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Let’s take a look at where the MLB Draft Class of 2016 is now

By Joshua Sadlock

TAMPA, FL - JUNE 03: Mickey Moniak (2) of the Threshers hits his first home run of the season during the Florida State League game between the Florida Fire Frogs and the Clearwater Threshers on June 03, 2018, at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - JUNE 03: Mickey Moniak (2) of the Threshers hits his first home run of the season during the Florida State League game between the Florida Fire Frogs and the Clearwater Threshers on June 03, 2018, at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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06 SEP 2016: Delvin Perez (23) of the Cardinals tags out Paul Rivas (19) of the Phillies during the Gulf Coast League (GCL) game between the GCL Cardinals and the GCL Phillies at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
06 SEP 2016: Delvin Perez (23) of the Cardinals tags out Paul Rivas (19) of the Phillies during the Gulf Coast League (GCL) game between the GCL Cardinals and the GCL Phillies at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

23. St. Louis Cardinals: Delvin Perez, SS, International Baseball Academy (P.R.)

The Cardinals swooped in to grab troubled shortstop Delvin Perez with the final pick of the first round. He had been graded as the top shortstop in the entire draft class, but fell all the way to the end of the first round over a rumor that he had failed a pre-draft drug test for PEDs. Prior to being drafted, players are not subject to suspension for a positive test, but they do face increased scrutiny upon entering the pro ranks.

After experiencing some modest success as a rookie in 2016, Perez’s career has completely stalled to the point where he is no longer even viewed as a top-30 prospect in the Cardinals organization. He struggled in 2017, hitting just .203/.314/.271 in 34 games at the short-season level before breaking his hand at the end of August. Perez returned from the injury in 2018, but hit just .213/.301/.272 in 64 games at Low-A State College.

Perez has been a huge disappointment for the Cardinals, but he is beginning to show some signs of life this year, hitting .251/.310/.275 at Single-A. He just has not bulked up much since being drafted, which limits his ability to make hard contact. Perez does have good contact skills, so his offensive output should tick up if he can get stronger.

It might look like Perez is destined to go down as a first-round bust, but he is still only 20 years old and is dripping with raw athleticism. He has outstanding range at shortstop, a strong arm and good instincts on the bases. If Perez can even hit a little bit, he will still be a big leaguer.

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