Cody Bellinger

Scouts in the Four Corners frequently throw around the old saying, "pay him now or pay him later," because they run across a lot of projectable players like Bellinger in their area. Bellinger has big league bloodlines and excellent makeup. His father Clay won World Series rings with the Yankees in 1999 and 2000 as part of a four-year major league career. Cody, who played in the 2007 Little League World Series, is still thin and lacks strength in his rangy 6-foot-4, 180-pound frame. Scouts like Bellinger's lefthanded swing and just want to see him get stronger. He has natural timing and puts together solid at-bats with good pitch recognition. Scouts who believe in him see above-average power potential. Bellinger is also a well above-average defender at first base. He is light on his feet and shows smooth hands. He also pitches, and his fastball sits in the 87-89 mph range. Some scouts compare him to a young Adam LaRoche, and the right team will probably take him high enough to buy him out of his commitment to Oregon.