Michael Wacha
Losing That Guy Who Used to Play First Base to free agency did net the Cardinals something in return: two additional draft picks. Plus the Cardinals received one pick each for the exits of Octavio Dotel and Edwin Jackson, giving them five picks in last night’s first and supplemental rounds of the draft.
Here’s a look at who the Cardinals selected.
First round, 19th overall pick — Michael Wacha
Right-handed pitcher, Texas A&M
From Jenifer Langosch at Cardinals.com:
In 16 starts for the Aggies this season, Wacha went 9-1 with a 2.06 ERA. In his 113 1/3 innings, Wacha struck out 116 and walked 20. Opponents hit just .228 off Wacha, whose uncle, Dusty Rogers, played in the Reds’ organization. Wacha’s ERA was the third lowest among starters in the Big 12 Conference this season. He ranked fourth in strikeouts.
More on Wacha:
First round, 23rd overall pick — James Ramsey
Outfielder, Florida State University
A key piece of the Florida State squad, Ramsey has hit .365 and scored a team-best 72 runs in 61 games. He has 11 doubles, six triples, 13 homers, 55 RBIs and an on-base percentage of .520.
Ramsey has drawn comparisons to Tim Tebow for his faith, Langosch also writes in the article linked above.
More on Ramsey:
Supplemental round, 36th overall pick — Stephen Piscotty
3rd base, Stanford University
Piscotty led the Cape Cod League with a .349 average last summer after hitting .364 for Stanford during his sophomore season. This year, Piscotty is batting .318 with 55 RBIs. In his three collegiate seasons, Piscotty has started all 170 games and has a career .336 batting average.
More on Piscotty:
Supplemental round, 52nd overall pick — Patrick Wisdom
3rd base, St. Mary’s College
The decision to take Wisdom, 20, as high as the Cardinals did was a reflection of perceived upside, not 2012 performance. After hitting .351 and earning a place on the All-West Coast Conference First Team as a sophomore, Wisdom’s production took a dip this spring at St. Mary’s College. As a junior, Wisdom batted just .262 with 12 doubles and nine home runs in 53 games. In 191 at-bats, he struck out 43 times.
“On the surface, Wisdom’s numbers were a little down this year,” scouting director Dan Kantrovitz said. “If you look at his entire body of work, it’s pretty impressive.”
More on Wisdom:
Supplemental round, 59th overall pick — Steve Bean
Catcher, Rockwood High School, Texas
A catcher out of Rockwall High School (Texas), Bean will have to be lured away from an awaiting baseball scholarship at the University of Texas if the Cardinals want to get him into the system.
Scouting reports list Bean as a player who will likely develop more power, as well as one who already has impressive defensive skills. He bats left-handed and throws from the right side. In his senior season at Rockwall, Bean batted .427 with four home runs and 32 RBIs.
More on Bean:
To keep up with today’s draft picks, check the MLB draft live thread at the Aerys MLB site, Around the Horn, updated as each pick is made. You also can follow the draft via the Aerys MLB Draft Twitter account.
Aaron Miles' Fastball 