The Cardinals’ outfield depth chart illustrates the extremes that exist in any minor-league system, where top prospects range from on deck to on the distant horizon. Three of the Cardinals’ leading outfielder prospects personify this spectrum.
Fletcher, newly 19, is considered a project and several years away, as is his teammate Jhon Torres, 20. Meanwhile, Uber-prospect Dylan Carlson is, as one executive put it, “basically a phone call away from the big leagues.”
When Fletcher and Torres come into view, Carlson, 21, will be a prominent fixture in the Cardinals’ lineup if the current forecast holds.
In an eight-part series that begins here, with outfielders, the Post-Dispatch will examine and identify the future at every position for the Cardinals, from outfield to infield, starters to closer.