MLB St Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals’ Alexander Reyes Has Highest Upside In System

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By @DrewJenkins77

St. Louis Cardinals

Kirby Lee- USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals seem to always have great pitching prospects, and now is no different. Marco Gonzales and Tim Cooney are close to making a big league impact, 2013 first-rounder Rob Kaminsky had a great pro debut, 2014 first-rounder Luke Weaver could be a classic Cardinals fast-riser, and the likes of Tyrell Jenkins, Zach Petrick and others intrigue as well.

But of all the great pitching prospects the Cardinals have, the player with the highest upside is a bit of a lesser known player in Alexander Reyes.

Reyes’ career got interesting before it even started. Not noticed much as a high school player in New Jersey, Reyes moved to the Dominican Republic prior to his senior year of high school to establish himself as an international free agent. There, he worked out as a third baseman, but a Cardinals’ scout had him throw off the mound at a tryout and he instantly impressed. The Cardinals ultimately signed Reyes for a $950,000 bonus in December of 2012.

In his first pro season in 2013, the Cardinals assigned Reyes to the Advanced Rookie Appalachian League, and he thrived, posting a 3.39 ERA, 10.5 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9. Bumped up to Low-A this year, Reyes once again had solid results, posting a 3.62 ERA, 11.3 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9.

Reyes stands out for his great stuff, and that’s what gives him a high ceiling. Reyes’ fastball is already plus, and he can consistently throw it in the 93-94 mph range while touching 97 mph with late movement. At 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, Reyes has room to add weight, and he could conceivably throw in the mid 90s and hit triple-digits in the future.

Reyes also throws a hard curveball that has devastating movement, and like his fastball, it is a plus pitch. His third pitch is a changeup, and while it is behind his other two pitches, it is more advanced than the changeups of most 2o-year-olds, and it could become an above-average pitch when all is said and done. Reyes has a great arsenal, and the upside of a frontline pitcher is certainly there because of it.

In order to get there, though, Reyes does have plenty of work to do. His delivery needs some mechanical work, and because of it his control and command can be iffy. In his career, Reyes has a 4.8 BB/9. However, Reyes’ biggest problem is balance and consistency in repeating his delivery, and those will at least be partially ironed out as he gets stronger. That’s not to say Reyes’ control is not a huge issue, because it is, but with some added strength and hard work, it is certainly fixable.

Reyes has been impressive so far in his first two pro seasons, and could turn out to be the best pitcher among an impressive group of Cardinals prospects. It may take a couple of years for him to get there, but Reyes could have a huge impact on the Cardinals’ rotation when all is said and done.

Drew Jenkins is an MLB writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DrewJenkins77, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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