3 Players Cardinals Can Target With Their First-Round Pick

The St. Louis Cardinals have lucked out in the past couple of years, as they've been able to acquire Marcell Ozuna and Paul Goldschmidt, two guy who are likely be impact players in the organization for the forseeable future. While the offense hasn't had issues, they could certainly use some pitching depth in the minors, with the promotion of Dakota Hudson in the 2019 season thinning the crowd of viable minor league arms the Redbirds have at their disposal. Luckily, they have the 19th pick in the MLB Draft this year, which should allow them to land one of the better prep arms in the class.

With that in mind, let's take a look at three prospects the Cardinals could consider drafting come Monday's draft.

3. Quinn Priester

The way teams feel about this year's prep arms will significantly affect how this draft shakes out. For example, Quinn Priester could be the very first prep arm off the board, or he could fall all the way to the Cardinals at 19. A three-sport athlete, scouts have fallen in love with the Illinois high schooler's athleticism and easy arm action. He's got an effortless delivery that allows him to toss a fastball that touches 97 mph with some life to it, but it seems like his two-seamer will be the real ace in the hole for him, as it has fantastic movement all around. His curveball is no slouch either, it's likely one of the better curveballs in the prep class with its nice depth. He still needs to develop a third pitch, but he's got plenty of time to do it. Priester's 6-3, 198-pound suggests some durability, and still has room to grow. These are all traits that could very well make Priester appealing to any team selecting in the 10-15 range, but with the way scouts think about prep arms, you never know.

2. Daniel Espino

Daniel Espino is one of those young hurlers that doesn't require any guesswork about his frame, as he is already 6-2 and 200 pounds. He is among the hardest throwers in the entire class, including the older college arms. His fastball sits comfortably in the 95-97 mph range, and has hit triple-digits on that pitch in the past. As an 18-year-old, that's incredibly impressive. His pure speed has allowed him to overpower any and all prep bats. He pairs it well with his heavy sinking two-seam fastball, a low-80s slider, and a nice biting curveball. Since he's just 18, he'll absolutely be gaining some more muscle before he enters the bigs, which means that he could be one of the premier fireballers coming out of the pipeline as a rookie. He's got a long road ahead of him, however, as he's inconsistent with his command and has long arm action. Espino almost screams bullpen with his current makeup, which would make him comparable to Jordan Hicks, the current closer for the Cardinals. If he builds consistent command and fixes his arm action in the minors, however, then it's possible he could be a future second or third option in a rotation.

1. Matthew Allan

Matthew Allan is the 13th-ranked prospect in the pool according to MLB.com, but has slid into the 20s in many recent mock drafts, likely because he's seeking around a $4 million bonus. While that would be above the slot assignment for the Cardinals here, it would be worth it considering his front-line potential. Allan is 6-3 and 210 pounds, which has only helped him develop a strong pitching repertoire. The 18-year-old touches 97 mph with his fastball on a consistent basis and keeps that velocity deep into starts. He also sports a plus curveball and changeup, delivering them all with consistency. The Cubs will likely have to pay a lot to keep the youngster from heading to the University of Florida, but he seems to be well worth the investment. He's just 18 years old and is likely done growing, so he could be a beast in just a few short years. If he slides to the Cardinals, there's no question that he should be the pick here. With a three-plus pitch repertoire and a consistent delivery, Allan has the makeup of a future ace-- he's even throwing like it already, as he recently threw a perfect game with 17 strikeouts.