Ryan Kalish

A superior athlete who starred as a high school quarterback and played both ways on the baseball field, Kalish figures to be a tough sign because of his commitment to Virginia. There was talk Kalish could play both sports at UVa, but he appears to be focused on baseball. Kalish injured his arm playing basketball and aggravated it pitching early in the year, so he's split time between center field, DH and first base to spare his sore arm. When healthy, Kalish has at least average arm strength that should play at any outfield position, and he's at least an average runner. Scouts are divided on where he profiles. Some say he's a pure center fielder, while others see him as a tweener who lacks the speed to play center and the power for a corner spot. A raw offensive player because of his three-sport background, Kalish has shown little power despite a compact frame that invites comparisons to Jim Edmonds and Trot Nixon. He consistently makes good contact, but his hands drift and he does not hit with much leverage. Like Nixon and Edmonds, Kalish is an intense competitor who plays with high energy.