Phil Bickford

Bickford was a potential first-round pick entering 2013 after a strong Area Cod Games performance, but his velocity jumped that spring while pitching at Oaks Christian High in Westlake Village, Calif. He wound up hitting 95-96 mph regularly with an ideal 6-foot-4, 195-pound body, and the Blue Jays drafted him 10th overall. However, Toronto couldn't come to terms with Bickford, who wound up going to Cal State Fullerton for one season, going 6-3, 2.13 in 76 innings. Bickford had a strong summer in the Cape Cod League and decided to transfer to JC of Southern Nevada to enter the 2015 draft, a prudent move in a weak draft class. However, Bickford hasn't consistently reached the 93-96 mph velocity he showed working in a relief role last summer in the Cape, more frequently sitting in the low 90s albeit with late sinking life. His power breaking ball flashed plus last summer but has remained inconsistent this spring, and his changeup remains in its nascent stages. However, he had a strong spring at CSN, as its known locally, winning Scenic West Athletic Conference pitcher of the year honors during a 9-1, 1.48 campaign that included a staggering 151 strikeouts in 79 innings. He had seven double-digit strikeout games against inferior wood-bat competition. Bickford's signability was tough to gauge in 2013, as was his makeup, but he hasn't made a four-year college commitment this spring and is expected to be signable this time around.