With the No. 23 overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, the St. Louis Cardinals selected Florida State senior outfielder James Ramsey. Here's what scouting report on the newest Cards prospect from MLB.com:
With the new Draft rules in place this year, many feel college seniors will get drafted early as teams find ways to be economically responsible. Ramsey could be the first such senior to test that theory. While power isn't a part of the outfielder's game, Ramsey does make consistent contact, spraying the ball all over the field. The left-handed hitter uses his plus speed well, on the move as he swings a la Ichiro, and not afraid to steal a base. His speed plays well in the outfield, as does his solid arm and outstanding instincts. What his ultimate role is at the big league level remains to be seen, but as a college hitter who's performed well, Ramsey is one college senior who should come off the board pretty quickly.
This is their own first-round pick; the one they used earlier on Texas A&M pitcher Michael Wacha belonged to the Angels.
The Cardinals used their first pick back in 2011 on University of Hawaii second baseman, Kolten Wong, who's rapidly emerged as one of their top prospects. Already in the high minors and hitting over .300 with AA Springfield, he's proved to be the most successful application yet of the Cardinals' periodically applied strategy of going after high-polish college types—which earlier produced the slumping Zack Cox and Brett Wallace. He's not as exciting as Shelby Miller, an example of the opposite approach and the Cardinals' first-rounder in 2009, but he could help the big league club as soon as next year.
The Cardinals have more picks to come as the 2012 MLB Draft rolls on. For up-to-the-minute updates stay tuned to this storystream, or check out the analysis at Viva El Birdos.