RetroSimba

In participation with a project by the United Cardinal Bloggers, here are my top 7 prospects from the Cardinals minor league system:

SHELBY MILLER, right-handed pitcher:

Miller struck out 13 in seven shutout innings Sept. 8 in leading Quad Cities to a Midwest League playoff victory over Kane County. In the regular season, Miller was 7-5 with a 3.62 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 104.1 innings for Quad Cities. He improved as the season progressed. In his last 10 regular-season appearances, Miller was 5-2 with a 3.29 ERA, with fewer hits allowed (49) than innings pitched (52).

CARLOS MATIAS, right-handed pitcher

Overpowering is the word to describe his professional debut for the Cardinals entry in the Dominican Summer League. In 12 games, Matias was 3-2 with an 0.76 ERA, striking out 78 in 59 innings and yielding only 28 hits.

LANCE LYNN, right-handed pitcher

After a slow start to the Class AAA season for Memphis, Lynn came on strong. He opened eyes by striking out 16 in seven innings Sept. 10 in Memphis’ Pacific Coast League playoff victory against Oklahoma City. In his last 10 appearances of the regular season, Lynn was 7-2 with a 3.79 ERA, striking out 62 in 59.1 innings. Overall, he was 13-10 for the season.

ALLEN CRAIG, outfielder

Though he struggled in his chances with the big-league club this season, Craig still rates as a key prospect because of his run-producing potential and because, with fewer than 150 at-bats for St. Louis, he still qualifies as a rookie. Craig had 81 RBI in just 83 games for Memphis, batting .320 with an on-base percentage of .389.

FERNANDO SALAS, right-handed pitcher

Like Craig, he still qualifies as a rookie because he’ll log fewer than 50 innings with the big-league club this season. Unlike Craig, Salas has been effective in his call-ups to St. Louis. His performance marks him as a strong candidate for the Cardinals bullpen in 2011. At Memphis this season, Salas was 1-0 with 19 saves, striking out 44 in 35.2 innings.

ZACK COX, third baseman

The 2010 first-round draft choice impressed in a cameo appearance for the Gulf Coast League Cardinals, with 6 hits in 15 at-bats (.400 average). Because he has hit for a high average wherever he has played at the amateur level, Cox is a prime prospect unless he shows otherwise.

MICHAEL BLAZEK, right-handed pitcher

In many ways, he was as impressive as his teammate Shelby Miller at Quad Cities. Blazek was 8-4 with a 2.71 ERA, striking out 104 in 103 innings and limiting batters to 78 hits. He got better the more he pitched. In his last 10 regular-season games for Quad Cities, Blazek was 3-1 with a 1.95 ERA, holding batters to a .195 average against him.

Others to watch: Quad Cities first baseman Matthew Adams (.310, 22 homers, 41 doubles, 88 RBI), Palm Beach right-handed pitchers Kevin Thomas (10-2, 2.27 ERA, no homers allowed in 107 innings) and Matthew Frevert (6-1, 2.15 ERA, 66 strikeouts in 54.1 innings), Springfield right-handed pitcher Adam Reifer (3-1, 17 saves), Quad Cities right-handed pitcher Justin Smith (7-2, 102 strikouts in 80.1 innings), Memphis second baseman Daniel Descalso (.282 average, 132 hits in 116 games) and 2010 second-round draft choice Jordan Swagerty, a right-handed pitcher who had 14 saves and 48 strikouts in 37 innings for Arizona State University.