St. Louis Cardinals' 2014 All-Prospect Team

The regular season came to a close for the St. Louis Cardinals’ minor league affiliates earlier this month. Plenty of awards remain to be handed out, the most important of which is the 2014 All-Prospect Team.

The following prospects are recognized as the best players at their positions throughout the organization based on performance and overall statistics for the 2014 season.

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On the mound is Memphis ace Tim Cooney, which should come as no surprise to any fan who has followed him and the organization this season. The Wake Forest product led the Pacific Coast League with 14 wins and finished in the top five in ERA (3.47) and innings pitched (158). Cooney also led the Redbirds with 119 strikeouts.

Ed Easley represents the other half of the battery. The 28-year-old backstop has been solid for Memphis this season, especially at the plate. He batted a healthy .296 with 10 home runs and 43 RBI. More notable is his .359 on-base percentage. Impressive would be an understatement for this seasoned player. 

At first base, you've got Xavier Scruggs, whom the Cardinals promoted on Sept. 9. Scruggs, a 26-year-old power hitter, launched 21 home runs for Memphis. Much of Scruggs’ success led to his call-up. His 87 RBI ranked fifth in the Pacific Coast League.

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The middle infield belongs to Greg Garcia (second base) and Alex Mejia (shortstop). Both players had good success this season as they continue to progress in their careers.

Garcia managed a steady .272 mark at the plate. At just 190 pounds, Garcia he displayed flashes of power by hitting eight home runs and driving in 40. He also boasted a .358 on-base percentage. Garcia was recalled to the big leagues on Sept. 8.

Mejia, a fourth-round draft pick in 2012 out of Arizona, spent time in both the Florida State and Texas Leagues this season. While with Palm Beach, he hit .284. His success in the FSL had much to do with his promotion to Springfield, where he turned in a .270 average with three homers and 21 RBI.

Helping the State College Spikes to win their first-ever New York Penn League championship, third baseman Danny Diekroeger represents the final infielder on the squad. A 10th-round selection in this year's draft, Diekroeger led the Spikes with 111 total bases. Comfortable at the plate would be an understatement: The former Stanford product managed a .286 average with 22 extra-base hits. 

It's only fitting for the outfield to consist of three Memphis players. 

Tommy Pham, Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty round out this year’s All-Prospect Team.

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Pham was promoted to the parent club on Sept. 8. As the primary left fielder for Memphis, Pham flourished at the plate. He hit .324 with 10 homers and 44 RBI for the Redbirds. Grichuk has been a machine this season despite being called up twice. The 23-year-old center fielder hit 25 homers and drove in 71 for Memphis. Piscotty has the potential to be a great player at the big league level. The right fielder hit .288 with a .355 on-base percentage.

The rest of baseball envies the Cardinals' player-development system. The Cardinals are the best example of a prospect-churning machine. A number of these players could either be starting or enjoying considerable playing time with another organization. That's a true testament to the wealth of this organization.