Adron Chambers

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #19 prospect in 2012
  As the Cardinals made their late September run for a wild-card berth, Chambers emerged as more than a courtesy callup. In the span of five days, he drove in the winning run in the 11th inning against the Phillies and drilled a bases-loaded triple against the Mets. He saw 16 pitches total in those at-bats, fouling off nine of them. Four days later, he scored on a wild pitch for a walkoff win against the Cubs. A former wide receiver and cornerback at Mississippi State, Chambers was dismissed from school in 2006 after being charged with simple assault and indecent exposure. He reinvented himself the next spring as a baseball player at Pensacola (Fla.) JC, with St. Louis offering him a tryout if he could get to Memphis within 24 hours. He bought a bus ticket, showed enough to get drafted in the 38th round and earn a $40,000 bonus and hasn't had to look back. Chambers has taken his best tool, above-average speed, and outfitted it with a polished game. He profiles as a leadoff type with a feisty approach at the plate and a sharpened sense of the strike zone. He emphasizes contact over power, especially against lefthanders. A quarterback and pitcher in high school, Chambers has plus arm strength and can handle all three spots in the outfield. His September audition positioned him for a chance to serve on the Cardinals' bench as a spare outfielder and tactical speedster in 2012.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #17 prospect in 2011
  A former college football player trying to reinvent himself as a baseball player, Chambers got a call in junior college that if he could get to Memphis in 24 hours, he would work out in front of the Cardinals. He hopped on a bus, and got off just in time to go straight from Greyhound to the 60-yard dash and batting practice. His athleticism was enough to get him drafted with the 1,153rd overall pick in 2007 and he signed for $40,000. The Cardinals described him as agile and speedy, a cornerback in the outfield, and raw with lots of baseball to learn. Three years of cramming later, Chambers has started to translate his tools into performance and grabbed a spot on the 40-man roster. In 2009, he led the high Class A Florida State League with 16 triples, and last season he earned a taste of Triple-A. Chambers' best tool remains his above-average speed, allowing him to hold down center field even as he's improving his routes and reads out there. He should be a basestealing threat as his instincts improve. He played quarterback and pitched in high school, so he has a plus arm. He's a leadoff type who has improved his approach but still is learning to shorten his stroke and take contact over power. He holds his own against righthanded pitchers but can bail out against lefthanders. One scout said last season that Chambers has already proven productive enough to be a fourth outfielder. Securing a starting job in Triple-A will reveal if he could be more.