1. Shelby Miller, RHP (9)
2. Carlos Matias (Martinez), RHP (52)
3. Zack Cox, 3B (72)
4. Tyrell Jenkins, RHP
5. Seth Blair, RHP
6. Matt Carpenter, 3B
7. Lance Lynn, RHP
8. Matt Adams, 1B
9. Jordan Swagerty, RHP
10. Joe Kelly, RHP

Here's what Law said about those who made his Top 100 prospects list (I can't post a link because it requires a subscription to ESPN Insider):

9) Shelby Miller
Age: 20 (DOB: Oct. 10, 1990)
Bats: Right    Throws: Right
Position: Pitcher Organization: St. Louis Cardinals
Top '10 Level: A (Quad Cities)
2010 ranking: 38 

2010 MINORS STATS

GM 24, IP 104.1, W 7, L 5, ERA 3.62, SO 140, BB 33, H 97, HR 7, BAA .243

Miller dominated the Midwest League in his first full year in pro ball, and the Cardinals have to be doing cartwheels to have landed him with the 19th overall pick in 2009.

He will pitch at 92-95 but can run the fastball up to 98 mph, and his command of the pitch has improved by leaps and bounds over where it was in high school. The biggest change for him in 2010 was his changeup, a pitch he rarely used as an amateur because he rarely needed it, but regular use and help from the Cardinals' coaches has made it a viable weapon, to the point that he held left-handed hitters in 2010 to a .194/.259/.274 line.

He still has an out-pitch curveball in the 76-80 range with good depth, but has been more of a flyball pitcher than expected despite getting good downhill plane from his delivery. He's probably two to three years away but projects as the frontline starter the Cardinals will need to replace Chris Carpenter in the long run.


52) Carlos Matias (Martinez)

Age: 19 (DOB: Sept. 2, 1991)
Bats: Right   Throws: Right
Position: Pitcher Organization: St. Louis Cardinals
Top '10 Level: Prep
2010 ranking: IE 

Matias' path to this list was an odyssey. He agreed to terms with the Red Sox before the 2009 season as a shortstop, but identity issues torpedoed that deal and he ended up working out for several clubs, including Seattle, Oakland and the Cardinals, as a pitcher several months later. The Cardinals felt comfortable after their own age investigation and gave him a $1.5 million deal that might turn out to be a bargain.

Matias will sit in the mid-90s, touching 98, with an out-pitch curveball, a slider and a changeup that projects as plus. His arm action is simple and easy, and his command is outstanding for his age. I've got Shelby Miller in the top 10 on this list, but Matias has better raw stuff, and he could leapfrog Miller if his full-season debut in 2011 lives up to expectations.


72) Zack Cox

Age: 22 (DOB: May 9, 1989)
Bats: Left   Throws: Right
Position: Third base Organization: St. Louis Cardinals
Top '10 Level: Arizona fall league
2010 ranking: IE 

2010 FALL STATS

GM 18, AB 65, HR 2, RBI 14, SB 0, SO 21, BB 8, AVG .262, OBP .333, SLG .446

Pro scouts' early reviews from the Arizona Fall League on Cox were mostly unkind, both to his defense and his potential to hit for power, although I think his nearly five-month layoff from facing live pitching hurt his stock as well. Cox is an advanced hitter, with strong hands and wrists, and worked last offseason to cut down on his swing in response to criticism that he struck out too much. He can turn on a ball on the inner half, which you'll see in BP from him, but right now sprays the field with line drives during games. He has a good sense of the strike zone and should be able to translate that into a shift in his swing when he gets a ball in that he can drive.

His lower half isn't ideal for third base and he's a below-average runner; his feet work fine and he has a plus arm, so it's a question of his ultimate range. I get the scouts' criticisms, but those who have history with the kid from his time at Arkansas and in the Cape Cod League can vouch for the potential that wasn't always evident in Arizona.