Stock Up, Stock Down for the Cardinals' Top 10 Prospects Week 20

With all the injuries and occasional lack of performance, the Cardinals prospect list has turned over, as some who have appeared on this list in weeks past are now everyday Cardinals.

The Cardinals still have one of the top farm systems in baseball, if not the best.  This has allowed them to move players all season from Triple-A Memphis to the big leagues and back as needed.

Frankly, the deep talent pool is a luxury that has allowed the Cardinals to stay in the thick of the NL Central race as they have battled injuries and poor performances from some of the regulars.

Here is a list of the top 10 prospects and their performances for the week of August 12-18.

Oscar Taveras

Affiliate: Triple-A Memphis

Stats: None Available

Stock: Even

Oscar Taveras is set to have season-ending ankle ankle surgery this week, according to CBSsports.com.  When Taveras was on the field in 2013, he played well.

Taveras finished his 2013 in Memphis with a .306 average, five home runs and 32 RBI in 46 games.  He was hampered with injuries for the majority of his season. 

Cardinals GM John Mozeliak doesn't expect the injury to affect Taveras' 2014 season and indicated he should be ready for spring training.

Michael Wacha

Affiliate: MLB Roster

Stats: 0-0, 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 42 pitches

Stock: Rising

Wacha was called back up the big league club on August 10 and it is presumed he'll be in the bullpen for the remainder of the 2013 season, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

Wacha dazzled in his three innings of work, racking up seven strikeouts and not allowing a hit or a walk.  He'll be a much-needed arm in the bullpen and could be able to a late-inning guy who is called on to get a strikeout, etc.

Additionally, the experience Wacha will be getting will benefit him as he makes a bid for a starting role next season.

Kolten Wong

Affiliate: MLB Roster

Stats: 0-8, 1 R, 2 SO

Stock: Even

Kolten Wong made his major league debut this week against the Chicago Cubs.  While he still hasn't garnered his first major league hit, Cardinal fans could see what all the excitement was about when he played the field.

Wong looks really smooth at second base and is getting a chance to prove he is the long-term guy. The odd man out so far has been David Freese, as Matt Carpenter moved back to his natural position of third base for two of the three games in the Chicago series.

Wong possesses excellent speed and is a smart baserunner. He has stolen 20 bases in 21 attempts this season in Triple-A Memphis. Look for Wong, a career .301 hitter in the minors, to settle in once he gets the monkey off his back of getting his first MLB hit. 

Tyler Lyons

Affiliate: MLB Roster

Stats: None

Stock: Even

Tyler Lyons has been up and down from Triple-A Memphis all season. His latest call-up came on August 17 and MLB.com reports that it's expected he'll be in the bullpen as another lefty reliever. 

Lyons first two starts went very well back in May, but his last five, including his July 30 start at Pittsburgh, have not gone well. Hopefully some time in the bullpen where he will only have to face a few hitters at a time will benefit him as he is gaining more MLB experience.

Carlos Martinez

Affiliate: Triple-A Memphis

Stats: 1-1, 10.0 IP, 11 H, 8 ER, 4 BB, 9 K, 1 HR

Stock: Falling

Carlos Martinez can flat-out light up the radar gun, but he has lacked for consistency at the major league level so far this season. He has been pretty solid at Triple-A Memphis as a starter, although he had a rough start on Sunday in picking up a loss against the Omaha Storm Chasers.

Martinez made his first MLB start against the Dodgers two weeks ago and showed he still needs more seasoning in Memphis. Martinez is certainly part of the long-term plans for the Cardinals and will almost certainly be back up with the big league club as part of the September call ups.

John Gast

Affiliate: Major League Roster, DL

Stats: None

Stock: Falling

John Gast did a nice job when it came to filling in for the injured Jaime Garcia in late-May.  He started out 2-0 and pitched decently well in his first two starts.  However, in his third major league start, Gast hurt his shoulder.

It turned out to be a major shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery, reported here by ESPN.  Gast faces an uphill battle to get a solid look at the major league level in 2014 as the recovery time from the surgery is 8 to 12 months.

Ryan Jackson

Affiliate: Triple-A Memphis

Stats: 4-15, .267 BA, 2 BB, 2 SO, 0 Extra Base Hits

Stock: Falling

Ryan Jackson started out on fire at Triple-A Memphis season, batting .329 through the end of May. But since, he has batted .251 with only six extra-base hits. 

It is very probable Jackson will get a call-up in September, but if he wants to have a shot at the shortstop job in 2014 he needs to start hitting, and quickly.

Tyrell Jenkins

Affiliate: Class A Advanced Palm Beach Cardinals, DL

Stats: None

Stock: Falling

Jenkins, a former first-round pick of the Cardinals in 2010, has yet to live up to expectations.  He hasn't pitched since July 6 and has only appeared in three games in 2013.  Jenkins recently had surgery on his right shoulder and is basically done for the season.

Jenkins is still only 21 and there is time, but he hasn't gotten past A-ball in his four minor league seasons.  In his 200.2 innings-pitched, he has given up 213 hits, has a 12-10 record and a 4.57 ERA. Not exactly the numbers the Cardinals were looking for when they drafted Jenkins.

Michael Blazek

Affiliate: Triple-A Memphis

Stats: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO, 6.74 ERA

Stock: Even

Michael Blazek has been one of the several Cardinals who have been on the Memphis and St. Louis merry-go-round this season.  Blazek is on the 40-man roster of the Cardinals, but was shipped back to Memphis on August 13 and has made two appearances since his demotion. 

Blazek throws hard and could very well be a late-innings guy for the Cardinals in the future.  However, he is going to have to limit his walks as he walked nine in his 8.2 innings pitched with the Cardinals. 

Carson Kelly

Affiliate: Class A Short-Season New York Penn League

Stats: 3-16, .188 BA, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 2B, 1 R

Stock: Even

Carson Kelly has a load of expectations on his young, broad shoulders.  Drafted in the 2nd Round of the 2012 MLB Draft, Kelly was touted by Keith Law of ESPN as the 27th best prospect in the draft.

Kelly hasn't exactly knocked the cover off the ball since his arrival in the minors, but seeing as he is only 19 and has only played 151 minor league games, he'll get the benefit of the doubt as he continues to develop.