Derek Fisher

A sixth-round pick out of a Pennsylvania high school, Fisher spurned the Rangers to attend Virginia and was voted a preseason first-team All-American by scouting directors. They've been waiting for Fisher to translate his strength and athletic ability into consistent production, because he profiles as a left fielder who will need to hit and hit for power to be a big league regular. At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Fisher looks the part and he's an average runner when he decides to go hard, which hasn't been often enough for scouts' tastes. He'll need the reps that pro ball can deliver to improve his raw route-running and defensive consistency, as he's a below-average defender presently with a below-average arm. Scouts give Fisher 70 raw power; he sticks to the gaps and staying inside the ball in games, as was the case in the Cape Cod League, where he hit .333 but with just six extra-base hits (all doubles) last summer. A broken right hamate interrupted Fisher's junior season, though he hit his first two home runs of the season in the first week after returning to the field. He has a sound lefthanded swing and has shown the ability to hang in well against college lefthanders. His finish, particularly in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in front of a lot of decision makers, could push him up the thin list of college hitters.