Daryl Jones Stats & Scouting Report

AB	2120
AVG	.256
OBP	.347
SLG	.38
HR	41

Full name Daryl Jones
Born 06/25/1987 in Royal Oak, MI
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Spring
Drafted in the 3rd round (110th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2005 (signed for $450,000).

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As a wide receiver who caught 20 touchdown passes over the last two years and runs a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, Jones had scholarship offers from several prominent NCAA Division I-A programs. He turned them all down to take a baseball scholarship from Rice, and it appears unlikely he'll give it up to turn pro. Jones still is learning how to use his speed on the diamond, and it plays only as a slightly above-average tool right now. His frame and his potential as a basestealer remind scouts of Kenny Lofton, and he has more raw power than Lofton ever had. He's still raw, but he could blossom into a premium draft pick three years from now after focusing solely on baseball. He has the potential to be a power/speed center fielder, and the passion for the game to make that happen.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Almost universally considered within the organization as the Cardinals' best position prospect after 2009, Jones has seen his star recede as suddenly as it soared. A loose collection of plus tools coming out of high school, Jones rewarded the organization's patience with a breakout 2008. He showed a feel for the strike zone and developed a sense for exploiting his above-average speed, and a jolt of confidence mixed with better baseball instincts combined for a .909 OPS at Double-A. He represented the Cardinals in the Futures Game in 2009, but an erosion of his game already had begun because of injury. He had tendinitis in both knees, and that sapped his best skill. Healthy for 2010, he still struggled to play to his tools. Jones hit .194/.315/.274 in April, went 2-for-6 on steal attempts in May, and other Cards farmhands gained ground. Jones moved to left field, and he seemed tentative at the plate. He has the legs to handle center, while his arm profiles for left, and where he fits for the Cardinals has never been murkier. He has played passively the last couple of seasons, and his ability to make contact has worked against him as he puts too many pitchers' pitches in play with weak swings. His power is below average. His speed and eye are equalizers, but he'll have to regain confidence in his game before the Cardinals can do the same.
A raw athlete with intriguing tools coming out of high school, Jones turned down a football scholarship to play wide receiver at Rice. He has become a more refined ballplayer with far more than just the speed and hope that fueled his first few seasons. After a breakout season in 2008, he played in the Futures Game in 2009 and was added to the 40-man roster after the season. Jones is the finest all-around athlete in the organization. His feel for the strike zone has matured, eliminating the anxiousness that sabotaged him early in his career and replacing it with a keen eye fit for a spot high in the order. His speed allows him to turn line-drive singles into doubles and gap doubles in triples, and it gives him the range to play center field. With his lack of arm strength, Jones may fit best defensively in left field. His lack of power (26 homers in 1,475 pro at-bats) doesn't profile for the position, however. He still has a lot to learn as a baserunner and basestealer. Tendinitis in both knees hampered him in 2009, as did a strain in his quadriceps, and reinforced how essential his legs are to his success. The logjam of outfielders in the system has relaxed enough that Jones is primed for Triple-A. He's on pace to make his big league debut in September, though how exactly he fits in St. Louis' future isn't clear.
Dripping with athleticism and tools when he chose pro baseball over college football, Jones hit just .221 in his first three seasons and could not get past low Class A. He regained his prospect status with a breakout 2008, when he was named Cardinals minor league player of the year after batting .316/.407/.483. Jones rivals Colby Rasmus as the finest athlete in system, and he's certainly the speediest. His quickness serves him well at the plate, where he's able to turn line drives into doubles; on the bases, where he's improving as a thief; and in the outfield, where he's adept at all three positions. He had an epiphany at the plate, learning to be aggressive in the right counts instead of overanxiously getting himself out early in at-bats. While he finally has the stats to match his ability, Jones remains raw and his power is only beginning to develop. He's still prone to striking out and needs to emphasize getting on base so he can hit near the top of the order. He's good but not instinctive in the outfield, and his arm is fringy, so he could wind up in left field. Still just 21, Jones will return to Double-A in 2009. A repeat performance could put him in line to compete for a starting job in St. Louis the following season.
The Cardinals expected a slow development process for Jones, and that's certainly proving to be the case. He has all the physical tools that scouts love to dream on, but he has yet to produce much on the diamond. Jones was a star wide receiver and sprinter in high school, but he left those sports behind (including scholarship offers to play NCAA Division I football) to sign with the St. Louis for $450,000 as a third-round pick in 2005. Jones gets overaggressive at the plate, and pitchers can easily get him off balance and chasing bad pitches. He has power potential, though he needs to focus on getting on base before trying to drive the ball. He has the speed to be a huge basestealing threat, but only if he can get to first base. Jones covers ground in center field and has improved his instincts in the field. His arm is fringe average but good enough for center. The Cardinals expected him to be a late bloomer, and they hope Jones will take a big step forward this season in high Class A.
Jones caught 20 touchdown passes in his final two seasons of high school football, and he was coveted by NCAA Division I-A programs as a wide receiver because of his speed and agility. He opted instead for a baseball scholarship to Rice, and the Cardinals wooed him into pro ball with a $450,000 bonus. He spent most of his first two seasons at Rookie-level Johnson City, making good progress from 2005 to 2006. Jones is the fastest player and best athlete in the system, drawing comparisons to a young Kenny Lofton. Focusing on baseball for the first time in his life, he has started to hit to all fields and develop power in his stroke. He can cover a lot of ground in center field. He's still raw in most phases of the game. Jones still can get pull-happy and overaggressive at the plate, and needs to realize his main goal should be getting on base. His instincts on the bases and in the outfield need improvement. His arm is a tick below-average. Jones missed time last year with hamstring problems, and St. Louis is eager to see what he can do over a full season when he's healthy. He should spend all or most of 2006 in low Class A.
A third-round pick in June, Jones didn't make a strong impression in his pro debut. He's raw as a baseball player and was overmatched even in the advanced Rookie-level Appalachian League, the lowest rung on the Cardinals' minor league ladder. But he has as much speed and athletic ability as anyone in the system, as well as a passion for baseball. As a wide receiver in high school, he caught 20 touchdown passes over his last two seasons, and his 4.5-second speed in the 40-yard dash attracted NCAA Division I-A football scholarship offers. He turned those down to accept a baseball ride from Rice. Most clubs thought it would be nearly impossible to get him into pro ball, but area scout Joe Almaraz got a good read on Jones and the Cardinals signed him quickly for $450,000. His most notable tool is his speed, but he also shows intriguing raw power. He needs to refine both to put them into use in games, however. His speed and frame prompted scouts to compare him to Kenny Lofton, though he has more power potential than Lofton. He definitely has the range to play center field, but slid over to right field at Johnson City because St. Louis wanted to play Colby Rasmus in center. Jones' arm fit fine in right. He has a lot of work to do, particularly with his hitting approach, but he has the aptitude to make fast improvement now that he's focusing on baseball. He'll start the year in extended spring training before heading to one of the Cardinals' short-season affiliates in June.

