The St. Louis Cardinals were tabbed by Baseball America in 2013 as the top minor league system in Major League Baseball. That marked a massive turnaround for an organization that had been consistently ranked near the bottom over the past 15 years.
But even without national acclaim, the Cards won. They benefited from quality over quantity, as players like Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina emerged into stars. When St. Louis won World Series titles in ‘06 and ‘11, Baseball America ranked the farm system 21st and 24th, respectively.
Now the Cardinals own a thriving talent base that is capable of sustaining big league success for the foreseeable future. Last season, a league-best 27 players that were drafted by St. Louis helped lead the Redbirds to their eighth National League Championship Series appearance since 2000.
On the list for the Cardinals’ top 10 prospects to start the 2014 season is a diverse mix of big-time bats and impact arms. This list will focus on players without MLB experience and puts added weight for those who are closer to being MLB-ready.