Peter O'Brien

O'Brien was little known at Miami's Braddock High, emerging as a sophomore at Bethune-Cookman when he hit 20 home runs, then four more to lead USA Baseball's college national team in the summer of 2010. He slumped a bit in 2011, dropping 80 points in batting average but was still a third-round pick of the Rockies. He didn't sign and transferred to Miami as a senior. O'Brien's spring got off to a tremendous start, first when the NCAA cleared him to play without having to sit out a year, then by hitting .354/.465/.677 with 10 home runs in his first 127 at-bats. He has plenty of strength in his 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame and doesn't have to pull the ball to hit it over the fence. He has good balance and the requisite arm strength to catch. At his size, though, O'Brien lacks agility and struggles to block balls in the dirt. Some scouts think he can hit enough to survive as a below-average receiver with inconstant throwing accuracy. A hairline fracture of his left wrist, sustained when he was hit by a pitch April 15, further complicated his draft status. Three weeks later, he had yet to swing a bat, though he hoped to return before the end of the regular season.