Tony Cruz

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #20 prospect in 2012
  Each offseason, the move the Cardinals try to make first is signing (or, in some cases, re-signing) a backup for starter Yadier Molina. Cruz ended their search early after getting a cameo in the majors in 2011 and winning the trust of the rotation and coaching staff. During a 2007 tryout for the Cardinals, Cruz arrived as a third baseman, spent an inning behind the plate and left with a new route to the majors. Each year, he has improved defensively while losing some but not too much of his proficiency at the plate. Cruz has good bat speed and a level swing built for average. He uses the whole field and if he got regular at-bats in the majors, he could hit 10 homers per season. Cruz's crash course in catching in the minors has helped him blossom with agile feet and an average, accurate arm. He threw out 31 percent of basestealers last year, including two of four in the majors. While he has below-average speed like most catchers, Cruz can adroitly handle first and third base and isn't lost in the outfield, giving him more versatility than past St. Louis backup catchers. He also wasn't flummoxed by pinch-hit appearances in the big leagues, going 4-for-15 with two walks. His temp work in the majors and studious approach in pregame planning gives him the edge in competition this spring with Bryan Anderson for the job as Molina's caddy.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #25 prospect in 2011
  Cruz had a reliable glove and intriguing bat to speed through the lower levels of the system as a third baseman, but moving to catcher propelled him into prospect status and earned him a spot on the 40-man roster. A couple of years learning the position culminated in a breakthrough season in 2010, one that ended in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .342/.393/.500 in 76 at-bats. Cruz played in the Cardinals' spring-training backyard in Palm Beach, Fla., and already looked like a 26th-round bargain when he consistently hit at four levels after the draft, but there were doubts that his bat would profile at third. His ascent slowed so that he could take a crash course on catching. Cruz has developed nimble footwork behind the plate, good receiving skills and a feel for calling a game. He has a strong, accurate arm, and good mechanics enhance his timing. He threw out 53 percent of basestealers last season. Cruz was trusted enough that he started at catcher in the Triple-A playoffs. Despite his power spike in Arizona, he always has been a hitter for average more than power. This season he worked on going the other way so that he could handle pitches on the outer third and climb back toward .300. He's a well below-average runner. Cruz as a hitter looks better now that he's catching, and he'll continue his climb at Triple-A this season.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #27 prospect in 2009
  Cruz played in the Cardinals' backyard in Florida, showing flashes of the hitter he would become while playing for a junior college team near the team's spring training facility. In the matter of weeks after he was drafted, Cruz blazed through four levels, barely stopping to rake at each. When he topped out at Quad Cities, he hit homers in his first two games and drove in at least a run in his first seven. He followed it up with an all-star season in the high Class A Florida State League. But what could really enhance his value is a change of position. Cruz, a third baseman by trade, came to spring training last year as a catcher, and he went to Hawaii this winter to continue to working at the position. He also hit .323 there. A reliable glove at third, Cruz has proven adept, if not natural, at catcher. His arm is plenty strong for the position, he's a savvy game-caller and his footwork continues to improve. His bat, which hasn't shown more power than consistently ripping doubles, is also a bigger plus at catcher than at third. He has proven that he can turn around even major league-quality fastballs. No matter which position he plays, Cruz will open the season in Double-A.