Cal Conley

Conley signed with Miami out of high school and actually was a Hurricane for one semester before transferring to Texas Tech. He was draft-eligible last year as a redshirt freshman, but went unpicked in the abbreviated five-round draft. That won’t happen again this year. He provided consistent offense in the middle of Texas Tech’s lineup while also anchoring the infield defense. He almost single-handedly beat Army in a regional game with three hits and two home runs. As a pro, Conley projects as more of a well-rounded player than one with a lot of clear plus tools. The switch-hitter has pull power from both sides of the plate, and can poke a ball out down the line to the opposite field, but he projects to have fringe-average power with a wood bat. He puts together consistent at-bats and should be an average hitter. Defensively, Conley is athletic and he shows solid range going to his left. It’s when he has to go deep in the hole that his limitations at shortstop become apparent. If his momentum is taking him away from first, he doesn’t have the arm strength to make the play. It sometimes limits his range as well, as he will try to field backhanders to get his feet set for the throw. He has a solid internal clock. He should be able to stay in the dirt because his hands work well, but he probably fits better at second base long term.