Mozeliak: Dylan Carlson is 'key part of Cardinals future, probably this season'

JUPITER, Fla. (KMOX) - There's no way to be certain when the St. Louis Cardinals No. 1 prospect will make his big league debut, but it sounds like it could be sooner rather than later for the 21-year-old, switch-hitting outfielder. 

Dylan Carlson has had a pretty incredible first week of Spring Training, hitting .500/.611/.786 with a 1.397 OPS in his first six games and 14 at bats. 

At one point, Carlson didn't make an out through a four-game stretch. He reached base eight times in a row, including a triple, double, two singles and taking three walks.

"There are reasons why we're excited about him," Mozeliak says. "I think for people that are getting a glimpse of him or are seeing him for the first time understand why we really believe in him and think he's going to be a key part of our future, probably this season. When you look at him you can tell he has a high baseball I.Q., he understands the intricacies of what happens in a game and why, and that's nice to see. So it's not just that he swings the bat, he's a really good baseball player."

Dylan Carlson is off to a hot start at #SpringTraining, and the #STLCards outfielder is one of the top prospect performers from Saturday's slate of games: https://t.co/dleL8SLPKp pic.twitter.com/2rnUWCCkpe

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 1, 2020

Mozeliak says something he was also impressed with was seeing Carlson take reps in center field, to promote the fact that he's not limiting himself as a corner outfielder. 

Carlson is currently ranked as the No. 17 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline. Last year, between Double- and Triple-A, he hit .292/.372/.542 with a .914 OPS and played in the Future Game as part of MLB All-Star Weekend. 

The Cardinals manager talked on Saturday about how impressed he's been with Carlson's performance this spring. 

"I think you see a good player," Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said, according to MLB.com. "We use the word 'consistent' a lot, consistent with approach, consistent with technique, and you’re seeing a guy that’s able to do both and the rewards are -- 8-for-8, that’s a pretty impressive thing. But you’re just seeing a good player with a plan, with the ability to execute."

Take a listen to the full conversation our Mike Claiborne had with Mo, here: 

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