Jed Lowrie

After going undrafted out of an Oregon high school in 2002, Lowrie emerged as a potential first-round pick a year ago when he won the Pacific-10 Conference triple crown with a .399 average and 17 homers, and tied for the lead with 68 RBIs. But he raised a red flag with scouts during the summer when he hit a team-low .230 with only one homer using a wood bat for Team USA. The previous summer in the Alaska League, also using wood, he hit .224. He hasn't performed well this spring, either, as he was hitting .328 with 12 homers--most of which came in a two-week spurt in February. In fairness, Lowrie has been pitched around in a depleted Stanford lineup and has gotten few good pitches to hit, making him impatient. Though he stays balanced throughout his swing and takes a big cut for his size, Lowrie has an unorthodox approach at the plate. He keeps his hands low and has a high leg kick. A switch-hitter, he is a much better hitter from the left side. He is also a solid defender with good footwork and enough arm strength to fill in at shortstop in a pinch. Scouts have compared Lowrie to current big league second basemen Chase Utley and Adam Kennedy, who were both first-round picks from California colleges, but they say Lowrie is a better defender than both.