Ian Rice

Rice was a late-round draftee out of high school who has developed into a solid defensive backstop after two years at Chipola. Scouts like the way he handles a staff as well as his receiving and blocking skills. His raw arm strength is fringe-average to average and plays up with a quick transfer. Rice has good hand-eye coordination, an advanced approach and bat-to-ball skills. He struck out in 12 percent of his plate appearances against a 23 percent walk rate. He has the ability to drive the gaps and hit 10 home runs this spring. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Houston commit is athletic for the position and is a below-average runner.