Ryan Howard

Howard seemed primed for a big junior year after batting .379 and leading the Missouri Valley Conference with 18 homers as a sophomore. Instead he regressed, batting just .271 with 13 longballs and 74 strikeouts in 58 games. He had trouble turning on fastballs and lifting pitches. It may have been a bad case of draftitis, but his performance has raised a red flag, especially following his .231 average using wood bats with Team USA last summer. Nevertheless, his tools shouldn't allow him to slide past the fourth round. At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, he resembles a young Frank Thomas. He offers lefthanded power and patience at the plate, and he has average speed despite his size.