The St. Louis Cardinals have one of the best farm systems in all of baseball, one stocked with a plethora of pitching prospects as well as Oscar Tavares, arguably the best hitting prospect in all of the minor leagues. But if there's one criticism to be made, it's that the Cardinals lack high-ceiling hitting prospects behind Tavares. It's thought that the Cardinals will be targeting position players with at least one of their two first round picks in the 2012 MLB Draft.
One player they might look at in the first round is Georgia high school outfielder Skye Bolt (yes, Skye Bolt). Toolsy high school outfielders can be boom or bust picks: sometimes they turn into Matt Kemp or Giancarlo Stanton, and sometimes they turn into, well, a bunch of guys no one has ever heard of. But if the Cardinals want a pick that could one day turn into a star, Bolt may be their guy.
Here's a partial scouting report from the red baron of Viva El Birdos. For the entire report, plus profiles of other potential prospects, check out this post.
He has speed, he has power (of the raw variety), he has a big time arm in the outfield, and he's a switch-hitter. Name an athletic trait you would like to see in a player, and chances are Skye Bolt possesses it. Remember those dinosaur sponges from when you were little, where all you had to do was add water? Skye Bolt is like an instant Carlos Beltran! Except that instead of water, you have to add time. And luck. And some plate discipline. And a mole.
The downside with Bolt is really much the same as it is with any high school hitter. He's raw. His approach at the plate leaves much to be desired, he doesn't hit breaking balls well, and his swing looks a little stiff to me, especially from the right side.
For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.
The St. Louis Cardinals have one of the best farm systems in all of baseball, one stocked with a plethora of pitching prospects as well as Oscar Tavares, arguably the best hitting prospect in all of the minor leagues. But if there's one criticism to be made, it's that the Cardinals lack high-ceiling hitting prospects behind Tavares. It's thought that the Cardinals will be targeting position players with at least one of their two first round picks in the 2012 MLB Draft.
One player they might look at in the first round is Georgia high school outfielder Skye Bolt (yes, Skye Bolt). Toolsy high school outfielders can be boom or bust picks: sometimes they turn into Matt Kemp or Giancarlo Stanton, and sometimes they turn into, well, a bunch of guys no one has ever heard of. But if the Cardinals want a pick that could one day turn into a star, Bolt may be their guy.
Here's a partial scouting report from the red baron of Viva El Birdos. For the entire report, plus profiles of other potential prospects, check out this post.
For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.