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The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to promote outfield prospect Stephen Piscotty to the major league roster Tuesday. Here's a brief look at what to anticipate.
Piscotty was drafted by the Cardinals in the supplemental first round in 2012, 36th overall, out of Stanford University. He was a strong performer in college, hitting .341/./410/.466 over three seasons. Although built like a power hitter at 6-3, 210, he fit the Stanford stereotype of being a line drive bat rather than a power masher. He did have a good track record with wooden bats, winning the Cape Cod League batting title in 2011.
He moved through the Cardinals system fairly quickly, reaching Double-A in 2013 (.299/.364/.446) and Triple-A in 2014 (.288/.355/.406). Through 87 games with Memphis this year he's hitting .272/.366/.475 with 11 homers, giving him a composite line of .282/.360/.433 through two seasons in the Pacific Coast League, 820 at-bats.
Piscotty has a good feel for the strike zone and is viewed as one of the most polished hitters in the PCL by league observers, able to handle both fastballs and breaking pitches. His power is mainly pull-side (10 of his 11 homers this year have gone to left field) but he is still primarily a line drive hitter who can and will go the opposite way depending on what the pitcher is offering.
Formerly a third baseman, the 24-year-old Piscotty has the requisite throwing arm and runs reasonably well for his size, although he isn't a stolen base threat. He can handle either outfield corner without trouble and has even seen a few innings in center field without embarrassing himself, though ultimately he slots best in right.
With his current balance of skills, Piscotty looks like he can hit .260-.280 in the majors with a very solid OBP. Whether he becomes a long-term regular or just a valuable role player will depend on how much power he shows.
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