Cards take Gonzaga LHP with first pick

The St. Louis Cardinals selected Gonzaga Bulldogs left-hander Marco Gonzales with the No. 19 pick in the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft.

Gonzales was a two-way player in his three years with the Bulldogs -- splitting time between pitching and playing first base -- but his future is on the mound. The southpaw was 7-3 with a 2.80 ERA in 17 starts for Gonzaga this past spring, striking out 96 batters in 106 innings.

Gonzales' fastball regularly registers in the low 90s, but he owns arguably the best change-up of the draft class, according to Baseball America.

With its second pick in the first round -- a compensatory pick awarded the team for losing Kyle Lohse to free agency and No. 28 overall -- the Cardinals chose Rob Kaminsky, a left-handed pitcher from St. Joseph Regional School in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. Kaminsky stands just 5-foot-11, but he throws consistently in the low-90s with good command and an impressive curveball. He was 10-0 and led St. Joseph to the New Jersey North Non-Public A title game his senior season.

Kaminsky is committed to North Carolina, but most expect him to forego college and sign with the Cardinals.

In the second round, with pick No. 57, St. Louis selected Oscar Mercado, a shortstop out of Tampa Gaither High School. Mercado hit just .286 in 63 at-bats this past season, but he is best known for his defense. He has signed to play baseball at Florida State.

-- From wire reports