Nick Allen

Allen is a mesmerizing prospect. He shows flashes with every tool. Allen has excellent range at shortstop to go along with plus body control and arm strength. He is a plus runner and flashes sneaky raw power in batting practice. However, Allen is 5-foot-8 and could be one of the smallest prospects ever taken in the first round. Allen's height leads him to play with a chip on his shoulder and he receives positive reviews for his competitive nature and hustle. Allen has a high baseball IQ and shows natural instincts both as a defender and as a righthanded hitter. Allen has a compact swing with quick hands and he keeps the barrel of his bat through the hitting zone well. He makes a lot of contact and covers the plate well, and he showed the ability to barrel up line drives against good pitching on the showcase circuit. The San Diego native is committed to Southern California. His tools would fit closer to the top of the draft, but pro teams have concerns about how his smaller body will hold up over the course of a full season. Even with those concerns, Allen is likely to be selected on the first day of the draft.