Eric Sogard

As the Sun Devils steamed toward their first Pacific-10 Conference regular-season title since 2000, scouts and opposing coaches pointed to Sogard as perhaps the most important player on a deep roster. In fact, they gave him the highest praise a modern-day Sun Devil can get, comparing him to Dustin Pedroia, now the Red Sox' second baseman. Sogard's tools grade out better than Pedroia's for some scouts. He's a better runner with a better arm, though he lacks Pedroia's amazing intangibles. Sogard has some thump in his lefthanded bat, having hit .347 with wood last summer in the West Coast Collegiate League and near .400 for the Sun Devils this spring. What endeared him most to scouts is his improvement defensively. While he lacks Pedroia's pure hands and quick transfer, Sogard has made himself a slightly above-average defender, improving by a full grade with his hands, range and arm. He should be an offensive second baseman and average defender and may not last past the fourth round.