Casey McElroy

Auburn wound up missing regionals despite a solid, veteran roster, as the team's bullpen blew some close games and the Tigers wound up at .500. The team's top player, infielder Casey McElroy, is a good college player whose soft hands and hand-eye coordination make him an effective two-way player for the Tigers. He's somewhat oddly built with small hands and feet, and he's nimble while lacking athleticism and speed. McElroy has surprising pop, raked in Southeastern Conference play (.398/.451/.602) and has a tremendous feel for the barrel. A below-average runner, he's got a lot of similarities to Dustin Pedroia, right down to the size (listed 5-foot-8, 179 pounds), though he bats lefthanded. Defensively, he's solid at second base and lacks the arm strength to play on the left side of the infield.