Ryan Boldt

When he was in little league, Ryan Boldt was a lefthanded-hitting, lefthanded-throwing outfielder/pitcher. A growth-plate issue with his left elbow forced him to switch to throwing righthanded--his Little League coach moved him to shortstop to help speed the transition--but he kept hitting lefthanded at the plate. Boldt then missed his senior season of high school with torn meniscus in one of his knees which helped ensure he made it to Nebraska. He's been healthy since, as he's played in almost every game he can as a Cornhusker (he was drafted by the Red Sox in the 22nd round). After earning second-team freshman all-America honors with a .311/.382/.437, Boldt has disappointed scouts by not getting significantly better in the next two years. Boldt has the size of a middle-of-the-order power hitter and will demonstrate average raw power in batting practice but he's yet to show that kind of power in games. He runs better than his size would indicate--he posts above-average run times and plays a solid center field even if he's a little heavy legged as a runner. Boldt does work counts and likes to hit to the opposite field, but he's proven surprisingly pitchable for someone with impressive tools. Boldt's combination of size and speed still intrigues, but the 21-year-old could end up a tweener if he slows down as he ages.