Dan Lietz

In a down draft year in Illinois, Lietz is the best bet for the Prairie State to produce a pick in the first 10 rounds, a reflection of both his talent and his signability. Undrafted last year out of an Illinois high school, he barely attracted any scouting attention in the fall, when he worked at 85-88 mph. But the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder's velocity took a huge jump this spring, with his fastball ranging from 88-93 mph with run and sink. Said one scout of Lieske's stuff: "Everything is crooked." He gets hard bite on a slider he can throw to the back foot of righthanders, and his changeup has similar action to his other pitches. He also employs a curveball, though it lags behind his other pitches. Even with the life on his pitches, Lieske has no trouble filling the strike zone. He issued just six walks in his first 61 innings.