Adam Loewen

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2002 draft, Loewen became the highest-selected draft-and-follow ever when he broke off negotiations with the Orioles to attend Chipola JC. The two sides were roughly $1.5 million apart when he made that decision, and there's little indication that Baltimore will up its $2.5 offer or Loewen will come down from his $4 million demand. His signability would be a concern should he re-enter the draft this June, but his stuff is indisputable. He's a 6-foot-6 lefthander who throw 90-95 mph on a tough downward angle, and both his mid-80s slider and high-70s curveball can be nasty pitches. He also has a changeup that he rarely has cause to use. He's very athletic and would be an early-round prospect as a slugging right fielder if his ceiling weren't so high on the mound. Loewen tailed off later in the season and got hit hard in his final start, a state tournament loss to Manatee CC, when his command deserted him. At times during the spring Loewen showed the ability to command his fastball to both sides of the plate; at others he seemed content to just throw his pitches over the middle of the plate. If he spurns the Orioles, he'd be the top overall pitching prospect in the 2003 draft and could go as high as No. 2 overall to the Brewers.