Drafted in the 9th round (271st overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2008 (signed for $150,000).
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A first baseman drawing interest is Loyola Marymount transfer J.R. Higley, who played this season at Sacramento City College. He has a solid hit tool and more athleticism than the average first baseman, as he went to Loyola Marymount as a shorstop.
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A teammate of Red Sox prospect Lars Anderson at Jesuit High in Carmichael, Calif., Higley redshirted at Loyola Marymount in 2007 and transferred to Sacramento CC in 2008. A shortstop in high school, he shifted to first base in junior college and then to the outfield in pro ball. The Nationals signed him for a $150,000 bonus. Higley was slated to start his first full pro season in low Class A before straining ligaments in his wrist late in the spring. He wound up spending most of 2009 at Vermont, but homered twice in his second game after a late- August promotion to Hagerstown. Higley has athletic bloodlines--his father was a wrestler at Iowa--and a frame to match. He's a line-drive, gap-to-gap hitter, but it's uncertain if he'll ever have enough pop to hold down an everyday job as a corner outfielder. Washington projects him to grow into average or better power down the road, but right now all his pop is to the pull side. He's an aggressive hitter who needs to improve his plate discipline and get better against offspeed stuff. His slightly above-average speed and arm strength are assets in the outfield, and he has excellent instincts in both right and center. He's a gamer with an aggressive mentality and a good work ethic. If his bat develops, Higley has a chance for average or better tools across the board. If it doesn't, he still could have value as an extra outfielder with premium defensive skills. He'll start 2010 back at Hagerstown.
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