Bregman put his name on the map by leading the 2010 USA Baseball 16U team to a gold medal by hitting .564/.596/.846. He followed that up by returning for the 2011 18U gold medal run and hitting .378/.500/.459.

As a junior at Albuquerque Academy, Bregman also broke New Mexico's single-season home run record with 18 jacks last year. While he won't be a slugger as a pro, Bregman does pack impressive strength into his 5-foot-11 frame. He has exceptionally quick hands and an extremely efficient, compact swing. He has bat speed, knows how to get leverage and sprays the ball to all parts of the field. So, as New Mexico high schools transition to using wood bats for games this year, Bregman will have no trouble adjusting.

Defensively, Bregman will play anywhere on the diamond. He's fine at shortstop or second base, making all the plays and displaying solid-average arm strength, and he's going to spend about half of his time this spring behind the plate. In brief looks there this summer, Bregman looked comfortable. He moves well and showed strong hands, but needs to work on his throwing mechanics to second base. Bregman is a solid-average runner with good instincts on the bases.

Regardless of where he winds up defensively, coaches, teammates and fans will love Bregman—not only for his knack for putting the bat on the ball, but for his hard-nosed hustle, smart play and quiet swagger.