Zack Britton

Clayton Kershaw isn't the only Texas high school lefthander who has shot up the charts this spring. After sitting at 86-87 mph in 2005, Britton's fastball shot up to 92-93 for much of this spring. He further helped his cause by outpitching the more ballyhooed Jordan Walden when scouts swarmed to their matchup in early April. Britton's velocity has tailed off slightly this spring, but his arm works well and he'll have a consistent plus fastball once he fills out. There's plenty of room to add strength to his athletic 6-foot-3, 180 pound frame. As he matures physically, he should add power to his curveball, which should become a solid-average pitch once he learns to stay on top of it better. Walden's delivery isn't deceptive, so refining a changeup to keep righthanders off balance will be important. Texas A&M did a nice job of identifying Britton's potential, but he started to achieve it so quickly that it's now unlikely he'll turn down pro ball for college.