Ranking the Most Productive Cardinals Prospects at Each Position in 2016
![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](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/48dde2de8ae6462c1c7c30f7582124409d080b3190443091fe40176ad0c59aa3.jpg)
SS Tommy Edman
Through just over two months of professional action, the most impressive shortstop from the Cardinals’ 2016 draft class has been…wait for it…Tommy Edman. The 21-year-old, who was taken out of Stanford in the sixth round, is four years older than first-rounder Delvin Perez and surely doesn’t have as much upside, but the results have been better for him at a slightly higher level during the early going.
Through his first 249 plate appearances, the switch-hitting Edman is slashing .304/.414/.473 with 22 extra-base hits, including five triples and four homers. Perhaps most impressively, he’s got 37 walks compared to just 23 strikeouts. He’s stolen 14 bases while being caught just once, and he’s played solid defense, making four errors in 285 innings at shortstop and none in 135 innings at second base.
Considering the Cardinals’ wealth of shortstop prospects, it’s difficult to imagine a scenario where he’d ever end up being their starting shortstop in the big leagues, but if he continues to show the same type of plate discipline, baserunning ability, and defensive versatility that he’s shown over his first few months as a pro, he’ll move up the minor-league ladder quickly.
Next: Third Base