Drew Mendoza

In 2016, Mendoza was a quick-rising draft prospect with a big frame who showed a knack for hitting and future power projection. Scouts hit that evaluation on the head, and over three years with Florida State, Mendoza has filled out his frame and is now listed at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds. That strength has produced double-digits home runs in two of his three years in the ACC, including this spring, when he’s hit a career-high 13 home runs through 46 games. Mendoza has above-average raw power, but it’s strength over bat speed and scouts question how much he’ll be able to reach his power against professional pitching. He has a solid eye at the plate and doesn’t chase out of the zone often, but he swings and misses enough at pitches in the zone for scouts to question his overall hitting ability. His wood bat track record in the Cape Cod League, where he’s hit .199/.291/.278 with a 32 percent strikeout rate in 57 games, is also discouraging. Mendoza actually moves well for his size at third base, but he’s played below-average defense this spring. His throwing accuracy has been a bit scattered, leading some evaluators to think he would be a better fit for first base, where there would be even more pressure on his bat. There’s no denying Mendoza has produced each season with the Seminoles, and his power has ticked up since his freshman season. But with a strikeout rate that’s never been lower than 20 percent and questions about his approach against higher-level pitching, there is some risk projecting his bat moving forward, despite his obvious size and strength.