Cardinals Call Up Another Star Prospect

Jul 14, 2013; Flushing , NY, USA; USA infielder Kolten Wong hits a single during the 2013 All Star Futures Game at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals have just announced that they have called up Top Second Base prospect Kolten Wong to the big leagues.

The 22 year old Wong will join fellow infielders Pete Kozma and Matt Adams as well as pitchers Michael Wacha, Shelby Miller, Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal as part of an already outstanding Cardinals rookie class. Although a second baseman by trade in the minors, Wong will likely see the bulk of his major league playing time at third base as current Cardinals 3B, David Freese, has struggled to a .733 OPS this year.

A solid hitter, with deep range at second base, Wong  reached #66 on our preseason prospect rankings. While his short frame – he stands at a Pedroia-esque 5’9 – limits power potential, he projects to hit for solid average in the big leagues, bolstered by handfuls of triples and doubles, and the occasional home run. Despite only slightly above average speed, Wong’s solid arm and quick instincts make him a 60 fielder on the 20-80 scouting scale, according baseball prospectus.

Have never played above AA, Wong was not expected to make his major league debut until 2014 but a great season at AAA forced the Cardinals’ hand. In his first tour of the league, Wong broke out to a .303 average and an .835 OPS, along with a surprising 10 home runs. While its unlikely he’ll be able to repeat those numbers immediately in the majors, a .280 average and .780 OPS are not out of the question for the Cardinals Pre-Season #5 prospect.

This is just another hit for a cardinals farm system that was consistently ranked as the best in baseball prior to the season. The Cardinals are undoubtedly very pleased with their results, as their rookies have had an unprecedented amount of success, but with 6 of their top 7 prospects, according to baseball america, already in the majors, and with Oscar Taveras undergoing season ending ankle surgery, their minor league clubs are already looking a little barren.