Impact Analysis: Colby Rasmus, St. Louis Cardinals

March 9, 2009 @ 00:00:00

By Eric McClung
Edited by Tim Heaney

Regarded as the No. 1 prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, 22-year-old outfielder Colby Rasmus could be making his major league debut as soon as Opening Day. The Cardinals, loaded with outfielders, have gone so far as to convert outfielder Skip Schumaker to second base to make room for Rasmus in the lineup. Rasmus has also been given a large number of at-bats in spring training, another strong indicator that the team wants to give him a thorough evaluation and an opportunity to make the squad.

Colby jack

Rasmus is a well-rounded player with multiple skills. At the plate, the lefty can hit right-handed and left-handed pitching to all fields and for power. Rasmus has shown the ability to take walks, a good sign of a mature hitter. But his knack for striking out may keep him from hitting for a high average.

On the bases, Rasmus has good speed and has stolen bases at an efficient rate. In the field, he has displayed terrific range and a strong arm, traits of a prototypical center fielder.

A minor setback

Last season in Triple-A Memphis, Rasmus began to find his stroke after slow start in April only to go down in late July with a sprained knee and a groin injury. Between May 25 and June 21, Rasmus put together two double-digit hit streaks. Rasmus, limited to 90 Memphis games, ended the year with a .251 batting average, 11 home runs, 36 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.

Over his three-year career, Rasmus has struggled in the month of April, hitting for just .250 through various tiers of the Cardinals farm system. In all other months, Rasmus is a lifetime .283 hitter.

Double the power

A breakdown of his blistering 2007 season in Double-A Springfield illustrates why Rasmus is regarded as one of the top prospects in the game. He hit for .275, a league-leading 29 home runs, 93 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. Most impressive was the amount of extra base hits Rasmus complied - 69 of his 130 hits. That led to an astounding .276 isolated power (ISO) figure.

La Russa's Way

Manager Tony La Russa, who has a history of preferring veterans over youngsters, has spoken positively of Rasmus. La Russa has said Rasmus could fit in as either a leadoff hitter or as the No. 9 hitter on his unique lineup card which features the pitcher hitting eighth.

Rasmus has struggled thus far in spring training. In seven games, his batting average is a lowly .2422 through 33 at-bats, tied for the most among all players after games completed Sunday, March 8. Further complicating his chances of making the Opening Day roster, Schumaker has not looked sharp at second, coughing up several grounders hit right at him.

Fantasy baseball outlook

Contain your excitement; inflation with top prospects comes with risk. Rasmus is not a lock to make the club and has never faced big league pitching before. A late-round flier in deep mixed league formats is best for him, but do not pass up more established players. Owners in NL-only leagues may be forced to pick him earlier, depending on the knowledge level of rival owners. Don't reach.

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Eric McClung

Eric McClung is a FSWA member and has been a KFFL contributor in addition to fantasy NASCAR consultant since 2008. His work has been published on several prominent NASCAR websites, and McClung is one of KFFL's featured fantasy NASCAR experts.

He can be followed on Twitter @ericmcclung

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