1. Shelby Miller, RHP -- Whereas last year's top spot was a slam dunk, this year I had a hell of a time sorting out the Cards' best farmhand. In the end, I had to go with Miller, in spite of his pro career consisting of approximately fifteen batters faced. Everyone on this list has some warts, so I went with the guy I think has the best chance to be special.
Miller in this top spot is based entirely on projection, but I'm okay with that. He has far and away the best stuff of any starter in the Cardinals' system, and it really isn't all that close. A mid-90s fastball that tops out as high as 98 at times is Miller's calling card, though I don't expect to see him flashing quite that high on the radar gun very consistently. His heater has excellent movement as well, making it a plus pitch already that could grade even higher as he improves his command of it. Miller adds a nasty curveball in the upper 70s that should end up a second plus pitch for him down the road. There was some talk earlier in his high school career of a solid slider, but that seems to have fallen by the wayside. With the combination of overpowering heat and a filthy curveball, Miller has garnered some comparisons to Kerry Wood, another Texas smoke artist drafted out of high school. Miller's delivery is excellent, without any real red flags, and his frame is what you would draw if you were designing a pitcher from scratch.
Shelby Miller is still very raw, as he lacks much in the way of a changeup and his command is shaky. What he does have, though, that very few of the other prospects in the Cards' system have, is real star potential. The upside for Miller, if he can put it all together, is just off the charts. He's a long ways away from St. Louis, but the talent is undeniable.
2. Daryl Jones, OF -- Mild down season or not, DJ Tools is still a hell of a prospect. He was the sort of player scouts dream of but stat guys hate for his first few seasons, as he failed to turn his impressive athleticism into any kind of production. That all changed in 2008, as Jones had a monstrous breakout season between High A Palm Beach and Double A Springfield. He continued putting up good numbers this season, though he wasn't quite as blindingly impressive in his follow up campaign. He made it to Busch Stadium for the Futures Game, joining then system mate Brett Wallace on the US team.
Jones hit just .279/.360/.378 this season in 80 games for Springfield, certainly a step down from his .290/.409/.500 line at Double A from 2008. One of the main culprits, though, was the injury bug, which refused to leave Jones alone this year. He dealt with knee and quadriceps issues all season, which sapped his power and drastically hurt his ability to make an impact with his speed, which had previously been such a calling card. After stealing 20+ bases each of the previous two season, Jones stole only 7 in 11 tries in 2009. His home run production dropped badly as well, falling from 13 in 2008 down to only 3 in '09.
So why, if he had such a disappointing season, does Jones still rank this highly? Because in spite of what 2009 might try to tell you, he's still an extremely exciting player. The comparisons are still all there, from Carl Crawford to Kenny Lofton. (Lofton is probably my favorite comp, at least early career Cleveland Lofton; Jones lacks Crawford's pure speed or power, but has a much better eye at the plate. Or maybe Curtis Granderson, though I question if Jones has that kind of power.) Even with his struggles, Jones still got on base at a very good clip and showed flashes of the athleticism that so excited everyone last year.
What Jones needs to do in 2010 is very simple: stay healthy. He's always had the tools, and the production is now there as well. A return to full health will likely mean a return to full strength as well.