Cards give Hicks big bump to 'The Show'

A few weeks ago, the buzz around Jordan Hicks was about him being late. Now it's all about his early arrival.
The Cardinals No. 7 prospect will skip Double-A and Triple-A to begin the season on the Major League roster. MLB.com's Joe Trezza confirmed the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's initial report.

Tweet from @JoeTrezz: It was clear, even after they demoted him early in camp due to multiple latenesses, that Jordan Hicks factored heavily in the Cardinals plans. His triple-digit stuff plays & his demeanor screams late innings. His extraordinary jump, from Class A to the Majors, speaks to that.
Hicks tossed a scoreless inning on Feb. 23, but was sent down to Minor League camp due to repeated issues with timeliness. A month later, the 21-year-old right-hander got another chance and did not disappoint in his two outings. Over three Grapefruit League games -- one start -- Hicks allowed two runs on five hits and one walk with eight strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.
"He pitched four innings against the Nationals, pretty much their starting lineup minus Ryan Zimmerman, and boy howdy, he showed that he can compete at the top level on the big stage," St. Louis pitching coach Mike Maddux told MLB.com on Tuesday. "And we loved what we saw, it was outstanding, a lot of firepower. He throws velocity, but it's easy velocity and he commands the baseball, a lot of movement, so the kid's got a bright future."

With a 70-grade fastball on a 20-80 scale, Hicks glided through his first two pro seasons with ease after a minor shoulder injury delayed his debut. The 2015 supplemental-round pick went 14-5 with a 2.82 ERA, 137 punchouts and 74 free passes in 165 2/3 frames over 34 games (31 starts) as he made stops at Rookie-level Johnson City, Class A Short Season State College, Class A Peoria and Class A Advanced Palm Beach.
"I just have to show up to the field on time, ready to go," Hicks told MLB.com after returning to camp. "It's definitely a learning experience. You get on that big league side, and you see everybody else doing the right things, what you should be doing. You don't want to be that guy, you know?"
Facing top competition in the Arizona Fall League, Hicks ran into some trouble, going 0-2 with a 6.32 ERA in 15 2/3 innings over nine outings, including one start. The Houston native struck out 16 and walked six.
While going from Class A Advanced to the Majors is fairly uncommon, it's not unheard of in the Cardinals system. St. Louis called up right-fielder Magneuris Sierra from Palm Beach last May. Over four trips to the Majors, the 21-year-old hit .317/.359/.317 with five RBIs in 60 at-bats before getting traded to Miami in December.