Earlier this week, I wrote about three hitters within the Cardinals Minor League Farm system that are currently not in the Baseball America Top 10 List but very well could be after this season. You can read the full article here. Today, I’ll be focusing on the pitching side of the house following the same criteria as the last article. Here are my three pitchers within the Cardinals Minor League Farm system that are currently not in the Baseball America Top 10 List but very well could be after this season.
LHP Austin Gomber- Gomber was selected in the 4th round of the 2014 MLB Amateur draft out of Florida Atlantic University and was assigned to State College in the New York-Penn League. In 11 starts with the Spikes, Gomber posted a 2.30 ERA in 47 IP with 36 K, 18 BB, and a 1.553 WHIP. Gomber moved up to Low A Peoria in 2015 for his first full season of professional ball and really started to get the attention of the Cardinals Front Office after leading the organization in wins (15), WHIP (0.970) and Batting AVG Against (.196). In 2016, Gomber proved that his early success was not a fluke as he led the organization in ERA (2.69) and Batting AVG Against (.220) while splitting time between High A Palm Beach and AA Springfield and recording a 2.75 K/BB. Gomber was selected by the Cardinals to play in the Arizona Fall League where he continued to open eyes throughout the baseball world by leading the league in IP at 33 2/3 IP and posting a 2.14 ERA with a .205 Batting AVG Against. Gomber’s best performance in the AFL came in his final start where he allowed two hits in 6 IP with 7 K 0 BB. Mike Rosenbaum from MLB.com was at that start and had a nice recap of the game that you can read here. So where does Gomber go from here? Cardinals Coaches love his pre-game preparation and his willingness to mix his pitches based on the game plan. Most likely Gomber will start the year at AAA Memphis but if a need arises on the MLB roster, he’s got a shot at getting the call this summer to St. Louis.
RHP Jake Woodford– Woodford was selected with the Cardinals 1st Round Competitive Balance (39th Overall) pick in the 2015 MLB Amateur Draft out of H.B. Plant High School in Tampa, FL. Yes, that competitive balance pick that Theo Epstein loves to complain about each year (see here). Woodford reported to the GCL Cardinals and made 5 starts (8 games) with a 2.39 ERA in 26 1/3 IP with 21 K, 7 BB, and a 1.253 WHIP. In 2016, Woodford got his first shot a full season ball and did not disappoint with a 3.31 ERA in 108 2/3 IP with 82 K, 37 BB, and a 1.298 WHIP. It just so happened that Sandy Alcantara and Junior Fernandez, who both can hit triple digits on the radar gun, also were in the same rotation and got much of the attention (deservedly so). Alcantara and Fernandez have shown glimpses of pure domination while Woodford has had been consistent. Woodford currently throws in the low 90’s with his fastball and offers two other average or slightly better pitches (change up, slider). Woodford has a shot to continue to impress the Cardinals organization during Spring Training this year as he has been added as a non-roster invitee to major league camp. This most likely means he will log some innings early on during the Spring and get sent back to minor league camp but a positive showing will only help him as he inches closer to pitching on a mound at Busch Stadium. Woodford most likely will start the year off with High A Palm Beach but has the potential to end the year in Double A Springfield if his “stuff” develops like many scouts believe it can.
RHP Alvaro Seijas– In 2015, 16 year old Alvaro Seijas was considered the top International Pitching Prospect on the market and the Cardinals signed him with a bonus of $762,500. At the time, it was one of the largest bonus’ the Cardinals had ever given to an International Amateur. A native Venezuelan, Seijas currently is rather short (5’8) but has an athletic build. His father played professional basketball in Venezuela, his mother played volleyball and his uncles all are tall and athletic. The Cardinals scouts target athleticism and believe that Seijas still has time to grow a few inches and fill out a bit. In 2016, Seijas started the year with Dominican Summer League Cardinals and quickly got moved up to the GCL Cardinals. Overall, he made 13 starts (14 appearances) with a 3.38 ERA in 69 1/3 IP with 55 K, 19 BB, and a 1.25 WHIP. Seijas currently throws in the low 90’s but has at times dialed his fastball up to the 94-95 range and has flirted with a few other offerings but still needs more time to develop his off speed stuff. At age 18, Seijas has an opportunity to get a taste of his first full season of professional ball with Low A Peoria and rocket onto the prospect map much like former Chiefs Pitchers Sandy Alcantara, Junior Fernandez, and Jake Woodford.
