06/10/2009

By R.B. FALLSTROM  / Associated Press

The St. Louis Cardinals drafted a high school pitcher with their first pick for the first time in nearly two decades on Tuesday night, selecting hard-throwing righthander Shelby Miller of Brownwood, Texas, with the 19th pick.

Jeff Luhnow, the Cardinals' vice president of scouting and player development, said Miller reminded him of another rural Texas product that made it to the Hall of Fame.

"He looks like maybe Nolan Ryan would have looked like back in his day," Luhnow said. "I know that's a comparison that's been made out there, but he's a big, physical guy, strong guy, and looks like he's going to last a long time."

The Cardinals have been considering going for young players this year due to organizational depth. But Luhnow said it wasn't just the 18-year-old Miller's age that attracted them to him, but the fact that he was the best player on the board.

Miller's fastball has been timed at 97 mph and he has a curve that Cardinals scouts described as a "hammer." Luhnow said his changeup need be only average to have a productive career. The Cardinals project he could be in the major leagues in four to five years.

"Shelby's a guy we've had our eye on for the last couple of years," Luhnow said. "He's got a ways to go before he makes it to the big leagues, but he does look like a big league pitcher already and has the stuff that should play up here.

"To be honest, he's a guy I really wanted in this draft."

The 6-3, 195-pound Miller, who has committed to Texas A&M, was 10-2 with a 1.90 ERA as a senior with 153 strikeouts in 77 2-3 innings, allowing 38 hits and walking 36. The Cardinals are hopeful — if not overly confident — about signing Miller and believe his mechanics should give him a chance to avoid serious injury.

Because he's older than some high school players, Miller would be draft-eligible again after his sophomore year in college if he elected not to go pro.

"It's no slam dunk we're going to sign him quickly, or sign him at all, because these kids have options," Luhnow said. "We've had quick signs the last couple of years and this is probably not one of them."

Miller's hometown is in rural Texas, about 160 miles southwest of Fort Worth. He's the first high school pitcher taken by the Cardinals in the first round since Brian Barber in 1991.

The Cardinals have taken high school players in the first round three of the last six years, including shortstop Peter Kozma in 2007. They took position players the previous two years, with 2008 first-rounder Brett Wallace at Triple-A Memphis and Kozma at Double-A Springfield.

Miller likely would start his career at the rookie league level in Johnson City, Tenn.

"We've got some time to develop him," Luhnow said. "We don't need somebody to go right to Double-A and be in the big leagues next year.

"We've got a lot of players in Double-A and Triple-A that have a chance to help up here someday and we need to give those guys time to develop."