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Per SI, one of the most most ML ready players taken. They expect him to be one of the first, if not the first, player drafted this year to make the big leagues. Bye Bye Skip!


Kolten Wong, 2B, Cardinals
No. 22 overall, Hawaii

Skinny: He's very advanced defensively and has the potential to be a Gold Glove-type player. Wong already is very close to having major league-ready defensive skills. He's a mature player with good instincts. He doesn't hit for much power but the Cardinals aren't expecting that -- their incumbent second baseman, Skip Schumaker, is only hitting .223 and has just one home run. Wong has the type of stroke that translates to coming to the big leagues quickly because it's not long or loopy so he doesn't figure to get fooled as often. All he needs are some wood bat at-bats. He doesn't have great speed but there's not a lot of holes in his game and his fundamentals are close to MLB-level right now.

Rough ETA: Mid-2012

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/baseball/mlb/06/08/draft.big.leagues/index.html?xid=cnnbin&hpt=hp_bn10

im changing my name to Wong@2nd

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I find tinsel distracting.

Dang, I just realized that guy wasn't referring to a Danny Cox double.

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A lot of the initial draft reports said his defense at second was merely "adequate," but definitely not Gold Glove worthy.

Screw those initial reports, I'm latching on to this one. He's a Gold Glover who will be with the big league club in three weeks! WOOHOO!

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I stick by my Cox/Wallace/Wong comp. The org seems to value mlb ready (ish?) bats.

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My guess is he'll start with QC when he signs. I don't know that we'll have any other draftees who'll go A ball when they sign.

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MLB ready starting IFer's are gonna be of high value to us if we plan to resign Pujols.

Could by why they've refused to invest long-term in to 3B (Cox) or 2B(this year, now Wong). Is there any reason to think both of these guys couldn't be with the big league club (at some point) next year? Giving at least as good of production as the guys there now for league minimum?

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I think it's too soon to say in Wong's case. Let's see how he does in the low minors first.

As far as Cox, it just depends. If he's replacing Descalso or Punto or Carpenter, I imagine he could do just as well. If he's replacing Freese, you might as well leave him in the minors, because I doubt if he would be as productive as Freese.

If Descalso, Punto and Carpenter are the best options next year at 3B, I'll be really disappointed.

Just sounded like they were saying next year he'll get a call up - and it sounds like he can't really be worse than Skip right now (from what people more learned than myself are saying).

Cox I agree is more intersting, but being on the 40 man you ogtta think he'll break with the team next year and be up when rosters expand this fall?

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