ESPN writer likes ex-Jayhawk Nelson

Of the eight former Kansas University baseball players currently in the minor leagues, St. Louis Cardinals farmhand John Nelson has the best shot of contributing in the majors, according to ESPN.com minor league analyst John Sickels.

Nelson, who played at KU from 1998 to 2000, hit .274 with 28 doubles, 16 homers, 16 steals and a .349 on-base percentage for the Single-A Peoria Chiefs last year. He is scheduled to play for the Double-A Tennessee Smokies this summer.

“He’s got some power, he’s got some speed and he’s got a very strong throwing arm,” Sickels said. “The problem for him is that he’s 24, and that’s a little old for the Midwest League, so we’re going to see how he does at higher levels.”

Nelson, KU’s career leader in triples (16) and single-season leader in steals (42), recently was named the No. 8 prospect in the Cardinals organization by “Baseball America.” The publication also named Nelson, who played center field in the minors in 2001, as the best athlete, best defensive infielder and best infield arm among the Cardinals’ prospects.

Les Walrond, another former Jayhawk in the St. Louis organization, is the former KU player closest to the majors in terms of the minor league structure.

The 26-year-old left-hander spent most of last season with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. He went 8-7 with a 4.89 ERA in 28 appearances, striking out 111 batters in 123 innings, and was named to the Triple-A All-Star game.

Walrond — who injured his arm last season, but signed a one-year, $50,000 contract with St. Louis last week — played the outfield and pitched while playing for the Jayhawks from 1996 to 1998.

“I saw him pitch a couple of times and I thought, ‘This guy isn’t too bad as a pitcher,'” Sickels said. “He throws 89-90 (mph), and that’s how the Cardinals have used him. I see Les as a guy who, if his arm is OK, he could certainly pitch in the major leagues, probably in a relief role.”