Steve Tolleson

The son of former big leaguer Wayne Tolleson, Stephen has tried to live up to South Carolina's recent shortstop tradition. The players who preceded him at short included three first-round picks: Adam Everett, Brian Roberts, Drew Meyer. Tolleson seems unlikely to go that high, though he has enough athletic ability and savvy to go in the first five rounds. Tolleson's father was a defensive stalwart who hit .241 in his eight seasons in the big leagues, and most scouts expect Stephen to be a better hitter. He has wiry strength and uses the whole field. He's also patient and has adapted well to hitting toward the top of the Gamecocks lineup, drawing more walks and becoming an efficient basestealer despite his average speed. He has too much power for his own good sometimes and loses sight of the fact he's not a power hitter, selling out in his swing trying to hit home runs. Tolleson's glove isn't as good as his father's, especially at shortstop, where he usually doesn't have enough arm to make the play in the hole. Most scouts believe he profiles better as a second baseman (where he could be an above-average defender) or utility infielder.