Nick Gordon

Gordon is talented enough that he could have followed in his father Tom's footsteps as a pitcher or his brother Dee's footsteps as a shortstop. The quality of this year's draft class is held back by the dearth of up-the-middle position players, so Gordon, who is the consensus best middle-of-the-diamond player, looks like he will go in the top 10 picks. Gordon has potential to be a rare lefthanded-hitting domestic shortstop who contributes offensively and defensively. He added more than 10 pounds to his wiry 6-foot, 180-pound build over the offseason and this additional strength helped in many facets of his game. Gordon has a chance to be an above-average hitter with a loose, quick stroke that works inside the ball. He has strong bat-to-ball skills, and while he has more doubles power presently, scouts believe he could also have at least average power down the road once he learns to pull the ball, and maybe even above-average. Opinions on his defense differ, ranging from average to well above-average. He has soft hands, easy actions and natural instincts for the position. Gordon has the best arm in the high school class and it is at least plus. Despite being a plus runner in the 60, Gordon's speed plays closer to average out of the box. Scouts have conviction about Gordon's makeup, which is among the best in the draft, and say he has top-of-charts instincts. Gordon also has a solid backup option as a pitcher who can run his fastball up to 94 with an above-average curveball.