelly’s hitting skill has carried over following his promotion, and there’s real reason to believe that he can be an above-average hitter at the big-league level.

Kelly’s defense has once again been fantastic this season, and just by watching him you can tell that he’s a guy who plays the game the right way. In a minor-league system that has been almost completely devoid of catching talent since Yadier Molina reached the big leagues in 2004–with eventual bust Brian Anderson being the only real bright spot–Kelly has been a major revelation, and he may just be the heir apparent to Molina that the Cardinals have struggled to find for years.

Honorable Mention: Brian O’Keefe

One guy who has really flown under the radar in the Cards’ system this year–largely because he’s a part-time catcher in A-ball–is Brian O’Keefe, a seventh-rounder in 2014. O’Keefe has displayed some of the most intriguing all-around power in the organization this season. In 347 at-bats (323 of which have come at Low-A Peoria after his demotion from High-A Palm Beach in early May), O’Keefe has 23 doubles, two triples, 12 homers, and 52 walks. His .242 batting average isn’t exceptionally impressive, but his .773 OPS is much more encouraging for a minor-league catcher. Only time will tell whether O’Keefe has the game-calling and pitch framing skills to make him an above-average defensive catcher, but his numbers–only six errors and a 37% caught stealing percentage–indicate that he’s solid enough to be a legitimate option behind the plate as he continues to move up the organizational ladder.

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