Brett Bigler

While UC Riverside was struggling to reach .500 in the tough Big West Conference, it had at least four players who scouts were watching closely, including draft-eligible sophomores in catcher Jeff Dunbar and lefthander Dan Runzler, as well as hard-throwing reliever Dan Stange. Bigler, the Highlanders' speedy center fielder, was the safest pick of the bunch. Described as a cross between 2005 Red Sox first-round pick Jacoby Ellsbury and Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki, Bigler is a table-setter with patience and some strength at the plate who takes a contact-oriented, line-drive approach. An excellent athlete and baserunner, Bigler also isn't afraid to go deep in counts and ranked third in the Big West in on-base percentage. He's an above-average runner and one of the best defensive center fielders in college baseball, with an easy strikde and slightly above-average arm. He has the frame at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds to get bigger without significantly slowing down. Bigler will have to add strength to avoid being another Jason Tyner--i.e., a slap hitter whose on-base skills are muted by power pitching at higher levels.