Minor League Top Prospects

After three mostly frustrating years in the minors, Jones finally started to show why the Cardinals were elated to lure him away from Rice with a $450,000 bonus in the third round of the 2005 draft. A raw athlete who hit just .217/.306/.294 in low Class A last year, he springboarded from high Class A to the TL in 2008 and produced at both stops. Jones made strides with his patience and power at the plate. He also improved as a basestealer, using his easy plus speed to swipe a combined 24 bases at a career-high 80 percent success rate. Though he's faster than fellow Cardinals farmhand Jon Jay, Jones isn't as instinctive in center field, so he played in left field. His arm is fringy at best.
Jones excelled as a wide receiver in high school, but turned down NCAA Division I football offers and committed to play baseball at Rice. The Cardinals did their homework and signed him away from the Owls as a third-round pick in 2005, and he immediately became the top athlete in their system. Given his youth and his passion for the game, Jones has time to make good on Kenny Lofton comparisons. Jones profiles as a center fielder because of his well above-average speed, though he's still working on taking proper routes to the ball and his arm is a tick below average. He was timed as fast as 3.9 seconds down the first-base line and will be a basestealing threat as he matures. Jones made the most progress this season at the plate. He still was a little pull-happy, but it's not a long-term concern because his swing mechanics are sound and he's starting to learn that power comes from the legs and lower half. He could stand to take more pitches.