Paul DeJong

DeJong focused more on baseball after knee injuries he sustained while playing high school basketball cost him most of his freshman and sophomore seasons. He redshirted as a freshman at Illinois State but he's hit for robust power the last two seasons while playing a variety of positions. The Pirates drafted him in the 38th round in 2014, but couldn't sign him and he went on to hit 20 home runs in the Northwoods League. DeJong has a sound, aggressive swing with good plate coverage and above-average raw power that plays; he led the Missouri Valley Conference with 14 home runs. He has some swing-and-miss but makes enough contact, particularly if he moves behind the plate. He's caught infrequently in his career while also playing second base and some right field as the 2015 season drew to a close. He has solid-average arm strength, if not a tick above-average, though his slot tends to wander. He shows more feel for catching the more he plays the position but hasn't ever done it consistently. In a draft thin on catching, DeJong could go out as one, as early as the third round.