Taveras headed for AFL: Cardinals OF prospect Oscar Taveras is hitting .381 in 76 games for low Class A Quad Cities in 2011. Now, he will test his skills in the very competitive Arizona Fall League. "I think offensively, (Taveras) is going to hit wherever he goes," Cardinals farm director John Vuch told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "We wanted to give him a fresh challenge." (Updated 09/04/2011)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 5/25/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Taveras has been limited in 2011 due to a hamstring injury, but on top of a great average he also has a .439 OBP, .582 slugging percentage and 1.021 OPS. He is only 19 years old and still growing into his 6-2 frame. The scouts feel he could hit for a high average as well as threaten for 20-plus homers down the road. Those projections make Taveras a viable long-term Fantasy keeper. (Updated 09/04/2011).
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Oscar Taveras broke through as a first-rate prospect last year by hitting .386 in his first season at low Class A -- the highest mark for anyone at that level since 1956. The performance was enough for Baseball America to project him as a No. 3 hitter, though some questions remain about his power. The biggest question for Fantasy owners is how quickly he'll advance to the majors. Considering he's only 19, you'd think he'd still have a couple years to go, but his talent is the kind that gets players rushed to the majors before their 21st birthdays. The Cardinals evidently wouldn't mind him being on the fast track, seeing as he was the second-youngest player to participate in the Arizona Fall League this offseason. He held his own there, too, batting .307, though he struck out 12 times with no walks in 75 at-bats. Realistically, you shouldn't expect to see Taveras before September 2013, but if his timetable moves up, it'll only be good news for his Fantasy owners. Clearly, he's no good in the short-term, but you won't find many outfield prospects better than Taveras for the long haul. (Updated 2/9/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
