Josh Morgan

Morgan has been on the Southern California prospect landscape for years, and scouts all know him and like him because of his affability and work ethic. He impressed defensively last summer but struggled with the bat. He showed better offensively last October at the World Wood Bat Championships and again at the Southern California Invitational in February, demonstrating quick hands and a compact righthanded stroke. The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder excels at hitting line drives middle-away, but he has also flashed below-average power to the pull side, and some scouts say he has tried too hard to yank home runs at times this spring. He has a chance to be a solid-average hitter in time, because he has an innate feel for his barrel. A slightly above-average runner with a slightly above-average arm, Morgan lacks standout tools at shortstop, but his instincts make his range play up, and his lightning-quick hands are special. He may wind up at second base, but some scouts say he has a shot to stick at shortstop. A club that likes him there could draft the UCLA recruit in the second round.