The Cardinals' first pick of the 2010 Amateur Draft (25th overall), Arkansas' Zack Cox is a toolsy player with a high-end mix of baseball instincts and work ethic. He abandoned pitching to focus on hitting as a college freshman, and he hasn't looked back since. His bat speed is exceptional, and allowed him to turn on even the best heat in college ball while also letting him adjust to off-speed pitches with an ease seldom seen in NCAA.

He's still a bit rough defensively, but he'll have time to mature as a pro player while waiting for his MLB career to begin. His bat seems close to ready now: after outclassing high-A pitching with a 335/.380/.439 line in 2011's first half, he moved up to AA Springfield and didn't fare much worse: .293/.355/.432 in 352 at-bats, with 10 homers to spice things up. While new arrivals Oscar Taveras and Kolten Wong will give him a run for the title, he's probably still St. Louis's best offensive prospect.