J.J. Matijevic

Part of the same Pennsylvania prep class that produced Louisville two-way star Brendan McKay, Matijevic moved down the defensive spectrum immediately after making the sojourn across the country to Arizona. He's played a lot of DH and first base for the Wildcats, and while he has plenty of arm strength, his footwork around the bag is fringy. He runs well enough to give left field a shot but will need work if a team wants him to play the outfield. A confident hitter with some swagger to his game, Matijevic was punishing Pac-12 pitching in 2017, leading the Wildcats and ranking second nationally in batting (.415) and hits (80 in 47 games). Matijevic has strength and plus bat speed, with a swing tailor-made to take advantage of the spacious gaps at Arizona's Hi Corbett Field. The strong-bodied lefthanded hitter uses the opposite field well and may hit for more home run power as he adjusts his approach to pull and loft the ball. Otherwise, he's a hit-over-power first baseman in the John Jaso mold. While he's shown the ability to drive the ball at times--he was leading the nation in doubles through mid-May--Matijevic lacks the true first-base profile but he's having an exceptional season, which could push him into the second or early third round.