Cardinals prospect Dylan Carlson had a strong season last year across two levels, establishing himself as one of the top prospects in their organization. Now the question with Carlson is this: Will he make an impact in 2020?

Dylan Carlson’s 2019

A 1st-round pick by the Cardinals in 2016, Carlson has steadily risen up the ranks since being drafted by St. Louis.  This past season, however, was Carlson’s breakout year, as he pounded Texas League pitchers before receiving a promotion to Memphis (AAA) in mid-August. In Springfield, Carlson batted .281 with 21 HR’s and 59 RBI’s. But what was even more impressive was his power numbers, as he had 51 XBH, along with 216 TB (3rd in Texas League) and led the Texas League in slugging percentage (.518).  Carlson also got on base at a good clip as well, as he walked 52 times across 108 games with the Springfield Cardinals.

Once Carlson moved up to AAA, he continued to roll, hitting .361 in 18 games with the Redbirds. Carlson also sported a .320 ISO and a 1.098 OPS during his brief stay in AAA.

What to Expect From Carlson in 2020?

While he performed extremely well last season, he’s almost certainly going to start the 2020 season with Memphis. Carlson has only played 18 games at AAA, and it makes sense to keep him at the level, especially when it comes to service time. Still, he’s definitely worth keeping an eye on in fantasy baseball in 2020, and here’s a couple of reasons why.

One, he’s pretty close to making it to St. Louis. Given how he dominated the Texas League, he probably doesn’t have much left to prove in the Minor Leagues. Second, Carlson seemingly has an opening now that Marcell Ozuna is a free agent. Even though the Cardinals may give some of their other outfielders that already have MLB experience, such as Tyler O’Neill and Lane Thomas, a first crack at the position, they may not be enough to hold Carlson down in the Minors for much longer.

Third, Carlson could be able to make a big impact once he makes it to the Majors. And he’s worth a look thanks to the fact that he can hit for power, get on-base, as well as steal bases. Even though his power numbers got most of the attention, Carlson was a 20-20 players in the Minors last season. Carlson was 20/28 last year on the basepaths, making him someone who can not only hit for power, but also make an impact stealing as well.

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