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The 2015 MLB draft is just 13 days away, and while the Diamondbacks may already have their first pick solidified, there still is no consensus or feel on how the first round is generally going to go. Regardless of that fact however, Baseball America does have a thoroughly researched opinion, and understands better than most who the best talents are. The full list is quite detailed, but below focuses on just the top college hitters.
Best hitters:
According to BA the top three college power hitters are Chris Shaw, David Thomspon, and Christin Stewart.
| 2015 | AB | 2B | 3B | HR | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Shaw | 144 | 9 | 0 | 11 | .411 | .611 |
| David Thompson | 331 | 16 | 2 | 19 | .447 | .683 |
| Christin Stewart | 177 | 8 | 2 | 15 | .443 | .633 |
With the changes in the NCAA Men's baseball, home run totals have increased dramatically over the 2014 season. Now that pitching is easier to come by, teams may start to skew towards the position players, and specifically those with power. None of these three hitters have been mentioned as potential number one overall pick, but a team looking to make a splash in the power department will likely target one of these names.
As for what BA calls the best "pure hitters", they have Andrew Benintendi, Ian Happ, and Kevin Newman as their top three. Benintendi plays for Arkansas, and has posted a slash line of .391/.492/.738 with 18 HRs. He's walked more times than he's struck out (40 to 29) and is remarkably efficient in steals (22-26). He hasn't ranked in BA's first round, but he's one of the best overall hitters in the draft. Happ and Newman are hitting .369 and .370, respectively, and like Benintendi, are all around good players. Happ has more power, and has hit 14 home runs, while Newman is more adept at stealing, showcased by his 22-25 record.