With the 43rd pick in the 2018 MLB amateur draft, the St. Louis Cardinals selected Griffin Roberts, a right-handed pitcher out of Wake Forest University.

Roberts' top weapon is his nasty slider, which will help mask his deficiencies elsewhere. He's limited the power stroke of his opponents during his junior year while also punching out an absurd amount of batters.

Bio

Age: 21

Position: RHP

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 210 pounds

Bats/Throws: R/R

School: Wake Forest (Winston-Salem, NC)

Pick value: $1,664,200

MLB prospect rank: 53

MLB.com money quote: "Roberts has the best breaking ball in the draft, a mid-80s slider with a high spin rate and so much break that some scouts call it a power curveball."

Scouting grades

Fastball Slider Changeup Control Overall 55 70 50 50 50

2018 stats

IP (G) ERA K% K/BB HR/9 OPP. AVG 96.2 (14) 3.82 33.2% 130/38 0.56 .221

Take a look ...

(Grades courtesy: MLB Pipeline)