St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras and one of the top prospects of the past several seasons, died today in an auto accident in his native Dominican Republic, Dominican police has confirmed the loss. Alongside him was Taveras' his girlfriend who also died in the crash. The Dominican newspaper Listin Diario said the name of his girlfriend is Edilia Arvelo and she was 18.
As at his death, Oscar was 22 years, and had debuted with the Cardinals this season and batted .239 in 80 games, finishing the season as a part-time outfielder.
"We are very saddened to learn of the news that a car accident has claimed the life of Oscar Tavares and his girlfriend in the Dominican Republic," MLB Players Association director Tony Clark said in a statement. "Oscar had a very promising future, on and off the field, and this news is heartbreaking on many levels. It's never easy to lose a member of our fraternity, and to lose one so young is devastating news. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of both, as well as to the St. Louis Cardinals organization and Oscar's many fans in the United States and the Dominican Republic."
Over the past several years, he had been ranked as the second- and third-best prospect in the minor leagues by Baseball American, mlb.com and Baseball Prospectus. He was a .320 hitter over six minor league seasons, including .386 as a teenager in the Class A Midwest League in 2011.
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