Anfernee Grier

After a quiet freshman year at Auburn, Grier, the son of former Cardinals farm hand Antron, broke out last spring, leading the team in hitting (.323) and runs (41). His performance landed him a spot on USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team, but his playing time in the summer was limited due to illness. Grier has continued his strong performance at the plate this spring, and his average was hovering around .400 at the end of April, to go with nine home runs and 16 stolen bases. Grier has an impressive set of tools. He has above-average raw power, and does a good job of getting to it when he turns on pitches. He has plus speed, which plays well both on the base paths and in the outfield, where he is a plus defender. He has fringy arm strength, but tracks down balls well and profiles as a center fielder. For all of Grier's production and raw tools, however, he can be pitched to. He struggles to recognize off-speed pitches, a hole Southeastern Conference pitchers have been able to take advantage of this spring. In SEC play, his numbers dip precipitously, particularly his slugging percentage, which is 130 points lower than his overall numbers. Still, with his enticing package of athleticism and tools, a team will likely take a chance on Grier on the first day of the draft. He should easily better both his 39th-round selection by the Tigers in 2013 and his father's sixth-round pick in 1987.