Barry Larkin

A former football standout at Cincinnati’s famed Moeller High, Larkin has elected to pursue baseball only at Michigan. He was the Big 10 Conference's MVP a year ago, after hitting .363 with five homers for the College World Series-bound Wolverines. While scouts are in general agreement that Larkin is the best shortstop prospect in the country, he’s not mechanically sound yet--largely because of his Northern background. Many assumed he would be the starting shortstop on the U.S. Olympic team last summer, but his lack of fundamentals (not unusual for a Northern player) relegated him to a reserve role. “He hasn’t regressed at all since high school,” said one scouting director, “and with a lack of infielders in the draft this year, you might see some over-drafting at shortstop, which wouldn’t hurt Larkin.”