Aaron Brown

Coming out of Chatsworth (Calif.) High, Brown drew legitimate interest from scouts as an outfielder as well as a pitcher. He ranked as BA's No. 149 prospect for the 2011 draft, when the Pirates drafted him in the 17th round and made a run at signing him. He elected to go to Pepperdine, where nagging injuries kept him from making the leap to stardom over his first two years. He has made that leap as a junior, going 9-1, 2.34 off the mound and hitting .331/.370/.579 with nine homers through 12 weeks. Scouts widely agree that he is a top-four-rounds talent as both a pitcher and an outfielder, and they are divided about where he fits best. Off the mound, he is physical, athletic and aggressive and attacks hitters with an 89-91 mph fastball that bumps 92-93. His ability to throw quality strikes with his fastball has improved, and his 82-85 mph slider has become a plus pitch with good depth, generating swing-throughs against righties and lefties. He mixes in a changeup that has a chance to be an average pitch and gives him a chance to start, though some scouts still see him as a better fit in the bullpen because of his fair command. If a club drafts Brown as a position player, he has the plus raw power and solid arm strength to profile in right field, though he plays center for the Waves this spring. The biggest knock on Brown's bat is his tendency to swing and miss, as evidenced by his 36-7 strikeout-walk mark through 178 at-bats. He has a double toe-tap that throws off his timing and makes him vulnerable against offspeed pitches, but he is a good fastball hitter.