Manny Jefferson

Jefferson stands out from the other West Coast shortstops because of his size; at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, he's longer, leaner and lankier than peers such as Cal State Fullerton's Timmy Richards or Long Beach State's Garrett Hampson. Jefferson has had little fanfare, either at Lakewood High, where he was teammates with Phillies top prospect J.P. Crawford, or at Pepperdine, where he walked on but seized a starting role as a freshman. He's heavy-footed defensively but has soft hands, a good internal clock and has an above-average arm that should allow him to slide to third base or an outfield corner. He has shown corner power as well, ranking second in the West Coast Conference with 11 homers. Jefferson can backspin the ball, has leverage in his swing and has improved his approach to get to more balls he can drive.