Austin Byler

Byler was a ninth-round pick of the Nationals last season but didn't sign and returned for his senior season at Nevada, which had its season cut short when the team lost in the Mountain West Conference tournament and was snubbed for a regional berth. Byler, physical at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, played third base and left field earlier in his career, and he may still move well enough to shift to left field (he's a 7-seconds-flat runner over 60 yards). He's a below-average defender at first base. Teams would be buying a bat with Byler, who ranked second in the nation in walks, third in runs and fifth in OBP while hitting .328/.507/.652 with his second-straight 14-homer season. Byler is a three-true-outcomes player who whiffs a bunch (24 percent of his college at-bats) and has some holes in his swing. He's spread out in his stance and might cover the plate better with a more athletic setup.