List of St. Louis Cardinals first-round draft picks
Year Name Position School ( location ) Pick
1965 Joe DiFabio Right-handed pitcher Delta State University ( Cleveland , Mississippi ) 20
1966 Leron Lee Infielder Grant High School ( Sacramento , California 7
1967 Ted Simmons Catcher Southfield High School ( Southfield , Michigan ) 10
1968 James Hairston Outfielder Roth High School ( Dayton , Ohio ) 19
1969 Charles Minott Left-handed pitcher Royal Oak High School ( Covina , California ) 20
1970 Jim Browning Right-handed pitcher Emma Sansom High School ( Gadsden , Alabama ) 11
1971 Ed Kurpiel First baseman Archbishop Molloy High School ( Hollis , New York ) 8
1972 Dan Larson Right-handed pitcher Alhambra High School ( Alhambra , California ) 21
1973 Joe Edelen Third baseman Gracemont High School ( Gracemont , Oklahoma ) 12
1974 Garry Templeton Shortstop Santa Ana Valley High School ( Santa Ana , California ) 13
1975 David Johnson Left-handed pitcher Gaylord High School ( Gaylord , Michigan ) 16
1976 Leon Durham First baseman Woodward High School ( Cincinnati , Ohio ) 15
1977 Terry Kennedy Catcher Florida State University ( Tallahassee , Florida ) 6
1978 Bob Hicks First baseman Gonzalez Tate High School ( Pensacola , Florida ) 15
1979 Andy Van Slyke Outfielder New Hartford High School ( New Hartford , New York ) 6
1980 Don Collins Right-handed pitcher Homer L. Ferguson High School ( Newport News , Virginia ) 15
1981 Bob Meacham Shortstop San Diego State University ( San Diego , California ) 8
1982 Todd Worrell Right-handed pitcher Biola University ( La Mirada , California ) 21
1983 Jim Lindeman Third baseman Bradley University ( Peoria , Illinois ) 24
1984 Mike Dunne Right-handed pitcher Bradley University ( Peoria , Illinois ) 7
Picks
Todd Worrell ( 1982 ) won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1986 , the only Cardinals ' first-round draft pick to do so . Braden Looper ( 1996 ) was drafted third by the Cardinals , their highest draft selection in team history . Adam Kennedy ( 1997 ) is one of fourteen players drafted from California by the Cardinals . J. D. Drew ( 1998 ) is one of four first-round draft picks selected from Florida State University . Chris Duncan ( 1999 ) is one of six players drafted by the Cardinals in the first round from Arizona . Colby Rasmus ( 2005 ) was selected 28th overall by the Cardinals . Brett Wallace ( 2008 ) is one of three first-round draft picks selected from Arizona State University .
The St. Louis Cardinals are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in St. Louis, Missouri. They play in the National League Central division. Since the institution of MLB's Rule 4 Draft, the Cardinals have selected 74 players in the first round. Officially known as the First-Year Player Draft, the Rule 4 Draft is MLB's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick. In addition, teams which lost free agents in the previous off-season may be awarded compensatory or supplementary picks. Of the 74 players picked in the first round by St. Louis, 38 have been pitchers, the most of any position; 30 of them were right-handed, while 8 were left-handed. Eight outfielders, eight third basemen, six shortstops, six first basemen, five catchers, and two second basemen were taken as well. The team also drafted one player, Leron Lee (1966), who played as an infielder. 16 of the players came from high schools or universities in the state of California, and Texas and Arizona follow with seven and six players. The Cardinals have not drafted any players from their home state of Missouri. Three of the Cardinals draft picks have won World Series rings with the team.