Luke Bailey

Bailey entered the season at the front of the national group of high school catchers, one of the strongest positions in the draft. He had shown a rare combination of hitting ability, raw power and arm strength, all of which graded above-average, as well as solid athleticism and surprising speed. Bailey's offense had slipped this spring, as he hit just three home runs. Scouts said he was tinkering too much searching for power, trying different strides and different timing mechanisms. Scouts had no questions about him defensively, where he ranks among the best athletes in the prep catcher group, and he showed toughness as a junior by playing through a broken rib. He has plenty of arm strength and was doing some ill-advised pitching for his high school team before going down with Tommy John surgery in April. Bailey has an Auburn commitment, having grown up a fan, but still was expected to be signable, much as the late Nick Adenhart signed after having had the surgery back in 2004.