St. Louis Cardinals: Shelby Miller and the Top 5 Prospects in Minor Leagues

The St. Louis Cardinals have a veteran-heavy roster.

Guys like Lance Berkman and Chris Carpenter aren’t going to be around for too much longer, so developing young players who will be ready in two to three years is a big priority for the Redbirds right now.

They’ll probably make some free agent signings and make some trades to fill some holes, but they also have some great young talent at the lower levels of their farm system.

So, let’s take a look at the top five prospects in the Cardinals’ minor league system.

5. Oscar Taveras, Outfield

Taveras is a high-average hitter currently playing for the Cardinals’ single-A affiliate, the Quad Cities River Bandits.

In 2011, he hit .386 with eight home runs and 62 RBI.

He’s also a versatile outfielder and has a good arm. He had six outfield assists this past season.

He’s still a couple years away from the big leagues, but he could become a valuable corner outfielder for the Cardinals in the future.

He's pretty similar to a guy like Jon Jay (pictured here).

4. Kolten Wong, 2B

Wong is another guy who hits for high average but doesn’t have much power, finishing the 2011 season with five home runs and 25 RBI.

Wong is also a member of the Quad Cities River Bandits and is still a few years away from the majors.

But, he could be the eventual successor to Skip Schumaker (pictured here) at second base if the Cardinals don’t get a free agent second baseman in the near future.

3. Zack Cox, 3B/RF

Between single-A and double-A this season, Cox hit .306 with 13 home runs and 68 RBI in 135 games.

Ideally, the Cardinals would like him to hit for more power, especially considering he’s probably going to have to convert to a corner outfield spot.

Cox had 24 errors at third base this year, and probably doesn’t have what it takes to play that position in the long run.

With David Freese at third base and Matt Holliday, Allen Craig and possibly Carlos Beltran at the corner outfield spots, the Cardinals might be best served using Cox as trade bait at the 2012 trade deadline.

2. Carlos Martinez, RHP

Martinez is a very raw pitcher who is still adjusting to professional baseball.

He has a great fastball, but needs to develop his curveball and changeup before he’s ready to move on to double-A and eventually the majors.

Eventually, he could end up being a good top-of-the-rotation starter.

1. Shelby Miller, RHP

By far, the best prospect in the Cardinals minor league system is Miller.

Miller went 9-3 at double-A in 2011 with a 2.70 ERA.

He has a great fastball and his off-speed pitches are good enough for the big leagues.

He should make an impact in the majors before anyone else on this list. And, once he gets called up, I don’t see him getting sent back down.