It hasn't been a great year to be a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, if our Blues editor's recent attempt to poach all of them wasn't indication enough, but there's been one consolation prize for fans disgusted with this year's squad: 2009 first round pick Shelby Miller has absolutely dominated the low-A Midwest League at the tender age of 19.
↵Miller finished the regular season with 140 strikeouts in 104 innings, against 33 walks and seven home runs, and he picked game one of the Quad City River Bandits' playoff run to have his best start yet. In seven innings—he's rarely been allowed to go that deep into games—he struck out 13, allowing just one walk and two hits to shut out the Oakland Athletics-affiliated Kane County Cougars.
↵Shelby Miller has the best fastball in the system and the beginnings of some breaking stuff. But the most important thing we've learned from his outstanding debut season is that he knows how to use it.
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