Chris Betts

Long Beach's Wilson High has produced four first-round picks, from Bobby Grich (1967) and the Burroughs (Jeff, 1974, and Sean, 1998) to Aaron Hicks (Twins, 2008). Betts will endeavor to make it five and has had a good spring, building on his preseason first-team All-America nod from major league scouting directors. A Tennessee signee, Betts has cleaned up his 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame, maintaining physicality but adding muscle and cleaning up a body that had been trending in the wrong direction. He features good size for a catcher, improving receiving ability after an offseason spent working out with Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki, and plus raw arm strength. Betts' long transfer has hindered his arm from playing to that level, and while he's improved it, his pop times are usually in the 1.95-2.0 seconds range at his best. Betts has strength in his swing and easy, plus lefthanded raw power. He may hit enough for the bat to play at first base if catching doesn't work out, but he has intangibles and arm strength to catch and has star potential if he can stay at the position.