Jalen Battles

Battles teamed with third baseman Cayden Wallace this year to give Arkansas one of the best left sides of the infield in college baseball. It was extremely hard to sneak a ground ball past the duo. Battles has given scouts plenty of chances to see him handle all the demands of shortstop. He plays the position under control, with a solid internal clock, but he also has the quick hands and actions to get rid of the ball quickly when needed. He has an above-average arm and above-average range. His glove should make him an excellent senior sign, although his bat will limit how high he will go. He can turn on a fastball with his fringe-average power, but he’s generally been an easy mark for pitchers who induce him to chase sliders, and especially changeups, away. He pulls off those pitches too often, although his average hand-eye coordination keeps him from being a massive liability as a bottom-of-the-order bat.