Carson Kelly’s Progress Pleases Cardinals

Best Player: The fact that he is mentioned as the heir to Yadier Molina says everything about how far Carson Kelly as come as a catcher.

Not yet 23, Kelly has emerged as the catcher the Cardinals have craved—the young, solid glove who in the coming years could complement fixture Molina before eventually replacing the face of the franchise.

Before he debuted with a double in his first big league at-bat, Kelly had the offensive breakthrough expected at Double-A Springfield. Freed from the pitcher-friendly environs of the Florida State League, Kelly hit .289/.338/.403 in Springfield, and that earned him a promotion to Triple-A Memphis for 32 games. There he hit .292/.352/.381.

Kelly earned an appearance in the Futures Game, where had a home run stolen from him by a catch over the wall, and an invitation to the Arizona Fall League. If he goes there, that will help him build momentum for spring, when he’ll have an outside chance to compete for the backup job.

Best Pitcher: Decisions in the major leagues revealed who the Cardinals felt their two brightest pitching prospects for the future are because they needed their help now, in 2016. Alex Reyes and Luke Weaver each received promotions to the majors to serve as starters. Reyes, 22, stood out as the more dominant pitcher even though the Cardinals shifted him to the bullpen after two intriguing starts. Reyes, 22, missed the first two months of the season serving a suspension for marijuana use, but he routinely hit 101 mph with his fastball, and when he got to the majors the Cardinals viewed his changeup and his curveball as plus pitches. However, Weaver started at Double-A, went 7-3, 1.30 overall in the minors and zoomed to the majors, doing well in five starts by early September.

Keep An Eye On: The Cardinals’ search for intriguing talent at middle infield has unearthed a handful of standout athletes, headlined by Eli Alvarez. The 21-year-old second baseman was one of the most productive hitters at low Class A Peoria, ranking fourth in the Midwest League in average (.323), second in OBP (.404), and second in OPS (.879) to go with a league-leading 36 steals. He also hit 36 doubles. Alvarez, a Dominican infielder, is an athletic, upside-filled hitter whom the Cardinals think can grow into multiple positions, if needed.