Sunday, Cardinals’ consensus top-five minor league prospect Oscar Taveras died in an auto accident on a highway in his home city of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
In 2008, Taveras was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an undrafted free agent at the age of 16. Since then, he has been referred to as possibly the best Cardinals prospect since Albert Pujols. Six years later, he debuted against the San Francisco Giants on May 31. Taveras entered the league with a bang by hitting a home run off Giants pitcher Yusmeiro Petit in just his second Major League at bat. Also, during the Cardinals recent playoff run, a game tying home run came off the bat of Taveras in a triumphant game two of the National League Championship Series.

Taveras and his girlfriend, Edilia Arvelo, were pronounced dead Sunday after he crashed his cardinal red 2014 Chevrolet Camaro in the Atlantic Coast of the Dominican Republic. No identification was found in the wreckage causing Taveras’ body to be finally identified by his family members.

Junior Trayton Schroeder works as a grounds crew member for the Cardinals and has always admired Taveras as a person.

“Oscar was a shy and nice guy. He was kind of like the new kid in school,” said Schroeder.

Although Schroeder only had a few conversations with Taveras, he was able to notice how serious he was about his job, despite being one of the youngest players on the roster.

“I will always remember how serious he was. Right when he hit the field there was no playing around,” said Schroeder.

All of Cardinal Nation was hit hard by the news of Taveras’ death, but it hit those who knew him personally a little harder.